O.C.

Born on 25 August 1984, OC (real name Obrian Chitongwa Mwaka Siame) is a Zambian musician who grew up in Kitwe listening to rhumba music. He was born to a businessman father and a mother who is a reverend at the United Church Of Zambia. He draws his aspirations from Koffi Olomide. He started making music while in the 9th grade. He is songwriter, producer, CEO at Obama Records. The name of the studio was named after his great admiration for U.S. President Barack Obama whom he first met while working and living in Tanzania a few years ago.

He started singing in church and later joined a Tanzanian based Zambian gospel group called Yahwe Gospel Singers. Back then, he would use instrumental and blank tapes to record his voice. He kept doing this until grade 12 when he leant how to use computer music programmes.

This prompted him to take a first job as a music producer. In 2001, he went to Tanzania to produce an album for a Zambian gospel band called Yahwe Gospel Band. He later joined the group. After releasing two albums, he left the group to pursue a solo career. In 2005, he released his debut solo album in Namibia called ‘Rafiki Yangu’.

He moved back to Lusaka in 2006. His cousin, the late Alubusu, introduced him to Petersen, who featured on ‘Wache Waseme’, the lead single off his Zambian debut album ‘My Name Is OC’. The album was a success and earned him a household name.

His sophomore ‘Wangu Ni Wangu’ consolidated his musical footing with songs such as ‘Rafiki Yangu’, ‘Me Gonna Love You’ and the title track ‘Wangu Ni Wangu’. Fueled by the buzz created by his second album, he released two singles in 2009, namely ‘Bana Mulenga’ and ‘Super Super’ together with Malawian singer Wendy Harawa. The Super Super single became a hit prompting Malawian singer Lucius Banda to ask him to record a song with him.

In 2011, he went to the U.S. together with CQ to record an album under the ZAUSA record label. In January 2015, he wowed Zambian and East African fans in Orlando, Florida where he held a show on New Year’s Eve. While in the U.S., he has toured places such as Pittburgh, Chicago, Los Angeles and Atlanta.

He has performed and shared the stage with the biggest names such as Akon, Psquare, Fally Ipupa, Timaya, Gyptian, Ice Prince, Eddy Kenzo, Ommy Dimpoz and many others.