Today we’re proud to bring you Desiderata, the debut mixtape from Chanda Mbao. Most of you probably don’t know who Chanda is, nor how to pronounce his name, but don’t fret as both of those issues will be quickly resolved as you begin listening to the project. To give you a little background though, Chanda is currently a 24 year old (wish him a Happy Birthday today) investment banker operating out of Miami. Looking to make a career move few would ever dare dream of, Chanda decided to delve into the musical realm and pursue his aspiration of becoming a world-renowned hip-hop artist. Why ditch a high-profile and steady profession for the life of a struggling musician you ask? Well the simple answer to that is passion, which is what shines through in each and every one of Chanda’s songs.
Chanda Mbao isn’t your average multi-talented investment banker turned emcee though; he’s fluent in multiple languages as well. Among them are: English, Spanish, Portugese, French, Bemba and Nyanja, with the last two being languages of his native Zambia. That versatility is explored in one of the project’s finest tracks, “Summer In Brazil” which is rapped beautifully in Portugese. Don’t rush to bust out your Google Translate apps though, as Chanda’s abilities are just as profound in English. A few other standouts include the mixtape’s intro, “Open Your Eyes,” a track about being more wary of the world surrounding you, “The Girl From Yesterday,” a song about moving past your ex, and “The Fresh Prince of Zambia,” a tune that allows Chamba to flex his skills on the mic while representing his Zambian heritage proudly. We’ve included a couple more outstanding tracks like “Live On” and “Me & You” for you to sample below, but in order to get a true understanding for who Chanda really is and what he represents, I highly suggest checking out the full tape after the jump, as well as the mini-documentary above.
DOWNLOAD: Chanda Mbao – Desiderata
