Beats and rhythm are his game Erick is his name. As most producers do Erick spends most of his time in a sanctuary of sound where beats are born and melodies meet voices. Monitors glow waveforms dance and every knob tells a story.

Erick Kuonga is a music producer, sound engineer, songwriter and voice over artist based in Zambia’s capital city, Lusaka. The versatile virtuoso began to pursue his passions at the young age of 9 and now at 29 he spends most days in the studio turning passion into rhythm and living every beat.

His love for music was inspired by an uncle who shared the same passion for the craft “I’ve always been passionate about this. The inspiration was ignited by the people and also just listening to people who were already doing music and just hearing them perform, to me that was so fulfilling”. He’s inspired by artists such as General Ozzy, Mag 44 and Tye 2.

With over 20 years of experience in songwriting and producing he has had the privilege and working with some great upcoming and established talents in Zambia.

One of his most memorable moments was when one of the jams he produced got played on the bus he was on “I’ve made it!” He jokes, the multi talented artist also finds fulfillment writing songs for other artists.

“If someone wants to do this and they’re really passionate about it I would really encourage them to do that, it comes with its challenges but it’s still a great thing to do, there’s a lot of creative exploration” He responded when asked if he would encourage others to get into this field. He also added how it helps one express themselves artistically and of course make money.

The creative process itself can be mentally and emotionally taxing, especially when it draws from personal experiences or is met with little external support. Access to resources, exposure, and opportunities is another major hurdle, particularly for emerging or marginalized artists. Navigating the commercial side of art adds further complexity, as artists may feel compelled to compromise their vision to appeal to market trends. Erick is no stranger to these challenges “creative blocks, dealing with deadlines and trying to balance the artistic and commercial expectations.

In the long ran he sees himself being one of the best producer and sound engineer in Zambia and Africa at large “ I’d really like to impact and influence” he also aims to collaborate with other artists globally.

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