GREGORY GONDWE

Mayeso Chirwa, the Saxophonist

2012-02-11T15:18:00.000+02:00

I have no weight to judge if the soils of Katope in Bwengu had any right to swallow the remains of Mayeso Chirwa whom we fondly called ‘Bhuti Jeso’.

He might have died from cancer like the giant Reggae King Robert ‘Tuff Gong’ Nesta or like Stonard Lungu, and there could be a sneaking suggestion that this is the reason I am today dedicating this space in his tribute; Mayeso was equally a musical force to reckon with.

Mayeso Chirwa loved to talk, his talking was utmost, stamped with witty jokes that left you in stitches, but of all, I think he loved to read. I am assuming that he did, because how can some mortal be so hugely knowledgeable about anything musical that was playing on this earth?

Simply put; he was a depository of musical information. He displayed such Platonism as if he was a music professor in a different life.

He could write an assessment of a musical band that he was watching playing and come up with a fascinating short analysis in a funny but knowledgeable way by means of what he was calling ‘citizen journalism’.

When Zimbabwean Prince Tendayi died he commented: “This guy gave our music a real kick in the 90s, late Bright [Nkhata] and Ben Michael recorded at his High Density thanks to his friendship with Uncle Jairos Banda. I loved his 'character, character babe yo!'”

On 18 December last year when Jay-Jay Munthali’s pioneered MIBAWA Band was playing in Lilongwe he wrote:

“These Bt [Blantyre] guys are in LL [Lilongwe] performing at Chameleon as I write, very awesome quintet, silky voices, man and woman vocalists, ma harmony ngati aku Congo. Do you guys in Bt know you have this great band? No music of their own yet, they are doing covers from Percy Sledge to Ritchie to Boris Gardner eish kawawa. Equipment super, they are bankrolled by a former Total boss, he just returned from HQ in Paris. The vocal talents remind me of late Salim Khan. I wonder what happened to BT, it used to offer this sort of talent in dozens. Mwanja Sweeny Chinkango and Titha Vibrations, Flashers, Ndiche Bros among the youth bands that shook the city of BT, m'menemo ku Lilongwe anthu mukumvera Chitipi Sounds, ku Mzuzu, Katawa Singers.”

I think because of Mayeso Chirwa, lately the United States Embassy in Malawi was starting to get musical.

In commemoration of World AIDS Day the Embassy presented “Mau a Malawi: Stories of AIDS”, a musical performance by Fulbright scholar Andrew Finn McGill, Peter Mawanga and the aMaravi Movement on November 30, 2011 at Crossroads Hotel Auditorium.

Mayeso never forgot his citizen journalism as he had to write this about it on the day: “Happening now ... The guys sound tight, catchy African movements, they are exploring overseas deals; it won't surprise me if they get lucky with the big dogs - I wish them a Sony BMG jackpot!”

But minutes later when he wrote on one of the social forums that the show had ended, many commentators protested but he schooled them as he usually did:

“Standard performance duration for professional live bands is 45 minutes. Live band performances are thus sold or bought in 45 minutes sets. If an artist plays for 90 minutes he/she gets $ for two sets. No laziness… oyimbawo anawona choncho. Kodi football match ikhale ndi phungwe ingakome? It has regulation time for realistic viewers’ attention span and players’ mileage and resilience test.”

Yes, Mayeso Chirwa was Information Specialist at the Public Affairs Section of the Embassy of the United States of America, but he humbly mixed with anyone.

This is the reason perhaps one could not separate him from music, what with another musical activity when the embassy on September 26, 2011 hosted a bass guitar workshop. Come on Bhuti, a Bass Guitar Workshop?

The 5-hour-long workshop had such an agile professional bass player in the name of Chris Baio of rock band Vampire Weekend who conducted instruction in an exciting learning environment for players of all abilities who were exposed to various styles and techniques of bass.

While I am trying to depict how Mayeso was a complete music critic as well as an organiser of the same for the industry, he was also an artist himself.

If you have had the opportunity to watch latest Kalimba Band videos, you will see a bespectacled handsome young man playing an alto saxophone; that is Mayeso Chirwa for you.

So, besides being a repository of music information he was a musical instrument player who was never appreciated if what happened in September last year at Lilongwe Shoprite is anything to go by.

His Kohlert pro Saxophone was stolen from a band member's car and to show just how passionate he was about this act, he ordered a new set through Amazon from a Kansas City in the US.

One of his friends, Raphael Tenthani attended his burial and he had this to write: “Bhuti looks like he was about to blow his sax as he peered out to us from the open casket. It threatened to rain over Katope Village at Bwengu, north Mzimba, but it didn't.”

Yes, I again ask you the soils of Katope, do you know what you have swallowed?

Feedback: drummingpen@columnist.com

ICT rising: Malawi’s new entrepreneurs | BiztechAfrica - IT News Africa, African Business, Telecom and Technology News

2012-02-11T14:55:00.000+02:00

ICT rising: Malawi’s new entrepreneurs | BiztechAfrica - IT News Africa, African Business, Telecom and Technology News

How Do Musicians Spend their Money?

2012-02-05T10:29:00.001+02:00

Donot be cheated, Malawian musicians have managed to hit gold through our verypatronage when we buy their music and lately, they are making more money withlive shows.

Ifyou want to attend a musical show at Ozone for example, be ready to part wayswith a thousand kwacha. If you are to attend a show at Mzuzu Hotel Boma Park,keep K800 in the pockets, because that’s what they will demand for you to passthrough the gate.

Aminimum of 1000 people most of the times would have passed through the gate,meaning K800, 000 would have been pocketed. If the fans are as many as 2000which is a common feat when the show is either for The Blacks or Lucius Bandathen the figures are in seven digits.

Addedto this, there are street sales of the album through compact cassettes orcompact disks which is minus the musical DVD which when thrown into the frayand with good patronage, the money becomes so big to be true.

Thenthere is also Mechanical, Public Performance and Broadcasting Royalties, whichmost of the times come as a surprise to musicians who end up buying cars andother useless expensive consumable items for they do not have any single ideawhat to do with their money.

Malawianmusicians will always complain that the market is exploitative and this is thereason they cannot prosper. While this, to a large extent could be true, thereis also one area that they do not talk about; this is where windfalls likemanna avails itself for their taking. And this comes when you look at the waymoney comes in.

Ithink we can easily follow the musicians and find out how they manage theirworth.

Itreminds me of what happened on December 29, 2009, when Lawrence Mbenjere set anew record when he became the first musician to cart home money in excess ofover K2.5 million in royalties.

Iwrote about it then, and then as is the case today, my interest is not todiscuss whether that was a vote of approval of what he is churning out by theconsumers or there are other factors at play, but my interest would be; has hereally benefited from this money? Has he managed it properly?

Whatwas also historical was the fact that since the establishment of the CopyrightSociety of Malawi (COSOMA) 15 or 17 years ago at that time, K2, 523, 459.16 wasthe biggest money it ever dished out to a single musician.

Ithas not given out again since then, I should hope this year, COSOMA is supposedto pay the musicians.

Atleast in 2009 Lucious Banda carted home K1, 094, 579.10, Thomas Chibade K712,742.48. Joseph Nkasa who in 2003 got a million got K597, 942.27 this time round.

Mbenjereto get this kind of money, accumulatively he amassed K2.35 million fromMechanical Royalties that an artist receives after they record with a recordcompany.

Onthe other hand, K103, 000 Mbenjere earned from broadcasting royalties thatcomes from air play of an artist’s music by a radio or TV station. He alsoamassed a meagre K66, 000 from Public Performance Royalties unbelievably, thisis the money that is earned when the artist’s music is played in public placeslike bars, hotels etc.

WhileI still doubt COSOMA’s capacity to ably manage the collection of money from allpublic places where music is played as no COSOMA official ever visits most barsand such places, I wonder how this is done.

I still want to know how musicians, whose musicis played there, ever profit from such ongoing.

Thereis no way; a bill for institutions like radio can beat that of public places.This is what I find sticky with the management of the Public PerformanceRoyalties.

Thisis also not to mention the poor remittance on Broadcasting Royalties, by suchshameless institutions like MBC.

Mycontention today is not about MBC, it is about the management aspect of theselittle resources that our musicians accrue.

Atleast Lucius Banda has numerous business establishments including SummitCultural Centre in the Capital Lilongwe and Zembani Lodge and a music companywith the same name.

Likewise,Mbenjere Music and Video Production companies at least have their workssprouting about, meaning this is an investment of some kind.

Iam yet to find out how Joseph Nkasa or Thomas Chibade has invested theirresources.

TheMinistry of Tourism, Wildlife and Culture, which is supposed to be lookingafter the musicians, is doing little to change the status quo to egg on theinvesting mentality in our musicians. I remember director of culture in theministry, Bernard Kwilimbe, himselfa reputable musician, said at one time that there is a ignorance on the part ofmusicians as they not know that this is a calling that goes with properplanning. Planning comes from proper management, no?

Whilethere is this knowledge by government, there is nothing that it has so far doneto help improve the situation on the ground; one way to achieve this is toconduct several clinics within the year to equip musicians with musicmanagement.

Feedback:drummingpen@columnist.com

Can we trust 1Malawimusic.net?

2012-02-03T15:17:00.000+02:00

Call me atechnology freak, but I seem to have very strong misgivings on the new site thatwill enable Malawian musicians to promote their music to a global audience.
It is saidthis will also give fans a chance to get their hands on it for free; I don’tknow if my freakiness is coming in because of this point.
But foryour information Timve Media Group (TMG) as a recording studio and agency thatworks to promote local musicians has created a new site, 1Malawimusic.net.
This willbe possible for it will be allowing local musicians to promote their talent byuploading selected tracks or even full albums online.
The otherthing that is perhaps giving me creeps is the fact that this site is deliveringthe music to registered users, who can legally download and share it for free.
If youvisit the site ‘1 Malawian Music dot Net’ you will be left impressed with thebeauty of the site with album covers of our local musicians.
The firstwindows of the website is on promotion, then there is where you can get to the termsof use with declaring under a sub-headline called ‘content’ that the authorreserves the right not to be responsible for the topicality, correctness,completeness or quality of the information provided.
It thusdeclares further that liability claims regarding damage caused by the use ofany information provided, including any kind of information which is incompleteor incorrect, will therefore be rejected.

A second point under the terms of use is Referrals and links which says the author is not responsible forany contents linked or referred to from his pages and is not liable for anypostings or messages published by users of discussion boards, guest books or mailinglists provided on his page.

The third one discusses Copyright where it says the author intended not to use anycopyrighted material for the publication or, if not possible, to indicate thecopyright of the respective object.

It says the copyright for any material created by the author is reserved. The fourth on Privacy policy says they monitorstats on this website, while the fifth one on Legal validity of their disclaimer.

It also saysif one owns any music that is posted onthe site and would like to request it to be taken off; they would be requiredto email them with proof of ownership.

Of course videos arestreamed from YouTube but the claims that every time a video gets played on theirwebsite YouTube will register views.

The musicians have also a section on thewebsite on how they can upload their music.

Artists areadvised not to email music, unless communicated to the hosts who say will notupload any music that has been emailed to them via email.
Musiciansare supposed to put the music tracks as mp3 in a folder that has been labeledwith their name including a picture and any other information they require togo with their music like social links, email, video links etc) and then zip thefolder.

The website has already registered the mostdownloaded music and leading the list a track called ‘Ngati Kumaloto’ done byBlack Thunder, Third Eye and Barry One.

The second track is ‘Mafilu’ done by Sonye,Nepman and Tay Grin; the third is ‘Unamata’ by Piksy, fourth is ‘Sweet like’ byKalista and Sonye, fifth is ‘Pauchidolo’ by Young Kay featuring Armstrong.

‘Dziko lathu’ by Mafunyeta takes sixth,followed on the seventh by Pombo, Maskal and Sonye with their remix called‘Tabwela’. Young Kay’s ‘Zipepese’ and ‘Wazilila’ and ‘Domado’ both done byFikisa are eighth, ninth and tenth respectively.

It is clear that the musicians are not beingtold how, apart from the initial reason to promote them, they will benefitfinancially. I know there has to be a way of ensuring that artists are not leftin the cold.

Yes the website is well organised with awindow for dancehall and reggae, gospel, hip-hop, R&B, all artists, fullalbums and videos.

The other challenge I am faced with withinis how those who will freely download the music will not produce many copies ofsuch and sell them at the expense of the musicians. The question are how willthe musicians going to be protected from exploitation, first from the websitehost and secondly the users.

I know how already, the musicians in Malawiare abused through the normal mediocre marketing system that is available inMalawi.

But being a completely new technology asproven by the type of musicians already on the site [as you cannot find MikokoBrothers Band for example] what measures will also be there not to use artists’ignorance to exploit them.

This is all questioned considering how muchmoney is involved to release a music track let alone an album. Can 1Malawimusic.net be trusted?

Feedback:drummingpen@columnist.com

Songs on Fuel Shortage

2012-01-22T16:18:00.003+02:00

There is what is known as Freedom ofExpression. This also goes with expressive art, music is thus supposed to bethis work of art.

Would you say that most of the music thatour artists have given us resonates with the general feeling of the populace?

Before I answer this question, let me seekyour pardon as I will in these past weeks be referring to Jamaica, more sobecause I know it is past the musical experimenting stage, if the success thecountry has chalked with its music is anything to go by.

There has been a genre that, like a batonstick has been handing over the authority of ruling the dancehall from ska toskalites to reggae which has now had its attendant off-springs in the name ofRagga also referred to as dancehall.

What propelled dancehall to stardom overreggae which sits on its couch of wisdom and preservation is its tendency tosing about now.

There are numerous problems that have rockedour country Malawi’s economy and by extension this has badly affected thelivelihood of the masses.

If you check how lives have been lostbecause an ambulance could not go to pick up a pregnant woman due to lack offuel; how drugs were never in hospitals [like are there now]; how farming hasbeen greatly affected because the fuel that was supposed to transportfertilisers and other farm inputs was never available.

And although the list of woes is endless,you would really be surprised how they would be kept under wraps. On one hand,in the government we have those that are keeping our purse called the ‘ruling’and on the other, those ensuring that this money is made to do its rightfuluse, called ‘opposition’.

Both these sides will pretend to be sidingwith the people who are feeling the pinch. Government will bring all excuses inthe book; from Satan sitting on the back of the authority to chain storessiphoning the scarce forex etc.

The opposition will try to remind all andsundry how the ruling has failed due to stubbornness to refuse to work withdonors, to myopic economic policies etc.

Well, while all these are doing their stuff,I have not seen the musicians doing enough; either s/he is afraid or they areso daft that they do not know how best they can speak out on behalf of themasses.

While others will argue that this would belike fighting Joseph Nkasa’s later day Moses, others will even argue furtherthat Lucius Banda is the one cut for this.

Yes, I would agree that Lucius indeed doeshis part, but this is not enough at all. After all, Lucius does it occasionallyand such track usually has to wait for its cousin tracks to complete an albumfirst.

Musicians are supposed to do singles thatare specifically into exclusive problems hurting the masses at a definite time.

What is required is not even a harsh, rudeand hastened stuff. You are now wondering what I mean?

Well, remember Malawi’s King of Reggae thefallen Evison Matafale? Few days after the September 11 terrorist attack on thetwin towers called World Trade Centre, Evison Matafale came up with a track hecalled ‘Time Mark’. This piece was a typical Matafale reggae track, so matureand gapless. The lyrical content was thick, deeply thought of and puretranslation of the biblical books.

It is more demeaning to hear people sayingMatafale would have released a track to act as the wail of the masses thatshould awaken those in authority, both the ruling and the opposing. Demeaningbecause it will be like after Matafale we no longer have musicians around thatcan serve the masses by setting their agenda.

Like journalists, will use the press, radiosor television to relay a message, musicians will use their music medium to setthis agenda setting albeit relaying it through radios and television sometimes.

Our local musicians, who are to numerousthese days, can take advantage of our misfortunes to make a name.

Imagine what was happening earlier in theweek in Lilongwe at first then followed by the other cities. Women who aremothers to all of us that are living on this earth had to have their dignitybattered merely because they were putting on a pair of trousers.

We need innovative musicians who can createsongs to either support something like this or sing against it.

By now we should have had competing songsover the fuel woes. We are always complaining that we do not sell our locallymade music. Perhaps it is time we got experimental and understood what peoplereally want their music to have.

Let our musicians take their rightful placeby taking their rightful role to make those in authority who are deaf and blindto the realities on the ground, realise what the people really want throughtheir music.

Feedback:drummingpen@columnist.com

Malawi’s Mabiringanya Dancehall

2012-01-17T11:49:00.000+02:00

Coincidence or call it chance, led me to adiscovery of Jamaica’s ragga, or commonly known as dancehall music but done byMalawian youth which is under the banner of ‘Mabiringanya’.

By the way Mabiringanya is the chiChewa wordfor eggplants. I am not sure why this is the name chosen, but one thing forsure is that the artists playing under the banner are so excellently talentedand their videos are artistically done that they defy belief.

Under this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI8vOt6tpSU&feature=relatedthere is a track called ‘Kamete Tsitsi’ which the video indicates was done bytwo artists known by their showbiz names, ‘Mad Doctor’ and ‘Khobaliro’.

Under the same Mabiringanya Empire bannerthere is a track called ‘Facebook’ by Mafunyeta which you can listen to on andwatch on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh32JW-qlgI

Then there is a track called ‘Wangongole’which can be listened to and watched as well on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lBXTAXr0eQ&feature=relatedand is done by artists ‘Dotolo’ who is also appearing like ‘Mad Doctor’.

When you listen to all these tracks, plusmany more that I have not mentioned here, like one called ‘Simple Life’, youwill discover that dancehall element in all these tracks is very evident andthe artists involved are very talented. This talent is not only in the way themusic is produced, but even in its lyrical content.

Check the track ‘Simple Life’ which goeslike:

‘Simple life ndimene ndi ma lida’, ‘Akatiwonakukhalira kumangotida.’

Another track ‘Swagger Dance’ says: “Aliyense akudziwa lero kuvuta”

“KuvinitsanaSwagger dance mpaka thukuta”.

The same is in the track called Kamete Tsitsi: “Pasukulu pano ineyo ndineSala”, “Sindimafuna Tsitsi choncho ngati wamisala”, “Kamete Khobaliro salaDotolo walamula”,“Ukapanga Chibwana iwe ukakumba dzala”.

Well, my point here is not to dwell too muchon the excellent dancehall pieces by Mabiringanya but I want to discuss themessage and influence.

Let me start by looking at dancehall whichstarted in Jamaica in late 1970s to early 1980s because so many of the recordswere deemed unfit for radio airplay and therefore were suitable only for thedancehall.

It was born out of reggae because theartists of dancehall represented a new generation of reggae’s primary audiencereclaiming the music for themselves after ten years of roots and culture.Reggae purists were furiously debating as to whether dancehall was genuinelyreggae or not. To date this remains a bone of contention.

The Jamaican audiences wanted records that were raw and producers like Henry ‘Junjo’Lawes and King Jammy made deejay, as this is what the artists of dancehall orragga are called, like Yellowman, Josey Wales, Lone Ranger, Eek-A-Mouse andBrigadier Jerry.

The birth of dancehall also helped inexposing singers such as Barrington Levy, Little John, Cocoa Tea and FrankiePaul who had been struggling to be heard.

The danger that dancehall brought though, was its radical approach aimed atshaking reggae out of its seeming complacency and it opted for the apparently loathsome,to satisfy nobody beyond the sound system crowds.

It was aided by rapidly developing studiotechnology which made records quicker and cheaper.

The big disadvantage was that deejays became more focused on violence, with Bounty Killer,Mad Cobra,Ninjamanand Buju Bantonbecoming major figures in the genre.

In 1992, theinternational backlash to Banton's violently anti-homosexual "BoomBye-Bye", and the reality of Kingston's violence fanned by dancehall sawthe deaths of deejays Pan Head and Dirtsman.

And slowly in themid-1990s with the rise of dancehall BoboShanti artists, such as Sizzla and Capleton,a very strong connection between dancehall and Rastafari was developed.

Because of theemergence of the new generation of singers and deejays that harked back to theroots reggae era, notably the late Garnett Silk,Rocker T, Tony Rebel,Sanchez,Luciano,and Anthony B,prominent Buju Bantonand Capletonwho were violence ambassadors began to cite Rastafari and turn their lyrics andmusic in a more conscious, rootsy direction.

When you listen to artistically weavedlyrics by Malawi’s dancehall act Mabiringanya, you are to notice that they arestill stuck with the violence element that was the moniker of dancehall at thetime it was starting in Jamaica.

Look at the track ‘Wangongole’ byMabiringanya, its video, apart from being a good dancehall production, is anencouragement of violence to those that owe you money. The youths in the videoare welding machetes, spears, bow and arrows while dragging and roughing up theperson owing money to the other.

Despite skilful dancing in the dancehalltracks by Mabiringanya, the element of violence is very present.

I believe Musicians Association of Malawi(MAM) needs to take a role in directing such good talent towards good.

Looking at the Mabiringanya videos youcannot rule out the huge influence it is going to have on the country’s youth,but the violence would be undoing all efforts to create a better Malawi throughmusic.

Believe it or not, dancehall has a hugeinfluence on the youth, and good pieces of dancehall music like theMabiringanya dancehall act I am talking about, can have a rapturous influence.

Feedback:drummingpen@columnist.com

How MAM Kissed 2011 Goodbye

2012-01-17T11:48:00.000+02:00

The finesse with which musicians in theNorthern region displayed their skills on December 31, 2011, left me wonderingwhat is wrong with the region.

Of all the country’s three regions, thenorth seems to be in full display of a self pitying buffoon.

Take this occasion, for example, only ahandful patrons, I mean less than ten patrons turned up for the MusiciansAssociation of Malawi (MAM) award competition that was showcased at KatotoSecondary School Hall.

And yet when you walk the streets of theregion, you hear complaints like, the region is neglected in everythingincluding being starved of entertainment.

But what best entertainment can one have ifit was not for what MAM gave the city dwellers on the-said-day where six bandscompeted; and added to that the region’s own Tiwonge Hango performed with some brilliancy.

Of course Kula Band triumphed over theregions legendary Body Mind and Soul and went away with 70 thousand kwacha andan opportunity to record an album at the MAM Studio.

Body Mind and Soul carted home K50, 000while the third band had K35, 000 for their toils.

The Pen heard Chris Phiri MAM RegionalPresident saying the aim of the competition is to promote talent. Then MAMNational Vice-President Lanzi Nkhata quipped in saying they did not just dreamabout the competition but it is part of their plans considering that this isits second year now.

Nkhata says the aim of the competition is toprepare artists before they can go into a recording studio. Initially, what usedto happen was that a man or a woman or is it a boy or a girl would just wake upone morning and knock on the doors a recording studio to record his or hermusic without prior knowledge what it entails.

Now they need to undergo training which hisregional colleague Phiri says is nurturing talent.

But look at the winner at the competition,Kula Band.

It is a band that fuses African traditionalmusic with some Jazzy feel with sprinkles of Blues, Rock and Reggae.

On their apparel of honour there are threeawards that are stuck; they are the winners of MAM Music Award 2009, Chibuku Road toFame Competition as well as the MAM Gospel Music Award.

The Chibuku Road to fame won them K150, 000prize money and also landed them a lucrative recording deal worth 200,000Malawi Kwacha. They now have that album in their bag titled ‘Sudziwa kutiSudziwa’.

Now let’s look at the Body, Mind and Soulwhich was last year’s Music Crossroads Interregional Festival 2010 symbol ofsuccess in Tanzania besides being one of the guest bands

Body Mind and Soul is a 5-piece band, whichstarted like the rest, thus playing reggae but after much thought andexperimentation it created a new music concept it calls ‘Voodjaz’, a subtle mixof traditional rhythms with a jazzy feel.

With it, they conquered the Music CrossRoads Southern Africa Inter-regional Festival in Harare, Zimbabwe in 2007 toemerge winners that went on the road to their European Tour in Summer of 2008where they performed at different big stages including the world famous CoyleurCafé.

Now what talent was MAM trying to exposewith bands with such high accolade.

There is a band called Pamlonga whichemerged third with its band Leader dishing out vocals while playing stuff onhis drum set; strange combination. The youthful members of the band seem soinnovative but could not stand the force that is Kula and Body Mind and Soul.

I doubt if these have ever recorded analbum, but they are good.

You would expect MAM to jack up and stopliving in the past when it comes to these issues. How did Kula Band and BodyMind and Soul find their way in a competition organised to discover and promotetalent?

I hear the same competition was also held inthe South as well as the Centre. I bet the scenario was the same where the oldtimers arrogated places that were not meant for them.

I hear MAM has now a strategic plan thatspells how it wants to carry out its functions today, tomorrow and in years tocome.

This will not be the first time that Ilament the criteria used to determine entrants to MAM organised competition.

I have ever laughed off the description thatMAM has of exposing talent that was once explained to me by the former MAMPresident Costen Mapemba.

According to MAM of Mr. Mapemba, exposinghidden talent is where a drummer should now leave his or her set or a guitaristshould now go on the leading microphone and lead in the singing. To MAM this istalent identification.

Now that Rev. Chimwemwe Mhango and LanzNkhata have taken over the leadership mantle at MAM I pray that they should notperpetuate Mapemba’s school of thought which pocks fun at the industry.

I hope in MAM’s strategic plan there is amechanism of monitoring and evaluation, which should leave us pointers to beable to see that indeed talent in the budding musicians is improving.

Yes the idea to kiss 2011 goodbye for thenorth by MAM was first-rate, but the methods adopted in doing it threw us backto 2001.

Feedback:drummingpen@columnist.com

Re-looking the 2011 Musical Vibes

2012-01-06T12:53:00.001+02:00

I should start with greetings for the New Year which isjust a few hours away. Starting from last week, I took you back on the journeyof 2011 where the Pen drummed out a number of issues regarding our industry.

I want us to part with 2011 by continuing looking at afew selected pieces that we talked about in the year gliding towards the lastline.

In the 2011 I asked a question: “Where are the LadySecular Musicians?”

Iargued that if you were to point out at a legendary lady musician in thecountry, who is into secular music, would you do that at the drop of a hat?

Iconfessed that I only know Amina Tepatepa, Emma Masauko, Wendy Harawa, MariaChidzanja Nkhoma, and Beatrice Kamwendo as some of the names that have hogged thelimelight and then either disappeared completely and got stuck in theperipherals.

Iasked a question why we have not done something as a country about the femalefolks that have talent in music but cannot blossom due to lack of suitableenvironment.

Iproposed that Musician Association of Malawi (MAM) put in place a deliberatepolicy where female musicians can stand side by side with the Skeffa Chimotosof this world or even a lady Lucius Banda.

Itis so bad that most of the women musicians are dominating the gospel arenawhere they survive by the faith of such religious following other than sheertalent and creativity. While worrying about the absence of female musicians inthe music cycle I was aware of the challenges in the industry as a whole when Ialso talked about “Investingin Music Entertainment”.

At that time I had the opportunity to visit Kenya whereI lost my breath with the spirit of investing in entertainment in general andmusic in particular that I found fascinating here in East Africa.

For some time, the East African Breweries Limited hasbeen carrying out competition for musicians in the Eastern African Regioncalled Tusker Project Fame – a reality Television competition, which was at avalue of 1 billion Kenyan shillings which is an equivalent of 12.8 million USdollars which is about 1.92 billion kwacha. All this money invested in music,imagine!

I was wondering why in Malawi it is not the case as outthere and I challenged the private sector to try investing in music and ask melater if they would have missed the target. It is on the same premise that Ialso asked a question: “Where isCarlsberg in Music?”

I argued that if anything, Carlsberg Breweries limitedshould have been the main player in the country’s music industry.

Look at how many crates of beer will sell if musiciansare performing, look at the blaring sound that is a dominant fixture in allbeer selling spots. Do we need to tell the marketing gurus at the breweriescompany of the need to give back to musicians?

For two years running now, South African Breweries hasbeen funding Lucius Banda’s trips to perform in that country. This year too,Lucius Banda will perform alongside Lulu in Johannesburg and Durban. But wherewas our own Carlsberg Company?

2011 turned to be so cruel in other aspects what withwhen I wrote about how “Death StabbedMusic on Mwanyama?”

Towards the month-end of December 2010,Lovemore Mwanyama was the one that the media quoted when Skeffa Chimoto, thecurrent top selling musician escaped death in a road accident.

Mwanyama is the one who explained to themedia that Skeffa and his band Real Sounds were en-route to Lilongwe fromSalima when the vehicle they were travelling in had a tyre burst.

Lovemore Mwanyama was speaking asSkeffa’s Manager then.

Now, this year, towards the end ofSeptember, Skeffa took up the task of informing the media that unlike him,Mwanyama never survived a road accident and died at the Kamuzu CentralHospital. Road accident was also the way that made us to “Shedtears for Ken ‘7yrs’ Siyabu.”

Ken Siyabu was master in music video productions and hiscontribution to the industry is so immense that I still run short of words todescribe the multitalented Ken.

In fact his hands were what made Lucius Banda videoscaptivating in the last four or so years including his latest album Life.

Soon after its release the pen drummed here about “Lucius Banda’s Life in 1 Hour 19 Minutes”.

Going by the overwhelming feedback I got after thisarticle, I realize it is the number one article for 2011 because of how itgenerated interest from the readers, although given chance; my pick would havebeen different.

In that write-up I started w ‘One hour and 19 Minutes’is the time that it takes one to listen to Lucius Banda’s latest album from thefirst track ‘Okondedwa’ throughout the other tracks to the last one, which isthe title track ‘LIFE’ that has awaken the censorship board bull dogs.

Listening to the 15 tracks, one would still be left withthe same Lucius Banda aftertaste.

Before I talk about the choice of genre in this aspect,let’s look at the other genres in the other tracks ‘Wadwalika’ which featuresMoses Makawa, for example. This one as expected is taking after ‘KalataYachiwiri’ which he featured Thomas Chibade.

I said in this track, Lucius’ complete departure of whatwe know of him makes you think the song should be ‘Wadwalika’ by Moses Makawafeaturing Lucius Banda.

I wish you a prosperous 2012 which is full of musicalPromises. Watch this space.

Feedback:drummingpen@columnist.com

The Musical Vibes in 2011

2011-12-27T19:57:00.001+02:00

We have had a 2011musical year full of mixed fortunes and misfortunes. This we hope will create a foundation for a successful 2012, musically.

Before we start this New Year, I want us to travel back2011 and see the issues that we tackled as the pen drummed loud, loudest and somehowfaintly in the year winding up.

I first start with what we tackled in the first quarterof 2011where we looked at the:
Royalty Politics Mauling COSOMA

We looked at how Copyright Society of Malawi (COSOMA) was established in1992 and that it operates under the 1989 Copyright Act which protectscopyrights and "neighboring" rights in Malawi.

Although the RegistrarGeneral administers the Patent and Trademarks Act, which protects industrialintellectual property rights in Malawi, COSOMA has a very central role in thisaspect.

At the moment, rulesthat govern the World Trade Organisation (WTO) allow Malawi because it is onlya less developed country to delay full implementation of the Trade-RelatedAspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) agreement until 2016.

Government through theIndustry and Trade Ministry is working with COSOMA and the Registrar General toalign relevant domestic legislation with the WTO TRIPs agreement with technicalassistance from the Africa Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO).

Wemourned Government’s decision which, without any regard to what the 1989Copyright Act underscores, said it wanted to privatize COSOMA.

Itried to bring the background to this where I said it all started from onebroadcaster that accumulated over K8 million in royalties for musicians and wasfailing to honour.

Iraised questions on why I thought to privatize COSOMA therefore has itsattendant and serious questions that require immediate answers.

Whereare the modalities of trying to achieve this? If a private person takes overCOSOMA what happens to the debt that is yet to be honoured in terms ofroyalties?

Then we also looked at how “MAPEMBA Rescues Musician from Daylight Robbery”

We established that eight years ago, a Malawian musicianneeded to part ways with K12, 000 to produce an album in a studio. Now a 10track album can cost the musician close to K50, 000.

But within this eight-year period, the musician is stillgetting K25 from a copy of their album from distributors.

We looked then at how the then Musicians Association ofMalawi (MAM) President Costen Mapemba fought with distributors to now have itadjusted.

In the year there was a “Cry for Our Beloved Alleluya Band” where I reminded all andsundry that everyone who is not aware of our modern music history, I meanhistory of digital music, will better be told from the beginning. The beginningtherefore will be telling a different story if it does not start from AlleluyaBand.

It was about the story that Foster Chimangafisi AlleluyaBand Member of then was diagnosed with Tuberculosis and was bedridden in ahospital bed where he was suffering financial crisis because Alleluya Band couldnot do enough, I thought it spoke volumes of how troubled our music industryis.

Then the pen drummed about “Giving a Salary to the Musician” where we observed that the Musicindustry in Malawi continues to be elusive to the main player who matters inthe business. The musician is still a beggar even in the face of all thetalent, effort, sacrifice and courage to bring something on the music market.

Amongst the culprits that make musicians fail to achieveanything at all is the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation – MBC which loves toplay the music from the local artists although they have no money to pay backin form of royalties.

At one point, the Copyright Society of Malawi (COSOMA)complained that MBC had a debt of K8 million in royalty arrears.

I said that it is only when a musician gets a salary forhis toils that we would say our industry is growing.

Then the pen drummed about our own “Malawi Cultural Centre” which came due to the closure of the French Cultural Centrewhich for the past 38 years was dependent on the French Embassy to Zambia andMalawi elicited a mourning that made me shudder with shame.

Unlike crying over divorce or death, theclosure of the French Cultural Centre, if anything, should have made all of uscelebrate.

Celebrate because, the centre’s existencewas never in vain. The French’s stay in Chichiri in Blantyre should have beenendearing, knowing what vast lessons had been left. With such knowledge,instead of writing mourning pieces or airing out woeful programmes for theclosure we would have said:

Exit French Cultural Centre, Enter MalawiCultural Centre, I said.

The Pen also drummed aquestion on why there is no “EntertainmentJournalist Award”.

I wondered why Malawi Chapter’s Media Institute of Southern Africa annualawards miss out entertainment writers.

I have inmind, prolific entertainment writers like James Chavula and Kondwani Kamiyalaof Nation Publications Limited (NPL), and at Blantyre Newspapers Limited (BNL)we have Sam Banda Junior, Jack Macbrams Chirwa and Clifton Kawanga who are somegrand masters in weaving out beautiful pieces on entertainment pages of thecompany’s titles.

What is very,very funny is that the core business of media institutions is to Educate,Inform and Entertain. Mark that … Entertain…

We willcontinue next week.

Feedback: drummingpen@columnist.com

Hospitality, the Sunbird Way

2011-12-10T20:26:00.001+02:00

Sunbird Hotels are known for theirhospitality business. They have also put in place facilities that are used forleisure purposes; an extension of trying to add value to this hospitalityservice. The reason such facilities are put in place is to help residents whilethe hours away while staying at the place. Entertainment of other magnitudesthough gives room for other non-residential patronage.

Not that it is only sunbird that is in thehospitality business, no, several are, but my interest today is to talk aboutSunbird Hotels. The talk is also not for all of their hotels, but just one of themwhich is in Mzuzu, rightly called Sunbird Mzuzu Hotel.

The Mzuzu Sun Bird Hotel has a number ofhall-like facilities that are used for conferences as well as entertainmentevents. Unlike other hotels they have a place called Boma Park where there is astage where performers use to display their art; the place has also somechalets that sell fast foods as well as alcoholic drinks and minerals.

This, I mean the stage and the food plusthe drinks, do mix well when there is a musical band performing.

All musical names of value in the countryhave performed at the Boma Park Stage at one point or the other.

In fact, no one can separate music from theMzuzu Sunbird Hotel. Their lounges and corridors are sometimes filled with softmusic that seem to be emitting from the walls and the ceiling.

Every Fridays Mzuzu Sunbird Hotel alsoconducts a nightlong disco show at its spacious Choma Bar which is becoming aFriday ritual for Mzuzu revellers. The reason the occasion has become so famousin the city is because of the quality of music that becomes part of the disconight. After all what is a disco night that is devoid of music, anyway.

At this place the Hotel has also abortivelytried their hands on a resident band arrangement.

Now, if you look at how Mzuzu Sunbird Hotelattaches importance to music, you would expect them to act like such musicpromoters that they are supposed to be, more so when you look at how music alsohelps them to make business. But developments on the ground suggests to thecontrary.

First, it was an exorbitant price tag thatthe hotel stuck to the Mzuzu Sunbird Hotel Boma Park, where musicians had tospend a fortune in order to perform there, thereby acting as a restriction toour musicians who utmost struggle to put their act together.

Apparently, those that enter such anexpensive deal to perform at the Park are also given specific period when theycan stage their show.

While all this is happening, the Hotel isalso busy selling beverages and fast food and they also have their man at theentrance to see to it that the money that would be claimed to have been made isindeed what had been declared so that their cut is exactly within the agreedpercentage.

Let me look at the two recently and closelyfollowing musical shows that have taken place at the park and the lessons Ithink the management of the hotel should learn as a result.

First was the Black Missionaries Band whichwas supposed to perform between 13 hours and 17 hours. When time to drop thecurtains was nearing, an official from the Hotel was seen ascending the stageand whispered in the ear of Anjiru who was in the thick of things, telling himthat time was up and they needed to decrease the watts to Zero.

The Blacks, however, read the feelings ofthe patrons and they could not just switch off and go so they started takingtheir patrons down to a level that they could easily declare the show wasindeed over. Eventually when they were leaving the stage dusk had engulfed thecity.

After the Blacks then came Lucius Banda.When Lulu, who has become part of Lucius’s act, took to the stage, after only asong or two, the unimaginable happened because this time round the hotel managementdid not even bother to give a warning but they just decided to pull out theplug from the sockets.

In this case, they created two scenarios;the obvious one was when unsatisfied patron descended on band members, otherseven on Lulu and demanded their money back, mind you it was K700 per head.

It had taken the security team to protectthe members from the angry patrons who threatened to break the equipment orworse still the hotel property, which could have been the other second worstcase scenario.

Such inhospitable conduct was completelyamateurish from management of the Mzuzu Sunbird Hotel; it was uncalled for asit destroyed the spirit of music which builds peace and happiness not unrestand anger.

Feedback:drummingpen@columnist.com

Where is Carlsberg in Music?

2011-12-04T00:09:00.001+02:00

If anything, Carlsberg Breweries limitedshould have been the main player in the country’s music industry.

Look at how many crates of beer will sell ifmusicians are performing, look at the blaring sound that is a dominant fixturein all beer selling spots. Do we need to tell the marketing gurus at thebreweries company of the need to give back to musicians?

For two years running now, South AfricanBreweries has been funding Lucius Banda’s trips to perform in that country.This year too, Lucius Banda will perform alongside Lulu in Johannesburg andDurban.

Imagine if people had gone to sip theirCarlsberg beer and found that there is no music and that all they can listen tois the noise of silence.

The East African Breweries Limited realisedwhat their business would become if this were to be the case and they have, formany years now, been investing in music. The good thing with investing in musicby breweries is that they create a win-win situation.

The East African Breweries Limited has beencarrying out competition for musicians in the Eastern African Region calledTusker Project Fame – a reality Television competition, which was at a value of1 billion Kenyan shillings which is an equivalent of 12.8 million US dollarswhich is about 1.92 billion kwacha. All this money invested in music, imagine!

I am not saying, our Carlsberg Breweriesshould do likewise, but they, at least, should appreciate that without music,there will be no Carlsberg.

In the case of the East African BreweriesLimited, it posted more success than they imagined with the Project fame andthey never hesitated after unveiling the new Tusker brand to take the samemusical route to sell the product and at the same time promote music andmusicians.

If you ever attended musical shows you willsee how refrigerators run dry as people scamper about trying to outdo eachother in getting a bottle of beer, too many, than the other.

Lucius Banda says he has been sellingCarlsberg for the last twenty years almost each and every weekend and yet,Carlsberg Breweries has never, at any time, thanked him in any way.

Now, by this, Lucius was only looking at hislive shows, but he is also forgetting one way that he is helping in the salesof the alcoholic beverage where those that have bought his CDs will keep thedance floor hot with his music.

You have heard of Chez Ntemba in theCapital, Pa Stereo in Blantyre and Sport Cafe or Paris in Mzuzu. These placeshave been made famous because of not its beers, or prostitutes or revellersthat patronise it; it has become famous not because of how majestic theinfrastructure... It is music that has made their legend.

If you want to listen to latest songsaround, you just have to visit these places. What are common in these jointsare the larger-than-life speakers that threaten to force out your innards dueto heaviness of sound that pound out of them.

If you must know, there are some revellersthat will heavily patronise specific joints, specifically because of theirknack for local latest music; musicians that are in their twilight have made itbig somehow through these places.

And what this means is that there is justtoo big a market created by music for the beers to sell.

At least here in Malawi, Chibuku productsrealised this and they have been engaged in promotion of music although therehas always been complaints from musical entrants in music competitions, eversince such competitions that include the Kuchekuche music awards started, thatnot much is done for the musician to benefit.

Kuchekuche is one from Carlsberg Breweriesyes, but if you look at how much was involved and the intermittent commitment ondisplay, you really wonder how the marketing strategy for the company isdevised.

There is just no two ways about this,Carlsberg Breweries or better still any name that they call the company thathas Carlsberg beers on our market need to come out and appreciate the musicianfor keep them in business all this long.

Feedback: drummingpen@columinist.com

Tears for Ken ‘7yrs’ Siyabu

2011-11-29T20:27:00.001+02:00

Lucius Banda is the one who first calledthe Late Ken Siyabu ‘Seven Years’. It was because he was born on February 29and usually four years elapse before those born on this date of a leap year cancelebrate their birthday.

At the time that Ken Siyabu was workingwith Lucius Banda for the first time, he had celebrated his birthday for sevenyears only although he was 22 years old.

I first met Ken in 2006 when he was workingat Initial Digital Production, a media production firm that was into music anddocumentaries.

At that time I was deputy chairperson ofLilongwe Press Club, a grouping of journalists of central region and RastaEzaius Innocent Mkandawire working for the press club secretariat waspioneering a documentary to do with food security in Salima and he had taken methere to check on Ken who was applying to the documentary his video editingwizardry.

Intheir production studio there were only the two of them; Ken and Prince Donda andfate had it that both had to be employed at MBC, later in the years.

From the first day that we met we clickedand we have never known any discomfort or displeasure with each other’scompany.

A smile on Ken’s lips was a permanentfixture; even under intense pressure on any project he could still afford aninfectious smile for all those around him.

When you could be watching a movie or aninternational music video, while you would be captivated with its storyline,Ken would be pointing you to areas within such video production that wereoozing with ingenuity.

We loved the same genre of music and weused to discuss that as a country, we were not doing enough to promote such agenre and he used to say there will come a day when he will do something aboutit.

Indeed he started the Dancehall programmeon television, those who used to watch it can testify that this was one of thefew video graphical innovation on display on our television station.

I witnessed Ken Siyabu working on thevideos for Lucius Banda’s album ‘Survivors’ especially the ‘Zakukhosi’ track; howhe explained on what he wanted to do with the video was a complete sign ofgreat things in store for him.

Ma Blacks and Lucius are the country’s topbilled performers and Ken handled their video projects with aplomb. Everwatched the ‘Dalo’ video?

On Saturday evening last week Luciusperformed at Key Lounge in Mzuzu a few days after burying Ken and when he tookover the stage he observed a minute of silence in honour of the fallen Giant.

The following Sunday at Mzuzu Hotel’s BomaPark, he played ‘Nthawi’ from the ‘Freedom’ album as an honour to Ken whohandled its video.

It must have been on October 11, 2011 thatI last met Ken. It was in Eswazini in Mzimba during the installation of InkosiKampingo Sibande. He had come with Dr. Rupert Poesch? A German Researcher whofor years on end has been recording cultural practices of the Ngoni people.

They had brought state-of-the-art SonyVideos Cameras and in his own words, he had told me that the machines were thelatest on the market. The German was manning one, the other one was manned byLawrence Nyale while Ken handled the other one which had a roving mounting likeone used in film making. He went on to school me on how sophisticated themachine was and how unbelievable its ability was.

He explained to me about his collaborationwith the West, how he used to travel to Germany to edit the materials he wascollecting and more dreams that clearly removed Ken from the common expertsdoing his very job and placed him above all.

You know one thing? He accused me of notwriting about his efforts; he said after discussing about reggae, ragga anddancehall at least he had started something and I never showed any initiativeto write about him.

I promised Ken that I will write about him,comfort in the feeling and knowledge that he would outlive me since I am of oldage, but I never at any second imagined that the next thing I will write aboutKen I will be eulogising his beautiful life.

Ken was a brethren who never shared thesame womb with me, his artistic gift only endowed in him by the ALMIGHTY waseverything that we cherished as his friends, brothers, colleagues and cronies.

I have struggled with PAIN to cry for KENhere and I am trying so hard not to over bereave him – whatever this means – butcelebrate him.

Sorry Ntcheu, death has overstayed on yourveranda, robbing us of the sons you gave us to serve in the world of music.After Lovemore Mwanyama, now it is Ken.

Go ye well Brethren Ken ‘7yrs’ Siyabu;Rastafarie Liveth!!!!!!

Feedback:drummingpen@columnist.com

When Blacks invaded North Again

2011-11-15T16:07:00.001+02:00

After two years, the reggae outfit TheBlack Missionaries toured the Northern Region again. Did the people in theregion miss them? Were they up to the mark?

The first show on the Mzuzu tour on thenight of November 4, 2011 at Key Lounge which preceded the Mzuzu Hotel BomaPark show on November 5 afternoon proved the same fact that the band stillholds sway.

The record turn-out in the two eventstalked volume of what respected the band is in the region even in the face ofbeing glossed over by the band which never gave a plausible reason for a 2 yeargap that the region had to endure with.

The northern region in general and Mzuzu inparticular is still considered as the backwater. Even the region’s own MtebetiWambali Mkandawire chose to launch his ‘Liberty’ elsewhere and never repeatedthe act anywhere near the centre where he is now doing his missionary work.

Let me not digress, but talk the BlacksTour in the north; the band showed that it is still as tight as ever in termsof performance.

This is one of the only few bands that seemto take the audience down the road they are very familiar with. It manages tolight the dancing floor with fire and douse it whenever necessary, more so whenpeople are on the verge of collapse with over excitement. The band alsorekindles the fire when only ambers are visible.

Meaning, they have realised they have thepower of drugs to an addict. They know when to give a fix and how well topunish the addict.

Apparently, they seem to be so serious withwhat they intend to dish out so much so that they tell you that they weretraining before bringing the music on. Chumbu, Moda Fumulani, Anthony ‘Mr.Cool’ Makondetsa and the band seem to be talking one and the same language.

Of course at Key Lounge, a big letdown wasthe size of the venue and even the down pour which found its way right on thedance floor even when it hitherto boast of a roof above.

The art of chaining a number of singswithout faltering and denying the audience of quality was also evident on thetour, which but exposed the band’s rigidity to play only what they practicemaking you want to attend a single show and decide not to attend any subsequentone because you know their act.

Why live shows are called live, is becausethey somehow tend to be experimental moments for the band. It is risky ofcourse but worth trying because this is what has pushed bands to the stardom.The reason lead vocalist says “take it down,” only when it has started isbecause it is live.

Anthony Makondetsa tries it with ‘Mbumba yaAbraham’ but it looks over rehearsed and steals the thunder it is supposed toeffect on the audience.

The Key Lounge tour also revealed to theregion that Chizondi the master keyboardist for the Blacks has come of age.This was apparent when everyone was surprised when Anjiru moved back on thebacking queue when his young sibling took charge berried out “Pamene tiyenda muMthunzi wa imfa; sindizaopa zowopyazo, Yesu zandigwira zanja”…

Yes, with this track which I always say wasMsamude’s parting shot and how Chizondi handles it reminds me of Gramps Morganand how he juxtaposed his leading vocal charge with that of the front man Peter‘Peta’ Morgan.

I would not want to talk about the audienceresponse at Key Lounge because of the influence that alcohol had over theaudience. Anything was danceable although on a few occasions; legs would beseen hanging in the air because the sound could just cut off or because onedrunkard had decided to jump on a speaker as a sign of excitement, which thespeaker would not take kindly as it crashed down with such a crazy imbiber.

Talk of the Mzuzu Hotel Boma Park show;very few would be seen dancing at times, while many more would be seenappreciating the musicality oozing out of the band as it played, reminding meof how the Dutch audience is taken spell bound my performances in a musicalhall in Amsterdam of Salif Keitha for example, when they miss out on what thelyrics are saying but not what the music is communicating.

Like I argued when the band released Kuimba8, I still would reiterate my position on the band’s output.

The show was still apparent that the BlackMissionaries still continue a journey started by founder Evison Matafale whichwas taken over by Msamude when Matafale fell and taken over now by Anjiru whenhis elderly brother equally fell as well.

I should believe very soon we will haveKuimba 9 and this is the time the current Blacks should attempt to stir veryfar away from their traditional songs.

Last time I said when you are listening tothe tracks from a distance where you are missing out on what the lyrics aresaying, you are bound to think this is one of the many old tracks from theblacks.
And yet these are the new songs that are same old, same old.

One thing that is very clear is theclinging to the template that Matafale and later, Msamude created.

Anjiru and kid brother Chizondi, PeterAmidu and brothers Takudziwani and Paul Chokani need to rethink their futurewith the forthcoming Kuimba albums.

This is the time to dismantle theMatafale/Msamude template and come up with their creativity.

Today I still ask the same question as towhy people flock to Black Missionaries performances.

Isit more to do with their pedigree that separates them from the competitors fullof mediocrity, than it has to do with whether they are progressive musically ornot?

With the Mzuzu tour they proved otherwiseand I hope Kuimba 9 will say the same.

Feedback:drummingpen@columnist.com

Wambali at Liberty

2011-11-15T16:01:00.001+02:00

Yes, Mtebeti Wambali Mkandawire is at‘Liberty’ to come again; and come again he has done and more so in English thanin the languages that we have known him for.

I remember some people were once arguingwhy Wambali does not sing in Chichewa. The reasoning behind this argument wasbasically based on the fact that he is too good to be singing in chiTumbuka.

To me it was more like wondering or gettingangry why Lucius Banda does not sing in chiTumbuka. Your answer is as good oras bad as mine.

It’s not like that Mte. Wambali himself isnot aware that Language has played a very bigger stake in his music.

I bought his latest album ‘LIBERTY’ inMzuzu at the Computer Connections at a price of K1600 where on the sleeve hedeclares: “Singing in ChiTumbuka comes naturally for me, chiChewa comes secondand chiEnglish third.”

The album has 13 songs, let me provide the tracktitles: The Wonder; Will be there; Liberty; Holy Ground; Chete; The Spirit;Celebrate; Chikondano; King of Glory; The Name; Will Sing; Tiwonge; Satisfy.

When you check this list you realise that ‘Ten’ are in English, ‘Two’ thus Chete and Chikondano inChichewa and taken from the Chichewa Hymn book and another one in Tumbuka.

Listening to Wambali at liberty withEnglish language you would mistake his voice as being forced to sound somewhatdifferently. You are left with a nod over his declaration that he is naturalwhen singing in Tumbuka.

One other thing I have noticed with theLiberty album is that he has decided to change the kind of audience that hewanted to target. However, the Mte Wambali signature could be noticed in theinstrumentation of this particular ‘liberty music’. As a servant of God he hasattempted to use the beat that we have known him with over the years to preachto English speaking folks most of whom are kind of losing faith.

By the way, long gone are the days whenpeople used to come from the West to spread gospel in Africa, apparently the tableshave been switched and it is Africans that are going to, or attracting the Westwith Gospel.

Not that his previous music lacked thespirituality that goes with gospel, but this particular album brings somemeaning of what shade he would want people to view him from. The Cover of thealbum depicts a silhouette of a man with dismantled chains to show liberationand the right hand holding a guitar ready to dish out music.

But soon after he was born, Mte neverlearnt music from a language of his mother tongue as he was first introduced toCongolese music where he was born.

Upon his return to his lakeshore homevillage in Mlowe, Rumphi he was also introduced to South African music by localnatives who were returning from the South African mines and it was through theradio, that he came across Western pop music, obviously English songs.

His first band to joinwas a rock band called the ‘Pentagon’ that played western pop music. But as leadsinger of the band it is here that he first started cross-pollinating the genresthus rock music fused with traditional Malawian music.

Since 1977 when he experienceda dramatic religious awakening that led him to pursue religious training in theChristian missions by 1984, by 1989 he went to the UK to study BiblicalCross-Cultural Musicology.

Not in order of yearof release, albums that came forth include Ku Mtengo, Kavuluvulu, Kawunjiwunji,Tidzamtamanda, Ntchemo and they came until the 13^th Album Liberty.

For the outside world “Zani Muwone” releasedin 2002 and produced by JB Arthur, co-founder of the Instinct Africaine label, togetherwith Sibusiso Victor Masondo, and owner of Joe’s Garage Recording studio inJohannesburg brought him popularity in South Africa and more popularity inMalawi.

This led to performance at the NORTH SEAJAZZ FESTIVAL 2002 in Cape Town besides winning many international awardsincluding being the first African to win the WIPO (World Intellectual PropertyOrganisation) AWARD FOR CREATIVITY with Zani Muwone album. The standing of thisalbum never lost its grip to the 2007 album ‘Moto’ that led to his retirementfrom public performances.

“Zani Muwone” also earned him KORA AWARDNomination in the “Best Artiste from Southern Africa” category. He also won SAMAMusic Award - for Best African Artiste – 2003.

I might therefore look too junior todiscuss his music, but I should nonetheless say it here that listening to hislatest album ‘Liberty’ you are like lost in a jungle that at first lookedfamiliar, only to realise that it is a maze that you cannot escape from.

He seem to realise the gigantic shift thealbum has made from the previous albums going by his declaration on the albumsleeve: “As Africa stands on the verge of the next spiritual revival and I am remindedthat every revival comes with its own music”.

I should believe this is the explanationof the strange effect the album is leaving if one compares it with the last 12albums.

Feedback:drummingpen@columnist.com

FOSS group forms in Malawi | BiztechAfrica - The voice of Africa's ICT sector

2011-10-31T18:37:00.000+02:00

FOSS group forms in Malawi | BiztechAfrica - The voice of Africa's ICT sector

Do we have DJs in Malawi?

2011-10-30T18:28:00.004+02:00

Mostof the readers of this page will remember that I have a colleague Limbani ‘LC’Chaguluka who is so knowledgeable in as far as Malawi’s Hip-hop music isconcerned.

Ionce asked him a question if at all in Malawi there is a music Disc Jockey orshortened to a DJ. Below is the response that he gave me:

“Friday following under 19 soccer games atKanjedza Full primary school ground, in Limbe. I checked the time; it wasexactly 4:15 in the afternoon.

Unconsciously I started rushing home to findChayipa Hiwa’s musical show, still in its infancy.

I re-tuned the MBC radio to get the bestfrequency, despite being the only radio station in the land.

Father MC Song ‘I will do it for you’ wasbeing played, then followed by Monie lovie hit single entitled ‘It’s ashame’.

Chayipa Hiwa who was then known in showbiz circles as DJ Cha was one of the DJ’s then, acquainted and knowledgeable playing Hip hop tunes seldom in the years between 1988 to1992.

Irrespective of being called DJ’s then, most of the radio presenters who took the initiative of playing urban and Hip hop songs , whoincluded Danny P(Daniel Phiri) , The late Philip Mwala Moyo, and Gerald Nyamacherenga, did not qualify to be called DJ’s in the first place.

The reason was basically that, they were not‘turntablists’’. A turntablesim is definedas the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using Vinyl turntablesystem or record player in simple expression. This art ultimatelydifferentiates between a DJ and a music presenter.

Nevertheless, despite these short comings,especially in mixing the records andusing the DJ as their title when hostingtheir musical programmes, Chayipa Hiwa, showbiz name Dj Cha, the late Phillip Mwala Moyo, and Martin Chilimampunga have to beapplauded for taking the initiative of playing the first Malawian Hip hopsongs.

The late Phillip Mwala Moyo show ‘Nyimbo za Achinyamata’ changed the whole landscape and propelled Malawian Hip hop songs, which took even 3 months before youcould listen to one on MBC radio.

Mwala Moyo, I recall was the firstDj/Presenter to play one of the firstMalawian Hip hop songs on radio in the land back then.

Tapps Bandawe’s song " shuwamagaye mabebi nonse “ line, still resonates in my head when I first heard therecord back then, while I was still in elementary school.

It was unheard of for a song of that nature to beplayed on MBC radio in early 90’s. Thenslowly Malawian hip hop songsstarted flooding the airwaves ,masterminded and orchestrated by the late Mwala Moyo , who once again needs to be applauded enormously for start of the long walk of thisgenre , which is mostly ridiculed asnoisy and senseless by most people, who are not able to understand the poetry ingrained in these songs.

Of course, it would be difficult todefend the state of hip hop today ,as the culture has been invadedby corporations and otherentrepreneurs, who have more power in changing thedirection of messages in the songs to promote their own agendas, primarilywhich is making profit over the essence of the songs .

DJ Danny ‘p’ showbiz name Daniel Phiri played hisrole as well in promoting songs done by Mzuzu Rap group Boyz Layz who made their impact, driven by UNICEF’s Aids awareness campaign targeting the youth.

Talented lyrical genius Criminal-A song titled “Guess who is back” was instantclassic. The song was a regularly on ‘Nyimbo za Achinyamata’ as it was wayahead of its time in terms of lyrics and production.

Ten years down the line, year 1999, finallyMalawi has a true DJ. Yes, I amreferring to someone who can be creative with sounds, breaking and scratchingrecords to produce the unique sounds accustomed to Hip hop.

The Dr was scratching and mixing records at will,a talent which is not common among presenters or the so called DJ’s. Gwynz aka Dr Gwynz did set a benchmark forDJ’s rules and principles, which every inspiring DJ was aiming at.

Irrespective of being renowned as Hip hop DJ, Gwynz could mix and break different music genres, without being afraid of crossing the lines. Ultimately Malawi had true‘turntablist’.

At thattime, Comrades, the first rappers in Malawi to fuse hip hop with Malawianheritage, whom later changed their name to ‘Khamuladzi’, were being recognisedby the hip hop enthusiasts as the most conscious Malawian hip hop group to evergrace the culture.

DJ Gwynz took the opportunity by breakingand mixing their popular song ‘Africa’ in a cleverest way which I have never heard of, truly cementing hisreputation as a true ‘turntables’.

So what’s, the significance of a DJ, especiallyHip hop DJ? Deejaying is one important element of hip hop, as such people who are given theresponsibility of playing hip hoprecords, be it on radio stations, clubs or hip hop shows are suppose be wellacquainted with history of the culture.

Shortfalls in the knowledge of the culture by theDJ’s can led to negative repercussions, in regards to the depth of songs beingplayed.

Most young people listen to hip hop, hence DJ’s must be well informed to play songs which can inspire and compel young people to their dreams, not conversely, since negativity is prevalent in some hip hop songs.

The legendary Krs-One once defined Hip hop as “Her Infinite powers helpOppressed People” , as such Hip hopmusic should not glorify delinquency or malpractices dueto nature of songs played or promoted bythe DJ’s. DJ’s are face of hip hop,incompetent DJ will ruin the fundamentals of the culture.”

Feedback:drummingpen@columnist.com

The Return of Charles Sinetre

2011-10-22T16:00:00.002+02:00

Last time on these pages I screamed ‘Cry OurBeloved Alleluya Band’ basically I wanted to argue that our modern history ofdigital music, will not be better told from the beginning if it does not startfrom Alleluya Band.

I had indicated that no bands that used toplay before the multiparty dispensation could compare with Alleluya Band; suchbands were like the Likhubula Dance Band, which was backing Robert Fumulani,there were also Police Orchestra, the MBC Band and the Chichiri Queens anduncountable local artist.

There was also talent within the country butthere was no knowledge of how one could put his talent into musical productthrough a recording studio.

Bands used to go to one and only place wherethe Malawian music was played and therefore this is where they used to listento their music and for that reason, they knew that bands used to record therebecause there was nowhere else and this was at the Malawi BroadcastingCorporation MBC studios.

The music was also being recorded merely forMBC airplay because it was being stored on reels, which was something thatcould not be taken on the market for sale?

At least it was only the emergence on thescene of Alleluya Banda from Balaka, led by the agile guitarist hands of Sir.Paul Banda, that led people to realise several things about what can happenwith music.

Then there is the list of the country’s mostaccomplished artists, you mention artists like Charles Sinetre, Coss Chiwalo,Isaac Liwotcha, Rod Valamanja, Paul Subiri, che Kachingwe, and the list is justtoo long to fill the whole page with names.

I want us to talk more about the man whoonce used to call himself the music ambassador Charles Sinetre.

Then there was total dearth of music fromthe Music Ambassador, at one time he had gone to a University in Italy, then hewas Music Teacher and Trainer at Andiamo Youth Campusespecially at its Cecilia Youth Centre.

Then he wasExecutive Director of a Balaka based Nkhadze Alive Youth Organization (Nayorg),and an aspirant in parliamentary elections.

What wasdisheartening in all this was the lack of singing from him. Sinetre carvedhimself a name in the country and across the borders for his multitalentedmusic exploits.

Hespearheaded the growth of Alleluya Band and made it to still stand tall evenafter the departure of the Banda brothers.

Nonetheless,like most band members, he was also doing his solo musical journey and I don’tremember when I last heard or saw a latest album from Sinetre.

Now the singer-songwriter and activist Charles Sinetre isback with yet another album title 'Malawi Googler'.

Don’t you waste time questioning the title, Sinetre is akind of musician who coins new things, themes, terms and even sound toowhenever producing his music. Rember ‘Chimanga Fisi Dollar’ the one hecollaborated with Foster Chimangafisi?

If you still have its sleeve, check the innovation that isthere to depict the dollar power.

He also has an explanation to his strange inventions, like thereason behind the title he says is to call upon all Malawians to explore theresources that the country can use to make it a country of a place of milk andhoney.

He says the main theme of the album is to call upon everyMalawian to believe that all other nations of the world have their type ofresources that make them independent when put them in optimum use. The music inthe album also teaches us that Malawi has the resources that very well utilizedwill change the nation.

The album is based on the internet engine search calledGoogle where anything that one searches, one gets. He thinks he is going toGoogle Malawi’s resource base, based on this album.

I am yet to listen to the 12 track album with two songs whichhe says ia a recap of his last works, 'Kapena Tsiku lina' and ‘Never throw a Stone’from 'Timasilira' album.

Sinetre knows that Timasirila is one of his best albums nowonder the return to the tracks in it.

Knowing what is pulling who on the market these days, he hasalso incorporated Dan Lufani in the new album, in tracks 'Timadziwana' and'Isugugu'.

Like a music teacher and musician developer, he has alsofeature little known young boy from Khoswe village, Balaka, like he did withthat little girl who should be woman now.

When he will be launching the album on October 29 at the RobinsPark eight years ago after realising his last solo album ‘Saulo’ what I will becherishing is not whatever message or kind of music is in the album, but thatat least he is back.

Sinetre is one of the modern musicpioneers; it was therefore disheartening that his musical career was on itsdeath bed when the man behind it was so active in other adventures. Welcomeback Mr. Ambassador, stay and teach the youth now, do not hibernate.

Feedback:drummingpen@columinist.com

Gramps Morgan Mourned Lucky Dube

2011-10-16T20:56:00.000+02:00

Not that today is the day that Lucky PhillipDube was killed, no! Nor is it the day that he was born, he was born in August1964, which three months ago; but at least this coming Wednesday October 18 isthe date that became the red lettered day for reggae lovers.

Four years ago, the evening of October 18 in2007, Lucky Dube was shot dead in the Johannesburg suburb of Rosettenvilleshortly after dropping two of his seven children off at their uncle's house.

Apparently the assailants were after Dube’sChrysler 300Che was driving when dropping his children. Police reports suggest he was shotdead by carjackers.

As the world commemorate the fourthanniversary after the iconic African Reggae King was killed, I try to give aspecial mention on a track called ‘Always and Forever’ done by Grampa Morgan inhis debut album “Two sides of My heartVol. One”

The feelingwould: Grampa Morgan? Who the heck is he?

Well, he wasborn Roy Morgan, as one of the legendary Denroy Morgan’s seventeen sons and wasaffectionately given the name “Grampa” on the day of his birth by an aunt whonoticed his uncanny resemblance to his grandfather.

Then Roy‘Grampa’ Morgan became Gramps a name that is said to have followed him throughouthis youth hood before it became his showbiz name.

He is a memberof the internationally renowned reggae group, Morgan Heritage; a band composedof five family members out of his 29 other siblings, some of whom have formeddifferent musical groups like LMS.

I am notqualified to write an account that is Morgan Heritage, which at the tender ageof nine, Gramps became part of. He recorded over ten albums with the band.

Together as Morgan Heritage they have soldmillions before going into recess but as their father Denroy Morgan presagedthat one day, each of the group members would travel own journey to achievesolo stardom. More than a decade later Gramps is now is just fulfilling it andalready he has bagged numerous awards.

As a specialized vocalist with his huskyand deep hiding voice, and a master on keyboard player as well as stage performer,Gramps released his first official single as a solo artist, “Wash the Tears”,under his own Dada Son Entertainment label which entered Italy’s Top 20 SinglesChart at number eight.

His debut first solo album, Two Sides of MyHeart - Vol. 1 in 2009 earned him three awards for Best New Entertainer, BestSong (“Wash the Tears”) and Best Crossover Song (“Therapy” featuring IndiaArie) at the 2010 International Reggae and World Music Awards.

Healso earned a nomination for Reggae Artist of the Year at the 2010 Soul TrainMusic Awards and went on to win Album of the Year at the 6th Annual Excellencein Music and Entertainment Awards. Gramps’ work and collaboration with reggaesuperstar Buju Banton on his album "Before the Dawn" won the awardfor Best Reggae Album at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2011.
Gramps is currently recording his second studio album, which is presentlyuntitled and scheduled to be released sometime in 2011.

He plans to release Two Sides of My Heart -Volume 2 in 2012, which will be an R&B and country inspired album withcollaborations with Kenny Rodgers and others.

With such a record, Lucky Dube would nothave needed any other tribute from no lesser a Person than Gramps.

In the track “Always and Forever” Grampsstart by singing ‘Lucky Dube’ over andover before wondering:

“What could he have done so wrong? Did weeven know he was one of the JAH prophets? Listen to his great songs, oh Jah, Whata man we have lost so”He then sings that “We always will rememberyou now and forever for the works you have carried out and we will not forgetall of the things you did.”
He then declares in the song that “this isa sign to show the times have changed” and repeats that “they have changed”over and over again.

Gramps then pledges that “Now that you'reamongst the starts, We will make sure your work lives on, Crying tears willfall time to time… But memories of you, help us carry on sooo, We always willremember you now and forever for the words you have carried out and, We willnot forget all of the things you did this is a sign to show that times havechanged.”
The song says in the last stanza that “Somewill come, some will go but the works you've done will still live on. Just likethe prophets of old you were one, a chosen one some will come, some will go butthe works you've done will still live on just like the prophets of old surely.”
LuckyDube also amassed uncountable awards in his life time and performed before allkinds of people including Malawians. Gramps I think mourned him better!

Feedback: drummingpen@journalist.com

Rehabilitating Sexually Abused Girls

2011-10-14T14:53:00.000+02:00

http://zodiakmalawi.com/zbs%20malawi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2710:rehabilitating-sexually-abused-girls&catid=55:features&Itemid=113

Death Stabs Music on Mwanyama

2011-10-08T20:19:00.002+02:00

Towards the month-end of December 2010,Lovemore Mwanyama was the one that the media quoted when Skeffa Chimoto, thecurrent top selling musician escaped death in a road accident.

Mwanyama is the one who explained to themedia that Skeffa and his band Real Sounds were en-route to Lilongwe fromSalima when the vehicle they were travelling in had a tyre burst.

Lovemore Mwanyama, was speaking asSkeffa’s Manager then.

Now, this year, towards the end ofSeptember, Skeffa took up the task of informing the media that unlike him,Mwanyama never survived a road accident and died at the Kamuzu CentralHospital.

My interest is not in the comparing thetwo accidents and the exchange of positions for the two, but to mourn with themusic industry on a huge loss suffered on the decease of Mwanyama.

I used to think Lovemore Mwanyama is atfirst Mlaka Maliro’s hangers-on and when I started seeing him closer to whereSkeffa was when performing live; I thought the habit to get attracted by famousmusicians was in his blood.

Little did I realise that in fact he wasthe King Maker.

McDonald Mlaka Maliro is Malawi’s musicianwhom President Bingu wa Mutharika declared is his best local artist.

To reach that kind of musical zenith is noteasy. It never only depends on one’s chance but it also needs to a boost fromone’s natural talent.

At one time in the country, Mlaka usedto be a ladies’ musician where every other lady in the country would tell youthey fall for Mlaka Maliro’s music.

At one time Mlaka Maliro, Billy Kaundaand of course their Godfather Lucius Banda used to be the musicians of specialmention in the country.

He is perhaps the only musician who cansell in Japan after making a name when there when he collaborated with aJapanese Kohei Yamada, who served as a member of the Japan Overseas CooperationVolunteers (JOCV) in Malawi.

They co-authored and recorded a songthat became a number-one hit "Ndimakukonda," in order to raise awarenessof HIV/AIDS prevention.

I am telling you all this about Mlaka,not because I have digressed, but I want to show you how great Mlaka was andstill is and how he could afford all this success because Lovemore Mwanyama washis manager.

Then let’s talk about Skeffa Chimoto.These pages have written so much about him as a person and his successful musicalexploits. In fact his top record as a musician is there for all to see.

He is indisputably the country’s currenttop selling musician with his ‘Ndife Amodzi’ latest album.

Lovemore Mwanyama assisted Mlaka to gainautonomy when he helped him assemble Maloto Vibration, likewise Skeffa Chimoto’sReal Sounds Band, it was Mwanyama who helped him build it.

Then there is a horde of musicians that Mwanyamaassisted through counselling and recording them at his Eclipse Studio.

The hullabaloo that is Lake of Starswhere musicians showcase talent is where musicians worth their salt in thecountry feel honoured once invited to perform.

Skeffa was this year invited to performat the event but pulled out at the eleventh hour to pay respect to the fallenLovemore Mwanyama.

Chimoto never concealed his grief and loss on the death of Mwanyamasaying for him to be in the limelight today, it is because of Mwanyama.

Mwanyama spotted potential in Skeffa and helped him nurture his talentuntil it reached where all of us now heard and saw that there is one SkeffaChimoto in the music industry.

On September 28, 2011 Lovemore Mwanyama, was interred at his homeKalanzi village at Mlangeni in Traditional Authority Njolomole in Ntcheu, atthe age of 40 when his life was just starting.

In fact, his life was supposed to start on 25 October this monthbecause this is the date he was born way back in 1971.

I hope musicians like Mlaka Maliro and Skeffa Chimoto who willrealise how painful the stab, death has inflicted on the music industry ingeneral and on them in particular, will mourn with measured grief.

More so, because deaths of people like Mwanyama need to becelebrated and not mourned.

At least if all others would honour his life, I expect MlakaMaliro and Skeffa Chimoto to compose and record song or songs on LovemoreMwanyama that should help to celebrate his decorated life.

Feedback: drummingpen@gmail.com

Vita Chirwa: Kalimba's Memory

2011-10-01T21:19:00.001+02:00

In1976, Kalimba Band started the guitar strumming, drum beating, sax blowing, andpercussion tingling business and never in their minds did the band members thatstarted it, ever thought, that 35 years later the band will still be playing.

GriffinMhango and Nassau Mkukupha used to play Jazz as their mainstay, standard,traditional and party music at a time when there was a strong unwritten law:“Despise the Musician, But Love his Music”.

Thebig statement for the band, though, waited until seven years later when itbecame the first band to try their hands on international scale and proved toall and sundry that Malawians were also musically endowed.

Withthe album, “Make Friends with the World” produced by world famed producer Attievan Wyk under the banner of a South African record label called DephonPromotions, the band failed to beat its own records and even with proliferationof musicians it has not been possible to beat this bar.

Itreminds me of the legacy that the 1984 released best selling reggae album of alltime by Reggae King Bob Marley rightly called ‘Legend’ has achieved by beingone such album that is still not been beaten by all the new and thought to bevery innovative releases.

TheBand was the work of five musicians that have unfortunately been missing fromthe list of the people that the country’s presidency honours every Republicananniversary celebration on July 6.

Themain driver of the “Make Friends with the World” album was the masterfulGriffin Mhango who was the Band Leader, Composer, Arranger, Guitarist as wellas vocalist. Bright Nkhata on vocals and saxophone, Stain Phiri on Keyboards,Isaac Nyirenda on the drum set and Francis Chintembo shaking things with thebass guitar completed the list of the group that made headlines.

Someof such tracks included ‘Sometimes I Wonder’, ‘My Love’, ‘No or Nada’, ‘Wake UpGet Up’, ‘Let’s Talk It Over’, the title track- ‘Make Friends with the World’, ‘TooMany Rains Ago’ and ‘In This World’. Six of these tracks which had BrightNkhata’s dominant, unique and golden voice were a composition of GriffinMhango.

Now, you can wonder that twenty-eight years after the release of the hit album,Kalimba is back. I am afraid to call it resurrection because Vita Chirwa the currentband member and a friend of mine who is the band’s sax player will not forgiveme.

InAugust Sunbird Capital Hotel and Capital City Motel were the venues where theband celebrated lives and success of the original members.

OnSeptember 24^th and 25^th it was the turn of Mzuzu tohonour the five original members and this is when I realised that Vita Chirwa,the current Kalimba Band leader, Lead singer, and keyboardist is theinstitutional memory that is still carrying out the memory of a band started byhis uncle Griffin.

Listeningto sound radiating from their state-of-the-art 40 thousand watts brand newmusical equipment you could not fault them at all on all the songs played from ‘MakeFriends with the World’.

Buthours that they played would surely have made the show a laughing stock and inbetween they had to play tracks that were originally done by among othersKool andGang, Eddy Grant, Paul Simon, Bob Marley.

Mzuzupatrons were jerked into a total surprise when Kalimba sprung the famous Nigeriansong on the dancing floors across the country at the moment called “called “SawaSawa alé” by Flavour.

Itis not common to find a band holding together worldwide the way Kalimba hasdone over all these years. What is fascinating is that the line up has changedas years were changing, not to mention death taking most of its members aswell, but Kalimba has stuck to its original ideals and vision.

VitaChirwa along the way has released solo album and single tracks, but stilletched somewhere in his psyche was the knowledge that Kalimba should one dayreturn on stage.

Thecurrent crop of players seems resolute to perpetuating the Kalimba vision withDick Chikweza on drums, Blessings Nkhoma on guitar, Dan Sibale on altosaxophones and Mayeso Chirwa on tenor Sax, Jack Chisinga on bass, ChifundoKatsekera on percussion and Steve Lifesa on keys.

Likethose that have been honoured in the past, Vita Chirwa also deserves suchhonour, I am not just saying.

Feedback: drummingpen@columnist.com

BlogWorld & New Media Expo Blog — Official News Blog of the World's Largest Social Media Conference & Tradeshow

2011-09-29T10:44:00.000+02:00

BlogWorld & New Media Expo Blog — Official News Blog of the World's Largest Social Media Conference & Tradeshow

Gospel against Secular

2011-09-29T10:42:00.005+02:00

Last time I talked about secular and gospel music here, it was in a way that I ruffled a few feathers.
The talk then dwelt on music and belief and a week later, it was followed by a discussion where I looked at what it takes to be a secular or a gospel musician.
Perhaps for the benefit of those that missed the two discussions I can remind you a little bit.
I first tried to look at what started first, between music and religion, and failed to find an outright answer as it was like figuring out the egg and hen enigma.
I could not provide an out-and-out answer as a result, and refused to attempt to be knowledgeable.
The final conclusion then which is still one very clear thing is that music is an integral part of most religions or beliefs.
In the risk of failing to prove its historicity, I had concluded that it was apparent that music preceded religion if assertions that music started when men were trying to imitate birds is anything to go by.
But I had a big headache when I tried to look at how one becomes to be known as Secular and Gospel sections of musicians in the country.
Then the gist of the discussion was the condemnation of artists like Geoffrey Zigoma who were driven by gluttony to move from the ship of gospel musicians one minute, before jumping into one for the secular musicians the other minute.
It was clear and still is that the problem that is killing Malawi’s nascent music industry is the artists’ struggle to do something without knowing what they want to become.
Mentality is of essence when any one person decides to venture into music; lack of it only proves the saying ‘garbage in, garbage out’ unnecessarily true. Let me reproduce what I wrote then:
Songbird Ethel Kamwendo Banda started from secular terrain before jumping ship to join the gospel fray, she has never changed.
I have considered her age and influence from her elderly siblings and the stereotypes that used to haunt female musicians at the time she launched her career – or is it her secular career. These factors failed to prepare her mentally or her mentality was all but botched-up and this is why her girlish credulity decided which line of music she had to belong to while maturity charted her gospel route eventually.
Now exists Mrs. Banda, enters self-acclaimed Honjo inventor San B. He launched his career as a secular artist, and along the way, I thing he did a number of best hits but one I would want to dwell on is what I still consider as a master piece which goes like ‘Mukanena kuti Ha!Ha! Halleluja! Inu muziti Amen, akulu ampingo amve…!” This was however, the turning point for San B.
In the first place, he innocently did a secular song that touched on the gospel and depending on what one wanted to believe, this was either a gospel piece or a secular piece. San B bought the gospel sense and declared himself a gospel artist.
Whether he wants to believe it or not, when he became a gospel artist he lost his music panache. Interestingly Christianity like all other beliefs somehow is enemy to reality. It finds a way to hide truth by bringing in the underhand of Lucifer.
I am saying this because San B and his new gospel followers would think Satan is using me to discourage him from continuing the ‘blessed’ missionary work he has started. But my stand is he was the best when he had secular sense when doing his music than now when he is spreading gospel through his ‘honjo’ brainchild.
However, what could be an interesting aspect is perhaps a little recall to where we are coming from as a nation that came to grips with a penchant for good music. You remember when the Joseph Nangalembes, the Robert Fumulanis used to rule the airwaves, was there any divisions like secular and gospel artists.
Would you therefore say Nangalembe was not doing God’s work? Is being secular pursuit of evil? Do we perhaps realize that God can try to change a person to follow His ways by perfecting the person’s social being by using music to do this? And obviously musicians would be involved to achieve this?
Well, I might seem to be digressing, but my point is that musical talent that is in the artists is endowed as the artists sense it; it should therefore not be compromised to please anyone.

All what has prompted this is that a few months ago some gospel artists refused to perform with the so called secular artists at Blantyre Sports Club on the basis that their colleagues are ungodly.
Was this action justifiable, more especially coming from people who claim to be Christians whose duty is supposed to help sinners attain salvation?
Do they have the mandate to judge? And is it right to categorize our artists as gospel musicians just because they mention GOD OR JESUS in their songs?
I remember when Alleluya Band led by Sir. Paul Banda started performing in beer drinking places, eyebrows were raised. But as Jesus said, they equally said they were taking the gospel right to places where it was never given.
Feedback: drummingpen@columnist.com

Playing Music before Launch

2011-09-29T10:42:00.002+02:00

Is it necessary for artists to launch their music albums or DVD’s whilst their music is already enjoying airplay or when the albums or DVD’s are on market?
Are our musicians on top of things when it comes to these issues…issues of releasing albums or singles and marketing and distributing it for the reach of the consumers?
Like I said some weeks ago most international musicians would send press kits to local media, radio stations, television stations, venue managers, record labels and studio executives as a marketing drive.
In such kits, you have the pictures of the artist(s) or bio videos, printed biography, the theme or lyrics of their music, CDs with sample music, flyers and any other necessary information.
How much of this do our musicians know? Is it surprising therefore that they die paupers when they have entertained masses in the better part of their lives?
Who is to blame? I mean between the musicians and the private sector…There is nothing musical that these firms in the private sector engage in…All one hears is that they are supporting this league or that league of sports kind of stuff.
Without trying to sound like a killjoy, I think there is more money in supporting entertainment of musical nature here in Malawi at this point in time than entertainment of sports nature.
In this world, companies in other countries realised this and at the moment ‘Akuyimba Lokoma.’
Take the eastern countries for example, for some time; the East African Breweries Limited has been carrying out competition for musicians in the Eastern African Region called Tusker Project Fame – a reality Television competition, which was at a value of 1 billion Kenyan shillings which is an equivalent of 12.8 million US dollars which is about 1.92 billion kwacha. All this money invested in music, imagine!
Chibuku Products in Malawi has ever tried its hands on the same, but they lack the seriousness that goes with such ventures as seen by the other investors in the world.
Let me go back to production and marketing of music. In gun accurizing, ‘bullet dwell time’ is the time between cartridge ignition, and the time the bullet leaves the barrel. Music is like a bullet and depending on its ‘dwell time’ it either leaves an impact or loses it all when it leaves the barrel.
It is therefore important to plan for this dwell time when in music production, especially when you are such an artist full of ambitions.
It is at this point that you can catch the potential companies along the way of hit a blank as it is sometimes called.
One would dismiss this as missing the point. But in truth this is in fact hitting the nail right on the head.
Others would want deals that Access entered with local Urban star Maskal for example as something that has to be done continuously and also happening elsewhere with other artists and other firms.
TNM will always engage artists to do one promotional track for its sponsorship of Malawi’s super football league.
It is not clear what is in the deal, but it has to be lucrative…I am speculating about its being lucrative because I know one time Lucius Banda cried foul when Black Missionaries got their hands on the contract and he was left out.
If indeed such deals are made what is so difficult to do something with music of our musicians.
The major problem lies in the musicians themselves. I know we cannot compare how football and music operate. A club would want to get sponsorship like is the case with MTL with Wanderers for example but will take part in a competition that Football Association of Malawi negotiates with TNM.
Imagine if Nomads had good sponsorship from MTL but no league to play in, would it really make sense?
Think of our musicians in the same way, if Maskal is getting individual support from Access, does this means anything to the music industry?
As an industry are we satisfied with how we produce, launch, market and distribute our music?
Are our musicians doing it right when they launch their music albums or DVD’s whilst their music is already enjoying airplay or when the albums or DVD’s are on market?

Feedback:drummingpen@columnist.com

Malawi Music failing Television

2011-09-11T19:08:00.002+02:00

The question that is sometimes posed is whether or not music and television relate in any way. Television is the place where one can watch readymade music videos or watch live performances of musicians.
One other major characteristic of music videos is that it gives an opportunity to showcase dancers.
In Malawi, musicians have only started getting acceptance now, unlike in the past when parents would not encourage their sons and daughters to venture into music as it was regarded wayward.
There was just a bad name linked to anyone doing music although ironically they would cherish the art of listening to music and enjoying it as it were.
Now, while musicians were looked at with disdain, dancers were regarded as the worst kind of people. Everyone else dancing in different places, except, of course Kamuzu Mbumba and all other performers at such events were regarded as outcasts.
The coming in of television helped the society to appreciate that dancing to music or performing as a dancer is another form of art that deserved appreciation and respect and not disparagement.
Now if you look at music videos Malawi is churning out per given time, you are left with nothing but helplessness because the system to allow such music see the light of the day is so restrictive.
The sole, so called public broadcaster has left powers in a few individuals who would always want to get a little something every other time musicians want to provide their music to them.
Malawi always complains that her music is not breaking the international market and therefore it is not bringing money on the table.
There are of course many marketing and distribution aspects that Malawi musicians do not know how to handle.
Most international musicians would send press kits to local media, radio stations, television stations, venue managers, record labels and studio executives in order to either create or increase their visibility.
Now, coupled with lack of knowledge to market and distribute our music, Malawi music has no enough media channels that it can use to sell her musicians.
Programmes that are musical in nature are not enough to contain the production that is ongoing at the moment.
The point at which we have reached as a country is that we at least need a television station that will solely be dealing with music or better still we need more television stations that equally and ably deal with entertainment.
This is why to an extent lack of provision by the Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (MACRA) to give out television licences to those interested to run them is not only hurting the intended targets, but it is making our music industry suffer as well.
In other countries, television showing of latest music videos boost its patronisation as it has a lot of people buying the copies or even enquiring how best they can achieve more, as it elicit revs from different experts.
We have different private firms where we are getting both quality and mediocre production of music videos. Without any set of standards or criteria we get music that is beamed on the television which leaves you with a bad aftertaste.
You are always ashamed of the person performing because you realise that for such run of the mill production to chance airtime it has passed through a number of hands. It does so much damage to the aptitude of those working for the television station.
Government through MACRA has therefore tremendously contributed to the poor quality of music video production in the country.
Because there is a single television station the problem is in two folds; one problem is that the television will beam anything provided such mediocre player has palm greased the one in control.
The second fold is that those behind such productions will do anything in disregard to quality because they know whatever they produce will come out, nonetheless, because it is not about quality but bribery.
This leaves no room for completion because a healthy competition breeds innovation and creativity. Are you surprised therefore that even when our music is struggling to break even on the international scene, our music videos are a notch so low that one can not dare show them to foreign audience?
Is this how we want to grow our music? Do you now understand how irritated I become when you complain that our music cannot sell outside Malawi?
Feedback:drummingpen@columnist.com

Kula Band - Glowing with Age

2011-09-03T19:25:00.000+02:00

Just 8 tracks, ‘Walendo’, ‘Wamalenge’, ‘Malawi’, ‘Khara Pa Kaya’, ‘Sella’, ‘Sudziwa kuti Sudziwa’, ‘Umbrella’ and ‘Sowera’ sums up an album titled Sudziwa kuti Sudziwa.
For the umpteenth time let me introduce to you the Kula Band the owners of the album above.
Most albums are packed with songs in the ranges of 12 to 15 and what the Kula Band did with this particular album would be deemed laziness if you merely look at the number of tracks.
But once you slot their Compact Disk in a player and hear the sound that the system will emit you will appreciate the kind of work that is loaded in each track. You would nod with positive reception and glee with realisation why it had to be this way.
Each instrument never knew the belly of a computer where drums will be programmed and let the computer mimic a lead guitar.
The instruments were in fact played by the band members and each is both standing alone as an instrument and in unison give you a fusion of African traditional music with Jazz, Blues, Rock and Reggae.
The album which is yet to hit the market is a product of a recording session that was ably done by Gospel Star Lloyd Phiri at his studio.
Kula Band is another Mzuzu based band which can stand shoulder to shoulder with another Mzuzu based ‘Body Mind and Soul’
The difference would be that the latter plays what they call ‘Voodjaz’ while Kula Band fuses African traditional music with some Jazzy feel with sprinkles of Blues, Rock and Reggae.
This band was formed with a purpose of competing in the Music Crossroad Competition and last year they were runners up in Dar es Salaam at the regional finals.
Of course the band leader is Blessings Mudoro who plays the band’s keyboard and backing vocals with leading vocals spearheaded by the deep-voiced Goma Nyondo who also plays acoustic guitar.
Thokozani Mazunza plays bass guitar, Gift Phiri drums and percussions for the band, Kennedy Phiri plays lead guitar while James Piringu is the band’s other backing vocalist and percussionist.
On their apparel of honour there are three awards that are stuck; they are the winners of MAM Music Award 2009, Chibuku Road to Fame Competition as well as the MAM Gospel Music Award.
The Chibuku Road to fame won them 150,000 Malawi Kwacha prize money and also landed them a lucrative recording deal worth 200,000 Malawi Kwacha
But I want you to sample their music through this write up. In music, a transient is a sudden increase in sound output which occurs for a short period of time; sometimes less than a fraction of a second, it is very common in rock and jazz.
The title track ‘Sudziwa kuti sudziwa’ has the art of ‘transient’ just to prove its musicality. There is also a track called ‘Sera’ which is a fusion of jazz, funky and Rhumba with a voice that would be mistaken for the Zimbabwean international mega star Oliver Mtukudzi.
While all the tracks except ‘Sowera’ were recorded by Lloyd Phiri this particular one which starts with an ‘Irish Tin whistle’ was recorded by Christian Aid Mobile Studio.
Goma the lead vocalist who sometimes comes out as Jamaica’s Gramps Morgan says the Kula Band has learnt the art of Music as being multifaceted.
The band says it can produce several tracks without giving a hint of familiarity because they have a musical art that could be described as having a full range of repertoire to pick from.
When you listen to the Kula Band, the Body Mind and Soul and legendary Wambali Mkandawire, you would easily declare that at least the north has stumbled on its genre.
Listening to Kula Band’s music which is yet to be on the market, you will feel proud to be Malawian as here are the young men who are able to make music by knowing that each instrument has its purpose when playing music.
Listening to ‘Sudziwa kuti Sudziwa’ album by Kula Band, you realise, Kula is not only growing, but it is, with age also glowing to become a stakeholder in the country’s music industry. Try to sample it, you will agree with me.
Feedback:drummingpen@columnist.com

Malawi’s Richest Musician

2011-08-27T17:33:00.000+02:00

Do Malawians know at all who the richest musician in Malawi is? Do we know our musicians accumulate their wealth? But do they have wealth? Some mind boggling questions that we need answers for.

I was checking Forbes 2011 list of ten highest paid musicians and I discovered that most of the artists are making it through live performances.

By rank of the wealthiest the following is the Forbes’s list:
U2 – 195 million US dollars
They are called the ageless rockers who are wrapping up the most lucrative tour in the history of music.
By the time U2’s two-year trek ends this summer the band will have sold US$700m worth of tickets over two years and played to more than 7 million people.
Bon Jovi – 125 million dollars
Bon Jovi raked in more when they inaugurated the New Jersey’s New Meadowlands Stadium with three consecutive sold out concerts last May and another in July.
The Band grossed US$200 playing 74 shows over the past 12 months and released a greatest hit album.
Elton John –100 million US dollars
Sir John has sold 250 million records worldwide over the past 30 years and isn’t slowing down, grossing US $204 million on 102 live shows in the past 12 months.
Lady Gaga – 90 million US dollars
The Queen Monster grossed US$ 170 on 137 shows in 22 countries over the past 12 months; though high production costs significantly reduced that sum.
Michael Buble - 70 million US dollars
The Canada crooner rode a lucrative concert tour, heavy radio play and strong album sales all the way to a spot among the most top 5 earners.
Paul McCartney – 67 million US dollars
The former Beatle could just sit back and collect checks – he’s the most commercially successful songwriter in the history of popular music – according to Guinness World Records – but the road beckons. McCartney grossed 130 million US dollars on a mere 30 shows over the past 12 months.
The Black Eyed Peas – 61 million US dollars
The business friendly rockers grossed US$68m on 62 shows around the World over the past 12 months and added to their coffers with lucrative endorsement deals with Samsung, Pepsi, Honda, Verizon, Chase and others.
The Eagle – 60 million US dollars
The ageless rockers continue to take it to the limit – especially on the road, where they make the bulk of their money.
Justin Bieber – 53 million US dollars
At age 17, Bieber is the youngest on the list, raking in cash from an international tour.
Dave Matthews Band – 51 million US dollars
The band grossed over a million per night for the course of 68 shows in the past 12 months.

Looking at the list, it is total disappointment that no African musician has made it to the least and this tells us a load of stories of either our musicians or the kind of audience that we have.

Turning back to Malawi, if you will go to classified pages in this title you will discover that there are beautiful pictures of both gospel and secular musicians that are on the road.

I tried to talk to Skeffa Chimoto and the Black Missionaries two weeks ago for a show that was to take place in September and I was told they are booked up for the year or something closer to that.

I am not sure how best our musicians organise their shows, but since we have no records to show how much they are raking into their ‘wealth-hold’ after every show I run the risk of speculating.

The question would then be: do we know that this particular musician is wealthier than the other by how frequent they appear in newspapers on a number of shows that they conduct?

We have been made to believe that those artists that make it big are the ones that do so through royalties.
COSOMA has at least made us believe our musicians are wealth and have managed to bring smiles on the faces of most artists through royalties.

But do we have anything on records to tell us how much the musicians are fairing when out on tours?

It takes time before COSOMA comes up with such list; the last one I saw was on December 29, 2009, where Lawrence Mbenjere set a new record when he became the first musician to cart home money in excess of over K2.5 million in royalties.

What was also historical was that since the establishment of the Copyright Society of Malawi (COSOMA), K2, 523, 459.16 that Mbenjere got was the biggest money it has dished out to a single musician.

And at the same event, Lucius Banda carted home K1, 094, 579.10, Thomas Chibade K712, 742.48. Joseph Nkasa who in 2003 got a million got K597, 942.27 this time round.

But at least Lucious and Black Missionaries and lately, Skeffa are the ones we see on the road all the time, are they the richest musicians on the Land?
Feedback: drummingpen@columnist.com

Pastor Jimmy, Gospel Traditionalist

2011-08-24T20:01:00.000+02:00

Gospel Music of Malawi leaves a lot to be desired. The term used above is so tired that those who are words smith like me call it a cliché.
I would still use it when I write about Gospel Music of Malawi because at worst, that’s what it is. At best, it has ‘smoked out’ some hidden talent never known before.
We have a long list of names that have blessed Malawi’s gospel music market while it is not a hidden fact that others have cursed it.
Pastor Jimmy is one such young talent that have blessed the gospel music cycle. Unlike most who will first of all listen to South African, Nigerian or Tanzanian Gospel which they unashamedly copy and paste as their own, Pastor Jimmy Kapinda has been so innovative.
He never desired to take the South African’s Sipho Makhabane route nor one of the Cee Cee Winans. He should have travelled a purely Malawian route had it not been for a female backing vocalist’s attempt to try to copy Nigerian’s Soul female artist ASA in one of the tracks.
Nonetheless, he has travelled a Malawian route none ever thought existed, of course before Wambali Mkandawire.
While Wambali’s sojourns remains unparalleled, but the nascent journey Pastor Jimmy has launched with his traditional Gospel Music seems to have a lot of promises in store.
To Appreciate Jimmy’s music further may be a little light need to be shed on his musical background.
The Mzuzu based band ‘Body, Mind & Soul’ which has graced the Crossroad Competition is where Pastor Jimmy’s routes could be traced. He used to play bass in this band before he started his own band ‘Kula’.
I once wrote that as the name Kula suggests, it is still growing strong; it fuses African traditional music with Jazz, Blues, Rock and Reggae and this is what has seen them grabbing two national competitions: MAM Music Award 2009 and Chibuku Road to Fame Competition.
Body, Mind and Soul, the band he started from is described as a 6-piece band which started like all the rest.
First it was all reggae for the Body, Mind & Soul until it reflected on the importance of sharing Malawi ancient culture in Modern time and after much thought and experimentation it created a new music concept it calls ‘Voodjaz’, a subtle mix of traditional rhythms with a jazzy feel.
With it, they conquered the Music Cross Roads Southern Africa Inter-regional Festival in Harare, Zimbabwe in 2007 to emerge winners that went on the road to their European Tour in Summer of 2008 where they performed at different big stages including the world famous Coyleur Café.
When Jimmy became a born again Christian he thought of changing the approach to music which he had initially looked at from what is known as a secular perspective to the current approach where he is now into gospel but with a difference.
He says there are sessions at the Pentecostal gatherings where at one point they do what they call ‘Praise and Worship’. At this point most of such songs performed are taken from elsewhere and he decided to come up with songs composed by Malawians.
There are many such gatherings these days and with claims that they are guided by the light and gift from God, there needed to be more musical innovation coming from the people with such Holy gift.
I have ever written about how gospel music is to an extent a big letdown as it lacks creativity to captivate even the non-believer to turn to God. It is wrong to conclude that Malawi although a God fearing nation does not promote her gospel artists. Gospel music should entice not dispel!
I have said that much as it is a necessity for churches or any other beliefs to keep tight their dogmas, it would be wrong to use the same as a yardstick when producing music that sing about the very belief and approach it with a laissez-faire attitude.
It is a pity that some churches will even generate so many resources for say their pastor or evangelist to produce a musical album, not because he is talented but because he thinks he can do it since resources are available.
The best way to do it, if congregations have resources they want to waste on any musical production, is perhaps to identify a few talented individuals within the congregation who should be supported to produce music.
The same can be said about Pastor Jimmy, whose home is music and when, this talent crossed paths with his religion, they formed a formidable force that can interest every ear that loves listening to music.
He is planning to showcase his talent in Lilongwe where he is going to engage traditional dances as part of his musical launch as a sole performer.
Feedback: drummingpen@columnist.com

Key Lounge: Musical Haven

2011-08-15T18:33:00.003+02:00

There is a hot argument on going at the moment.
Between Tigris and Maskal, who performed more sublimely than the other at the Big Brother Show? This is the question that has sparked this debate.
You would be wondering where the people that argues so much about this issue ever saw the performance from. But all was viewed through a Television set.
And this has been the case for residents in Mzuzu where they have known most of our local artists, through the television.
Before a local entrepreneur Trouper Thindwa came to Mzuzu to establish Key Lounge, residents were yet to see this dude Maskal and Urbanites Star Tigris.
Now music which is supposed to be enjoyed and appreciated, can not only be felt through a screen, more so with computer manipulation that is so common with music productions, audio and video alike, and there is always a need for a live performance of sorts to give the pudding some proof of taste.
This, people of Mzuzu never had. The result was either an illusion of who our musicians are or an extrusion of a music which was not theirs.
Ever since its establishment, Key Lounge has paraded all the stars that matter in the urban music cycles now. Tay Grin, Tigris, Theo Thomson, Maskal, name them...
Then we have the old timer himself Lucius Banda, man of the moment Skeffa Chimoto, ever green Lulu who have also graced the venue; in fact just last week-end Lucius Banda used Key Lounge to launch his album ‘Life’.
There is also the Mzuzu giants Body, Mind and Soul who are spending much of their time mesmerising patrons occasionally.
Trouper says he loves music, to begin with, and he loves his home which is Mzuzu and he would not have left it continue being starved of entertainment.
He hires the artists in what he terms ‘a win-win situation’ because while the artists get their fees, he also boosts sells for the restaurant and bar that is part of the Key Lounge.
There is also one more thing the north is set to be enjoying with the posture that Trouper has taken; he intends to bring the most sought after International artists, who, most of the times will only perform in Lilongwe and Blantyre and then fly back.
Key Lounge is now set to host some of such artists starting in summer.
Mzuzu does not have many such places that would host musicians. The then only available place Boma Park at the hotel, which also hosted a day album launch by Lucius Banda last Sunday is said to be restrictive.
Restrictive because one has to cough a whooping K75, 000 for a single show and in this case a Calculator brings some figure that fails to give you any business sense and the option the artist has been taking is to shun the region.
Mzuzu fans are offered an opportunity to sample live performance and appreciate the talent. Like the argument about Tigris and Maskal at the Big Brother Show, north has always argued if the artists we listen to are either stage performers or studio geeks who cheat through the computer as if they are accomplished musicians.
Now with their invitation to be hosted at Key Lounge, they have gained an exposure in the region. This has also helped a lot as it has managed to market their music.
Music at the Key Lounge is also sampled both ways, where it is danced to as well as listened to in an appreciation of its musicality.
There was at one time a general worry that musicians only perform to a danceable crowd and such comes with noise that is mistaken for music.
Such reception has had difficulties to surmount elements that are hard to please as artists have discovered to their dismay that occasionally they would run into a situation where their set, while nearly always well-received by the crowd and lots of fun for them, is only about not hundred percent "danceable."

In the process some of the artists’ unique and intricate original songs that are not a regular highly danceable crowd pleaser has ended up getting more heckle that applause.

The Key Lounge has managed to create such great atmosphere where both have a comfy reception.

Last Saturday, at Key Lounge, it was clear that after dancing to Fitzgerald Simfukwe, Sam Simakweli, Maskal, Lulu and Skeffa Chimoto with competing dancing theatrics, the audience had to cool off just to appreciate and listen to the controversial dub reggae poetry piece ‘LIFE’ the title track of Lucius Banda’s latest album on parade.

With Key Lounge, Mzuzu’s starvation will no longer be felt as besides all forms of entertainment; it is becoming a musical haven.

Feedback: drummingpen@columnist.com

Key Lounge: Musical Haven

2011-08-15T18:33:00.001+02:00

Nameless Sitting on a BOMB!

2011-08-07T08:34:00.002+02:00

‘Nameless’ is something that, the Kenyan of the ‘Sinzia’ fame who has no name or our own three Urban Stars who are collectively known by it would not lay claim to, because there is no name.
The absence of name does not however, say there is also an absence of purpose, implication or reason.
Do you remember ‘K-Shii and Bobo’ and later ‘China’? These are the types of songs that are indicative that Nameless is amongst groups that have their signature on the biggest hip-hop tracks in the country.
Now, one of the Nameless trio, Chikondi Kangulu who trades as ‘Aimor’ is following the route that the Jamaican Joseph Hills took.
Remember, Culture started as Jamaican roots reggae group founded in 1976 known as the African Disciples.
The Culture trio composed Joseph Hill on lead vocals while Albert Walker and Kenneth Dayes were backing vocalists. Later in their careers, Joseph Hills went solo with albums like ‘Trust Me’, ‘One Stone’, and ‘Humble Africa’ where he still adopted the name Culture while doing it alone.
Aimor of Nameless has also finished work on his solo album ‘5 O Jaka’.
Let me stay longer on the title album first. Hip-Hop is one musical genre that either promotes or is the cradle of the new coined words that drive our communities.
No one can fight it because; it is only a vibrant community that would keep on coining new words. If our fore fathers who died in 1920s would resurrect today, they would have problems understanding anything from the youths they would meet in the streets on Blantyre.
Lately, music has been used as the vehicles to propel such new coined words. Like with this album ‘ku Jacka’ is a word used in the streets meaning, ‘to jack up’ another word that was coined in the streets of the US and reached Malawi through the American hip-hop music.
‘5 O Jacka’ therefore means ‘5 jacked up ones’ based on a Parable of the Ten Virgins, also known as the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins, a well known parable of Jesus according to Gospel of Matthew 25:1-13.
Five virgins prepared for the bridegroom's arrival are rewarded and the five who are not prepared are excluded and the eschatological theme in that parable demonstrates to us all to be prepared for the Day of Judgment.
AIMOR with his album “5 O Jacka” is also bring a similar message, although under the name label NAMELESS as he says he is not ready to surprise those that follow his music under Nameless, with his showbiz name of Aimor but by and by he hopes to make it with the Aimor name.
The Nameless have two albums under their belt but listening to Aimor’s 12 tracks album I discovered that Aimor who has taken more than 12 months producing the album is sitting on a bomb.
The track number 02 in the album called “Mfunda Wako” which he did with Maskal is something that would explode in the faces of those that either passionately or disinterestedly follows Malawi’s Hip-hop urban music.
There are several big hits in the album and the most innovative step taken in the album is collaboration with several artists.
The title track ‘5 O Jacka’, Aimor has done it himself while its remix has been done with Renegade; then other one to watch is the track he has collaborated with Dan Lu “Nanga Ndi chani”.
But I can declare here without fear or favour that the track ‘Lokoma” which he did with Fugie Kasipa will be the biggest hit in the album. This one will make all those that are in for our urban music and those that would not miss Fugie Kasipa for anything in the world, to rush for. It is one track that cannot let you get tired on the dance floor.
Its rhyming lyrical content is something that would also push you to the edge. By our urban hip-hop standards this track is simply finicky even to the most fastidious ear.
Track number 10, ‘Friend’s Gal’ done with Genii Black, ‘Pressure’ done with Laurita is some love pieces that would rock lovers, big time. The same is the case with ‘Mbiri Yako’ featuring Laurita and Sonye.
Ceezy Raymo has not been left out as he is appearing in the track ‘Ma Gentleman’; but while this one has controversial message ‘Fre-Enemy’ which features little known ‘Sibweni’ with such Tumbuka words, more so because Aimor is now based in Mzuzu is one interesting track which is a fusion of Hip-hop and Ragga.
No wonder Aimor is bringing some self glorification in a rightly titled track, ‘Done it all’ where he says he feels like he has done it all. This clearly shows that Aimor is the one who used to bring controversy to Nameless productions that saw tracks like ‘China’ banned from some radio stations.
This album, ‘5 O Jacka’ another Slash Clip studio production is one album that has to be on the market soon, the longer Aimor sits on it the more time bombs in it will explode right on his lap.
Feedback: drummingpen@columnist.com

Lucius Banda’s Life in 1 Hour 19 Minutes

2011-08-01T09:12:00.002+02:00

One hour and 19 Minutes is the time that it takes one to listen to Lucius Banda’s latest album from the first track ‘Okondedwa’ throughout the other tracks to the last one, which is the title track ‘LIFE’ that has awaken the censorship board bull dogs.
Listening to the 15 tracks, one would still be left with the same Lucius Banda aftertaste.
The track ‘LIFE’ which is taking after the trademark that Lucius impresses on his album is what is in reggae known as ‘Dub Reggae Poetry’ styled after the Mutabaruka or Linton Kwesi Johnson productions in this regard.
First, let’s listen to the genres employed in the tracks ‘Okondedwa’, ‘Chikondi cha Ndalama’, ‘Tikamalira’, ‘Nsanje Ichepe’, which is reggae in play until ‘Matamando’, which has some disco elements.
Before I talk about the choice of genre in this aspect, let’s look at the other genres in the other tracks ‘Wadwalika’ which features Moses Makawa, for example. This one as expected is taking after ‘Kalata Yachiwiri’ which he featured Thomas Chibade.
In this track, Lucius’ complete departure of what we know of him makes you think the song should be ‘Wadwalika’ by Moses Makawa featuring Lucius Banda.
‘Du na-na’ featuring Tay Grin, has the confusion starting with the title of track. It has employed the pure Tay Grin trademark relating to Nyau beat that has made the hip-hop star cut his place as a traditionalist hip-hop artist.
‘Stacey’ featuring Chisomo, is a soft and gliding track which keeps you to catch your breath if you consider the journey through life that starts with the first track. I am impressed with this track because some of the lines that Chisomo brings were created right in front on my nose.
I had gone to talk with Lucius at Nyimbo Studios in Area 15 on this day when I found him recording this track. After listening to it, he just took a pen and a paper and added some lines and asked Chisomo to do them over and over again while we talked.
He reminded me of how Bob Marley used to produce some of his songs, where something that will only feature in a minute long song for 20 seconds will make the song delay for the whole month just to achieve the perfection that was already in place in his mind.
‘Amasowa’, track number 9 in the album, continues this soft tempo that tend to calm the nerves as the vocals and instrumentation both meet into a soft rolling soul.
‘Mamvera-mvera’ is a traditionally Malawi –Zambia genre because I have seen that artists from both side of the borders like to take after this beat. It is the kind that does not let you unprovoked when you are on a dance floor.
‘One More Chance’ which Lucius features 3rd Eye is a tradition pop genre which has managed to wear a local and foreign element with 3rd Eye hip-hop sprinkle.
‘Ndiwe Wanga’ featuring Mahlabe is a fusion of South African and Malawian beats which has created a half-caste genre which would still get a welcome in the two countries and even in other countries where it can pay a visit.
‘Pukuta Misonzi’ is a Tchopa track the type Lucius calls Malawian beat which he promised in the past would dominate his albums but failed to keep it.
‘Sendera Annie’ for whatever reasons is a love classic that is moving me on my seat every time I am listening to it and now I remember, the reason is because I also witnessed its production at Nyimbo studios.
Now, the traditional dub reggae poetry in ‘LIFE’ is the same one that pushed Lucius Banda closer to former President Dr. Bakili Muluzi.
Muluzi’s philosophy was; get your enemy closer to you so that they fail to plot your downfall a further.
Unlike his predecessor, Prof. Bingu wa Mutharika don’t want to see his enemies within vicinity and no wonder Lucius Music, which remained banned for sometime before it started getting back, will now see no light of the MBC day.
In all, the lyrical content of all the tracks except for a few, which is meant to be fancy other than communicate, the message is so powerful. If you will not like the beat you will not fail to fall for the message.
The clever aspect in this album is the collaboration with other artists.
But in other songs like ‘One More Chance’ I think it is meant to dupe the followers of local hip-hop genre, the featured 3rd Eye, seems, was in a hurry and did not give his all, the same is the case with Tay Grin, who despite his signature written all over the ‘Du na-na’ he does not come with his all.
Like most of Lucius Banda albums, ‘LIFE’ is not amongst his powerful work of art, it has failed to reach the bar that he has set for himself. I have said on these pages that my most powerful Lucius Banda album is ‘Survivors’ I am still waiting to see what will beat it.
This album, like most, will take its way into the market because it will be advertised by government’s resistance to let it play freely. It will wait until people got used to it before they can start buying it while with ‘Survivors’ or ‘Son of a Poor Man’ it sold by sheer ingenuity that was imprinted in them.
Nonetheless, if you are a collector and if you want to believe or disbelieve Lucius who once declared he has stopped singing politics, buy one CD copy which is going at a thousand kwacha.
Feedback: drummingpen@columnist.com

When Mutharika Honours Musicians Part II

2011-08-01T09:09:00.002+02:00

Last week, we stopped a process where we were appreciating the reasons that 8 musicians were honoured during the Independence Anniversary Celebrations in Mzuzu on July 6. We stopped while looking at Joseph Nkasa.
Another Principal Achiever is the Late Mr. Michael Fredrick Paul Sauka.
I think this honour has come too late considering that even on the day that Mutharika was sworn in, it was this Sauka-composed-national anthem that was performed several times.
It is also debatable whether or not Sauka deserved a Principal Achiever Honour or needed a Grand Achiever accolade.
But the answers would be gotten, perhaps in the short citation that accompanied the honour.
He was born 1934 and in his life time he showed a unique talent both as a composer and pianist.
He played music which became a big part of his life as it helped him emerge as one of the greatest musicians in the early 1960’s.
His musical exploits include composing the Malawi National Anthem, Mulungu Dalitsani Malawi Oh God Bless Malawi, which was chosen through a stiff and highly competitive process involving Malawian and non-Malawian composers.
He also pioneered the formation of the then renowned Blantyre City Recreation Fine and Performing arts group besides composing numerous pieces for the MBC Band and Limbe Cathedral Choir.
Sauka also used the performing arts group, to undertake development and health outreach mobilization programmes. He is also honoured for his ability to balance singing and teaching artists in music literacy and performance, thereby advancing his knowledge of music to the next generation.
Then there came another Late, Assistant superintendent Jordan Jika who was also honoured as a Principal Achiever for serving with honour integrity as a professional musician during the thirty-eight year period he served in the Malawi Police Force between 1951 and 1989.
He is the founding member of the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation Band besides composing music still being played by the Malawi Police Band.
He served professionally for Police Band Branch before and after independence; and was awarded Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.
Equally another man in Jika’s shoes is the late father to Vice President Joyce Banda who is no stranger on these pages who retired as Assistant Superintendent Gray John Stewart Mtila. He was also decorated with a Principal Achiever honour.
Mtila joined the Nyasaland Police Force in 1946 and rose through the ranks until his retirement in 1980 and during his service he attended a course at the Associated Board of School of Music in the United Kingdom.
The citations described him as a popular person regarded as one of the best Drum Majors in his time.
He Composed music still being played by the Malawi Police Band and is said to have served professionally in both the Nyasaland Police Band and the Malawi Police Force Band Sections.
Assistant Superintendent Mtila received the Malawi Independence Medal in 1965, the Malawi Republic Medal in 1966) and Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in 1968.
The one who got a low rank honour with a Senior Achiever is the song bird Ethel Kamwendo Banda a Musician who started her music career in 1980 when she joined her brothers and Sister Beatrice in Kamwendo Brothers Band. The citations says this was a very popular band at wedding and social events
She is honoured for surviving a male dominated secular music industry at challenging times besides being a great personality who arranges her stage choreography very well during performances.
She successfully switched from secular to gospel music artist in 1999 and has, since then, remained poplar and that she has been participating in outreach missions of the Living Waters international Church.
Her music receives acclaim both locally and internationally and this added up on the reasons that made her get the award.
I have deliberately brought forth, reasons that made our musicians to receive a legally provided for honours. I ask you readers and listeners of good music from our talented musicians that who else has been left out on the list of honours. I do not want to contest the reasons at this point.
Feedback : drummingpen@columnist.com

When Mutharika Honours Musicians Part 1

2011-08-01T09:06:00.002+02:00

Malawi’s Constitution empowers the President to confer honours on eminent Malawians and other individuals for their dedicated service.
It is called a national system of civilian honours and decorations that established what is known as the Malawi Order of National Achievement.
Recipients of honours and decorations on July 6, 2009 had 15 names which were politically dominated and no musician appeared.
Things improved on July 6, 2010 as the Late Evison Matafale got an Achiever of the Malawi Order of National Achievement alongside another fallen musical giant the Late Saleta Phiri. This was also out of 15 names.
In 2011, things apparently improved as Mzuzu Stadium was set ablaze when President Mutharika determined that eight musicians out of 22 eminent Malawians and a Japanese national, both living and departed, be honoured.
The first musician to appear on the list of honours is Wambali Mkandawire with a Principal Achiever accolade for what the citation said was because he is a Prolific Malawian Musician.
This is justified by information that he was a lead singer of the Sounds Pentagon local band, toured South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe with Youth for Christ Band in 1985, took part in the campaign for the release of late Chakufwa Chihana, you know, political justification, still.
He is also honoured for going on tour singing in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Kenya where he promoted Malawian music and that he performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Cape Town in 2002.
He is the first African artist to be awarded the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Award for Creativity in 2002; and that he received the Kora Award Best Artist from Southern Africa in 2002 and Kora Award Best African Artist in the same year.
Then next is the Late Allan Namoko, who is also Principal Achiever; for having born in 1957 before his death in 1995 he had become Malawi’s top blind banjo player and composer.
The citation even took the trouble to add some of his notable achievements that included his promotion and preservation of Malawian musical and cultural heritage; his founding and leading of one of the most popular bands in Malawi, “The Chimvu River Jazz Band”.
Allan Namoko was also an enduring and creative performer, despite his blindness besides being a long-time popular Banjo Soloist with songs that dominated the local music charts. He is said to also have encouraged people to be kind to the vulnerable groups especially orphans, as evidenced through his music.
The citation also notes that he successfully fused Lhomwe traditional dances into irresistible beats that touched on a variety of topical issues in all genres of life.
Another musician who got the Principal Achiever honour is the Late Frank Vincent Ndiche Mwarare who between 23rd January, 1931 when he was born in Ntcheu District and 30th July 1991 when he died, he proved his talent despite his disability.
He is a musician whose hits of the 1960s have stood the test of the time having started his music career with the formation of Ndiche Brothers Band in 1955.
The citation for getting the honour says he was very popular because of his well-composed songs which have continued to enchant even some youth today and that he travelled to Harare for Pepsi-Cola promotional recordings because of his music talent.
He composed a lot of songs including ‘Chemwali Paja Munkanama’, ‘Ndiche Alombere Mitala’, ‘Ndimakonda Magita’ and ‘Ndavala Jekete Lobweleka’ - a Nyimbo za Makedzana fixture on MBC.
Joseph Nkasa also got the Principal Achiever honour, more so because his hit song ‘Mose Wa Lero’ is said to have assisted the current government achieve an overwhelming victory in the 2009 general elections.
The citations did not hide this fact as it says ‘in his song Mose Wa Lero, he refers to President Bingu wa Munthalika, as the Latter-day Biblical Moses.
The Citation on Joseph Nkasa describes him as a renowned musician to the majority of Malawians across the country thus he is fondly called by his fans as phungu wa Amphawi.
Through his music, the citation indicate that Nkasa has made an impact on lives of Malawians as he speaks loudly with his hard biting lyrics in his music and that his music has found space in the people’s hearts as he gives hope to the hopeless.
He is believed to also sing for the poor masses and the underprivileged in society and has risen to stardom because of his inspirational songs;
Nkasa is also accredited for adding his voice to the HIV and AIDS pandemic and encouraging the Malawian society not to relent in the fight against the pandemic.
The honours also noted that Nkasa has produced a number of albums including Tigwirane Manja; Wayenda Wapenga; Mose Walero; Zosiyana Siyana; Ndifedi A Malawi; Mamiliyoneya; Kalero and Mfumu Ina; and that he performs at most public functions and national events.
Nkasa’s citation was the longest and I am not better placed to say why it was so. I will continue looking at the recipients next week.
Feedback : drummingpen@columnist.com

PICTURES OF PEOPLE THAT WERE SLAIN BY POLICE DURING PRO-DEMOCRACY DEMONSTRATIONS IN MZUZU CITY

2011-07-22T19:11:00.001+02:00

Bodies of Nine People that were killed during Pro-Democracy Demonstration on JULY 20, 2011... The Pictures were taken by Gregory Gondwe

ANTI-GOVERNMENT DEMOSTRATIONS IN MZUZU

2011-07-20T14:16:00.006+02:00

It all started like everything will be ok.

The police and organisers of the demonstration met and discussed of the injunction and added that lawyers for the organisers were trying to have it vacated.

Then marching in the street began. Then Tear Gas came, prompting anarchy that became so huge for the Police to handle.
The order stopped being demonstration but it was now

Burning and Looting

The Awards were ‘Dog’s Breakfast’

2011-07-09T13:27:00.001+02:00

Without trying to take anything away from the Diversity Leader, organisers of the Malawi Music Awards, I want to say here, without fear or favour, that this whole show was some circus that should have done better with seeking or getting proper consultation.
Others have argued that all those that have come hard on the outcome of the awards should have done so before the moment nominees were announced, and I want to agree as well that they are right to the dot.
But it would be equally folly if I keep quite when it was made clear by the Diversity Leader that this event will become an annual fixture.
With the musical awards event, Diversity Leader once again exemplified how events are supposed to be organised. They are not a new kid on the block when it comes to paying tribute to outstanding Malawians. However, much as this country badly needs the Malawi Music Awards, the firm should have done extremely better had it consulted or had it received propel assistance on who does what in the local music world, so that they be put in their right place.
Come on! Even if you ask Symon and Kendal what genre they play, they would not be fooling with a fickle of imaginations that perhaps what they play is reggae; they would right away identify their genre by its rightful name, which is not reggae.
Now, when you lump Symon and Kendal, Limbani Banda, Black Missionaries, and Ndingo Brothers Band in a reggae category then you have something that has no name.
Diversity Leader Managing Director Denis Mitole did indicate that his firm put down the event in collaboration with Music Association of Malawi (MAM), Bata Shoe Company, Malasha Bus Company, Tourism Ministry, Nation Publications Limited, Capital Radio and OG Issa’s Afric Music.
One would be saying, with such high profiled linkage why should Mitole alone be made to bite the bullet. The simple reason is that because he is the shaker and mover in an as far as the whole make-believe was concerned.
To start with, if anyone says Flora Jolly Makonyola of the 'Sanjika' song fame, was the Lifetime Achiever Award winner then you have to start questioning who the voters were.
In the first place, if indeed votes came from people who are in touch with the local entertainment there is no way names of the likes of Giddes Chalamanda, Lucious Banda, Wambali Mkandawire and Mjura Mkandawire, would have been dwarfed by little known Makonyola. In all honest, I had ever heard the ‘Sanjika’ song but I have never heard the name before and yet I am closer to four decades old.
This would be the age group that is exposed to the awards philosophy as well as the voting style which was put in place and there is no way anyone would have voted for Makonyola.
I felt pity for Diversity Leader the first I saw their Reggae category where Black Missionaries, Mafunyeta, Lucius Banda, Skeffa Chimoto and Anthony Makondetsa were placed together.
Within this group there is no Symon and Kendal, at least according to the initial list that is on http://timvemag.com/malawi-music-awards-2011-nominees/ where Symon and Kendal were grouped in the BEST LOCAL with the ‘Mbewa Zanga’ dude Wilson Mwase, Lawrence Mbenjere, Thomas Chibade, and Moses Makawa.
At least putting the Ndirande Anglican Voices in the BEST GOSPEL together with Ethel Kamwendo Banda, Wambali Mkandawire, Grace Chinga and Lloyd Phiri made sense before the whole nomination turned into a laughing stock when the Ndirande Anglican Voices, which is a choir appeared in another category of BEST GROUP where there was Black Missionaries, Zembani Band, Groove Magic and Mizati all which are bands.
On BEST FEMALE how do you compare Tigris, Ethel Kamwendo Banda, Grace Chinga, Wendy Harawa and Rina. How and when do become the best female musician?
The good innovation in establishing the awards was watered down by misplacement what would otherwise have been a glittering event.
To an extent it was an insult to nominate some of the artists that were misplaced. In all this it was purely dog’s breakfast and I pray that next year things will be better.

Investing in Music Entertainment

2011-07-09T13:25:00.001+02:00

I have the opportunity to visit Kenya and the words of the fallen first Malawian President Ngwazi Dr. Hasting Kamuzu Banda that “Travelling is a form of education” had a ring of resounding truth to me more than any time that I had heard them.
More so with the spirit of investing in entertainment in general and music in particular that I have found fascinating here in East Africa.
For some time, the East African Breweries Limited has been carrying out competition for musicians in the Eastern African Region called Tusker Project Fame – a reality Television competition, which was at a value of 1 billion Kenyan shillings which is an equivalent of 12.8 million US dollars which is about 1.92 billion kwacha. All this money invested in music, imagine!
Now perhaps to give you a clue of what is done let me share with you what I stumbled on here in Nairobi.
This East African Breweries Limited on the Sunday of June 26, 2011 launched Tusker All Stars reality Television competition. Now in this one they plan to woo consumers to their newly unveiled new-look Tusker Larger bottle.
What this all stars involve is that they have now invited eight former winning participants of the Tusker Project Fame to battle it out in this one Tusker All Stars. These artists include Alpha Rwirangira of Rwanda; and from Kenya there is Davis Ntare, Patricia Kihoro and Ng’ang’alito. Tanzania has also her four participants in Hemedy Suleiman, Peter Msechu, Amileena Mwenesi and Caroline Nabulime.
The host of the show is none other than Gaetano Kagwa of the Big Brother Fame.
My heart therefore bleeds when the private sector in Malawi always invest towards its marketing drive upside down.
Football has been tried enough, but while I am not advocating for a stop in investing in stuff like football I am trying to make the private sector that they are failing to utilise one thing that can boost their products and services.
In the case of the East African Breweries Limited, it posted more success than they imagined with the Project fame and they never hesitated after unveiling the new Tusker brand to take the same musical route to sell the product and at the same time promote music and musicians.
What fascinated me is that they never restricted participating artists to a particular genre neither were they compelled to sing about Tusker. Eventually the situation created is a win-win one where both the investor and the music industry and the musicians in particular do benefit tremendously.
Business is about daring, sometimes even trading where angels fear to step and apparently music is one aspect of art that no man will tell you do not come in touch with.
They might be faithful(s) of any religion or pagans, children or adults, men or women, old or young and even the deaf...cannot be without music.
Unlike other areas of investment like in football, for example where other people have not heard of Edison Arantes do Nascimento the all famed Brazilian soccer legend a.k.a “Pele” no one would never tell you they have never listened to music.
It’s just so simple to deduce and it is mind boggling when the private sector looks the other way round in this aspect. Obviously, the CEO needs to realise that his or her market team is a sham.
You can mention anything, be it a service or a product that you know, and see if it is not linked to music.
Now since this is a TV show – here it brings me the question of whether or not we are a serious country when political whims are making politicians to decide how many television stations we can have.
This to an extent is killing the aspect of creativity and perhaps this is why we do not have project fame that other countries are enjoying.
But even in a situation like ours where we only have MBCTV, we still need initiatives and an investing spirit from the private sector.
Try investing in music and ask me later if you would have missed the target.
Feedback:drummingpen@columnist.com

The Lhomwe Musical Award

2011-06-29T11:29:00.000+02:00

The Lhomwe Musical Award
Those who know about the Professor would think I am biased towards anything within the Lhomwe belt because that’s where my umbilical cord fell off and got buried.
I was born at Chonde Health Centre near Thuchira River and therefore wrong conclusion would be that I biased because I am a Lhomwe by birth and therefore my view on the matter would be tainted.
But I would still stand my ground. The declaration I am about to make has well placed proof.
That the Lhomwe belt has entertained Malawi more than any other in as far as generating music that has soothed, left people jumping out of their skins in some dancing antics is concerned is something none can dispute.
What is very, very strange though, is that we have coined Balaka Beat, for example; we have touted Chileka for all the music goodies, but we have not written a deserved story for the Lhomwe belt productions.
I would not desire to take you further away from your memory by mentioning the all greats; Michael ‘Mukhitho’ Phiri a.k.a Michael Yekha and Alan Namoko.
Their music if played in places of musical entertainment, keep sending those listening to it spell bound, due to the innovativeness that is employed when on play.
To put you into perspective, I have to mention here Joseph Nangalembe, Mikoko Brothers Band, Murimwa Brothers Band, Diamond Kudzala, Namakhwa Brothers Band, Fyson Ngwezu & Mulanje Mountain Jazz Band and Chimvu River Jazz Band to mention but a very few.
Most of these bands were using locally made instruments but they would send you into a trance, nonetheless.
The Lhomwe belt has also not been left out when it comes to modern day instruments usage. There is Joseph Nkasa, Thomas Chibade, Collins Bandawe, Moses Makawa to mention but a few…
They come with a kind of innovation never heard before. Yes some bring bubble gum musical stuff, but more linger longer, while most have cut a permanent place on the musical assembly even when none of them can't read music but are merely rote musicians.
In fact, the rote status is not exclusive to musicians from the Lhomwe belt, 99 percent of our music is done by rote musicians and this include those that are categorised as the best of Malawi.
Now the Inc Media has brought what is calling the Malawian Music Awards 2011.
I do not want to go attacking the initiative; it would be daft if I take this route considering that such initiatives are wanted hundred folds if we have to create a robust music industry in the country.
I would say these guys would best be encouraged to show appreciation of their effort by us writing them words of encouragement.
But when I observed, that like has been the case all the time, we have no special mention of the Lhomwe Belt musicians who have filled most seats in our hall of fame, I sensed that something was amiss. I was like, you mean on 24 JUNE the awards for great work will not include them as well.
More so when the criteria will include quality of production, popularity – air play / requests among others. These people would not come in categories like Best reggae, R&B, Hip Hop etcetera, but would perhaps make a challenge for the awards in Best Local, Folklore, and even acoustic.
Of course it is comforting when those Best Local nominees include Symon & Kendall, Wilson Mwale, Lawrence Mbenjere, Thomas Chibade and Moses Makawa. If you look at this category, you realize that out of five nominees three there are a representative of the Lhomwe belt.
There is none is Best Folklore nor in Best Acoustic.
Not that the LIFETIME ACHIEVER AWARD which has Lucius Banda, Giddess Chilamanda, Mjura Mkandawire and Flora Jolly Makonyola has missed anything, but at least Alan Namoko should also have made the list posthumously.
But if it would be seen to be asking too much, then let the Lhomwe grouping, Mulhakho wa Lhomwe - I hope this is how best we spell it - will realise that it is not only Tchopa that has made the Lhomwe people looked at as entertainers for the country.
The musicians have superseded most, it not only entertaining Malawi as it were, but has also perpetrated the cultural belief of the Lhomwe people through diverse subjects that have been discussed in their music over the years.
Youi look at Nkasa for example, he is the only musician so knowledgeable that what most artists pack in a 12-track-album, he packs in a single song.
It also explains how Lhomwe elders train their young ones to be great thinkers, you look at small boys like Chibade and Makawa and appreciate the subject matter in their lyrics.
So, if all can not be done, at Chonde where I was born, where Muhlakho commemorate the Lhomwe culture, I want this special category to be introduced... Bring up several Lhomwe musical awards that need to recognise the contribution that musicians from the Lhomwe belt have made towards Malawi's entertainment industry.
If this could also be part of a permanent fixture on display at the Lhomwe Museum at Chonde, then it would help more as it could be the scent that would attract tourists form the length and breadth of the earth. Remember we are in need of forex.
Feedback: drummingpen@columnist.com

A Singing National Budget

2011-06-19T06:47:00.001+02:00

The only singing aspect in this year’s National Budget was how on song Finance Minister Ken Kandodo was explaining a number of measures government hopes will help improve the malaise that has bedeviled our country.
Perhaps the lips have not stopped singing along the zero deficit budget first released by State President Bingu wa Mutharika in his state of the nation address.
Well, I scrutinized the budget in the hope that something somewhere would mention music, musician or the music industry.
There are several issues that I have raised in the past about how the country can embrace the music industry and benefit from it; apparently all my efforts seem to be falling on deaf ears.
We have tried tobacco and we all know what has become of it. We have talked about tourism industry but we seem not to have tourism products. We have talked minerals but we are a kind of country that cannot account for the work done and how much we can rake into our national purse.
I want to try again in the hope that the 2012/2013 budget will have something about music industry.
Let’s say the country wanted to take up tourism as the in thing for the economy; then it would be useless without involving music as tourism deals with national heritage and culture which can not go devoid of music. While you and I can claim that we do not smoke tobacco, at least we can not say the same thing about music.
Everyone, rich or poor, political or apolitical, atheist or believer will not do without music in one way or the other.
Perhaps this explains why after failing to pursue different courses or even getting jobs, the youth resorted to producing musical albums that are more laughable than they are entertaining, educative or informative.
This is the reason I have and will keep on preaching here, that government is supposed to seriously venture into music on several fronts.
The first and primary one would be heavy investment into musical education through the already established technical colleges.
There for the umpteenth time we can train vocalists, guitarists and all players of instruments. These can be trained alongside studio engineers and producers. There is already marketing courses being offered which can be made with a bias towards music marketing.
The second place of government intervention would be to economically empower institutions like the Copyright Society of Malawi (COSOMA) to really do its job.
Many musicians that have made music that all and sundry have said are oozing quality have lost revenue through unscrupulous means of bad marketing policies and distribution which expose them to either raw deals or piracy.
The current music distributors are more abusive and exploitative than they are supposed to uplift the musicians. They are a typical example where you find that gluttony in them is red in the teeth and they would complain that they are not profiting anything through the music industry and yet they have been doing it for the last 20 years and are not even ready to jump ship.
Instead of making my mother stop eating her favourite meat offals dish because it is now heavily taxed, finance Minister and team should have settled for realistic avenues of generating more revenue for the country.
You would ask questions like how much does Jamaica rake in revenue through music.
This is how it works in other countries; just last year British musicians saw a 10.7 per cent increase from the public performance of recorded music despite the recession.
According to PPL, the UK music licensing company working on behalf of record companies and perform which had an AGM on June 8, 2011 revenue growth, was mostly down to more countries sending music royalties back to the UK via reciprocal agreements. New Zealand and Jamaica were new this year.
US enjoy worldwide popularity of its music seconded by the UK and only three countries have a net surplus when royalties going in and out are added up.
There is money in licence fee, Public performance income, broadcasting and Online International revenues
Entertainment in Jamaica is a multi-billion dollar industry, and Stanford University study estimates its value to be in the legion of US$350m an annually which is 52.5 roughly billion kwacha. Tax authorities in Jamaica enjoy with such an industry.
The Stanford's Graduate School of Business in June 2005 said Jamaica's Music Industry noted that worldwide sales of reggae recordings in the late 1990s were an estimated US$1.2 billion per year, with approximately 25 per cent or US$300 million flowing to Jamaican musicians, producers, and songwriters.
Next budget let our national budget sing real songs with an allocation to the music industry.
Feedback:drummingpen@columnist.com

SKEFFA'S WINNERS AND MOURNERS

2011-06-13T14:30:00.002+02:00

There is one clear thing with Skeffa Chomoto's latest DVD called 'Ndife Amodzi'; there will be losers and winners, and Mourners too.

He has clearly wailed that he will not benefit as much from this DVD as he should have.

To start with, the design of the DVD which is being marketed and distributed by Dolphin Electronics is a piece of innovation while its contents is by Malawian standards a household-must have.

The dirge for his mother in-law 'Ulendo' which is second in appearance of the nine tracks that have been packaged in the compilation has been made even more sombrer than in the audio track.

What with depiction of mourners carrying a coffin with lips following the track's chorus. If one with unprovoked emotions never got shaken by the lyrics of the audio track the visuals are pity evoking.

A small boy - it is a boy in the video, not a girl to depict his wife, the composition is dedicated to- who tries to shake his mother to awake her, but to no expected results.

Then a group of mourners sit around a supposedly dead body to match with the lyrics questioning why a crowd is gathered around the mother.

It further captures a graveyard scenario where the body is lowered in the grave.

Then another track 'Ali Mbali Yanga' shows a man breaking stones - not as in the art of stone masonry - that are used for construction while soaking in a heavy down pour.

Then he moves on to become a rich person.

As I will keep on saying, by Malawians standard, this is one DVD project that had all the hands involved and seriously investing their all in it.

When the DVD is showing the extra videos, that's when it dawns upon the viewer how much creativity was employed.

When I first started watching the DVD, I had a number of questions. How did he convince a bereaved group like this one, first to allow him shoot them in their sombre state? And Secondly to even allow him use the material for his video. How could he convince the pall bearers chorus along the 'Ulendo' track when one would think this is no joking time?

But after showing how all this was just staged up, you are left with no doubt but to give credit to people like John Nguluwe who shot, edited, and produced all the tracks but 'Tinkanena', 'Umutenge' and 'Sindilora' for MC Studios.

You can't take anything away from Kumbukani Kachimanga of Mwayi Studios who with the directions of Bong'a who shot, edited and produced these tracks.

At the back of the DVD, when Skeffa decides to declare under the headline 'Special thanks' that "I dedicate this album to my wife who lost her mother when she was only 3 years old" then you understand what he means.

He proves this dedication again in the track 'Thandie', the name of the wife, when he uses the lyrics of the song with real pictures captured during his wedding.

All in all the album serves the purpose, as it does not only help Thandie in mourning; it also makes her a winner in that in Skeffa she finds a man all women would yearn for.

Skeffa becomes a mourner and a loser when he realises that he is not going to enjoy 100 per cent turn over of his toils as it is selling at the mercy of those into piracy.

I attended his musical show some three weeks ago at Summit in Lilongwe where he stopped his performance for a good five minutes just to impress upon the audience that he is not a rich person that people can steal from him through piracy.

He lectured how piracy can kill off artists and how authorities are failing to protect them.

He says the DVD copies that were being sold at the show were the genuine ones and this compelled me to buy one at K1000.

But he 'mourned' heavy loss in revenue as he said he is aware that others have the DVD replica in their computers, flash disks and have burnt them and are selling them for three pieces of silver.

Not that this is a perfect DVD as a big let down is picture quality.

I am not sure of the competencies of those that made final copies of the DVD because mine would sometimes freeze while still rolling out some tracks which is frustrating as it gives you a sense of loss and an aftertaste that you have been robbed.

Nevertheless, it is better to be robbed this way than to be winners through piracy over some work that showed total dedication, creativity, selfless and desire to present what the lyrical content of the album has been churning out to make it the best seller so far.

At least choose to be Skeffa's mourners or winners in this project of dedication!
Feedback:drummingpen@columnist.com

Music Stumbles unto Gold in Maskal

2011-06-13T14:27:00.002+02:00

Some two week-ends ago I decided, for the first time, to patronise Summit Cultural Centre in Lilongwe’s kwa Biwi location.
Several local names were lined up, Dan Muyaya, Stella Mwanza, Moses Makawa, Nthumwi Piksy, Maskal, and Skeffa Chimoto.
As you can appreciate, this was a galore of talent in exhibition and faces of fellow patrons glowed with appreciation; meaning those artists did not disappoint.
Nevertheless, there were several issues that I observed; ranging from stage management, vocal usage and general demeanour and presentation during performance.
Take for example the new rare secular musical shoot, Stella Mwanza, I am calling her a rare secular musical shoot because she is a woman. Remember some weeks ago I lamented lack of secular female musicians, but now she is around trying to spruce up the face of this fading category.
I should however, hasten to say I was deeply disappointed with her performance. Stella Mwanza was timid throughout her performance; there is a need of an urgent assistance in this respect because she just has too much potential that if left untapped will waste away.
Perhaps you would dismiss my timidity assertion off-handedly, saying – given the freshness this is allowable, but what about her failure to know we she can come in when instruments start playing. Stella Mwanza was not even sure where to start impressing with her vocal contributions that every time, she would fix he gaze at the drummer to get a sign to cue in.
She has a colleague who also dances for her, if anything she steals the day for her as she has no control over anything that is happening on her stage. She just does control anything, from players of instruments to ‘her’ dancers.
Moses Makawa who came next afterwards has become of age. He touches where the fans want to be reached and this is perhaps what one has to do when a vocal artist. Khuzumule Band that plays for him is an assembly of young talented fellows who showed that they spend more time practising.
If Makawa sent a few dogs to hunt for entertainment starved fans in the audience, then Maskal brought a kennel for each individual patron. Those that rarely show any signs emotional provocations were left drooling for more. This is how talented Maskal is.
In Maskal, Malawi has stumbled unto gold; you could see how he engages the audience and sends them spell bound.
He could sing impossibly, like where he suddenly goes off key and when everybody else will be thinking he has lost it, he would get back on the road. Such playfulness could burst the oesophagus open, but he dares it.
At the moment, on the musical market Maskal is not very far away from Skeffa Chimoto.

Can MBC Band Change Music Terrain?

2011-06-13T14:24:00.002+02:00

The music terrain in Malawi has been slippery. To an extent it has been like such places where angels fear to tread, for fear of breaking their backs and become vegetables.
Those that have survived it have had but short-lived glory. Those that felt were enjoying the limelight have been shocked when they realized that they could not pay for their aspirin was illness struck. Despite worth that they left behind, they have ended up dying paupers.
It is for this reason that I find the coming back of the MBC band, which first appeared on the scene in 1973 with the all greats Mjura Mkandawire and Wyndham Chechamba with hands on the deck, not so welcome.
When you would think that Dan Sibale Lawrence ‘Lulu’ Khwisa, Collen Ali and Peter Likhomo can still not stand on their own feet musically, then this is so worrisome.
Let me start with, Dan Sibale, Peter Likhomo and Collen Ali. When Mtebeti Wambali Mkandawire started Manyasa was it in 2002, these made part of the cream.
There are at the moment two known Malawians currently playing Saxophone. Apart from Dan Sibale there is one Sidney Banda who plays the sax in America. This explains volumes of how talented he is.
Peter Likhomo and Collen Ali are the most complete and consistent players of instruments Malawi has ever had.
They remind me of one Country that has thrived economically through her music industry. Jamaica is that country. You have artists say guitarist that are itinerant and ready for hiring.
Because they are so complete and know what they do they are not attached to any band. There is Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare for example.
I remember in 1978, Gregory Isaacs; the fallen Prince of Chancery Lane, went around Jamaica and coaxed the best in all instruments playing and assembled one of the best reggae bands in Roots Radics.
There were players like Rhythm Guitarist Eric ‘Bingy Bunny’ Lamont, in Lead Guitarist they had Noel "Sowell" Bailey who was later replaced by Dwight "Brother Dee" Pickney, Gladstone "Gladdy" Anderson was playing Piano and was later replaced by Wycliffe "Steelie" Johnson who added Keyboards while Errol "Flabba" Holt played the Bass Guitar and Lincoln "Style or Rotterdam" Scott was on Drum set.
Later vocal groups like Culture or Solo Artists like Prince Farai would hire them for studio recordings or live performances.
At least this is the direction towards which Dan Sibale, Peter Likhomo and Collen Ali should have been moving. It is retrogressive for them to be joining bands like MBC which should posture itself at making the young and budding artist find their feet.
Lulu had (or is it still there?) Mathumera Band and with his joining of MBC what becomes of it? What does it say about his stability and desire to strike gold in the industry?
My fear is that, this is an apparent show of lack of drive to achieve greatness.
MBC Band that started 38 years ago and disbanded in 2001 when I think Brian Sita was now at the helm had different aspirations to the ones being championed by the institution’s CEO.
The CEO Bright Malopa says he wants to transform MBC Band to become a international Group. Whatever this means, it will only be possible unless the industry in Malawi has started making sense.
At the moment a musician cannot produce a single and become an instant millionaire. A musician like Stonard Lungu died in penury and miserably so; all because the system that moves the industry has so many holes.
If all the cream will cram in the government owned MBC Band what messages are we sending out there? My take would be that these would have been standing there alone, and the budding musicians looking up to them for inspiration. I might be wrong.
Feedback: drummingpen@columnist.com

The Entertainment Journalist Award

2011-05-24T10:29:00.002+02:00

When I last brushed shoulders with Lucius Banda, I never believed him when he declared that the Media in the country is contributing to the downfall of the musical growth. He cited one small aspect where Radio Stations do Newspaper Reviews. He said all the pages except, entertainment pages, are reviewed which is a mark of disregard of contributions of entertainment in the country.
On March 6, 2011, the Malawi Voice, an online publication, in conjunction with Top Citizens Events Management recognized several Malawians doing several duties in politics, sports, and entertainment.
Top Citizens Events Management, a registered public relations firm, conducted research to find out who rocked and thrilled Malawians and hit most headlines in the year 2010.
Under the Media category, they also recognised Columnist of the Year which was scooped by Raphael Tenthani who puts down socio-political satires under the banner of Muckraking on Sunday, in the Sunday Times.
Yours truly, Prof. Zungwala came second with this Drumming Pen here in Malawi News while the third spot was taken by Garry Chirwa with the column ‘If I Were’ which appears in The Nation.
I must be seen to have digressed, but my point is on the Malawi Chapter’s Media Institute of Southern Africa annual awards. Do you recognize that there are no columnists of the year?
Of course, running the Misa-Malawi awards without any best columns awards would be a forgivable sin, but it is quite unforgiving if you look at that long list of best performers and miss out entertainment writers.
I have in mind, prolific entertainment writers like James Chavula and Kondwani Kamiyala of Nation Publications Limited (NPL), and at Blantyre Newspapers Limited (BNL) we have Sam Banda Junior, Jack Macbrams Chirwa and Clifton Kawanga who are some grand masters in weaving out beautiful pieces on entertainment pages of the company’s titles.
What is very, very funny is that the core business of media institutions is to Educate, Inform and Entertain. Mark that … Entertain…
But perhaps following the philosophy of ‘love the game, but hate the player?’ even when I see so many souls poring over pages that have entertainment stories; there seems to be nothing to show in terms of appreciating the authors as is the case with other areas.
A newspaper that has no entertainment stories is like a huge green and bubbling Mango tree that can not bear the all important mango fruits. You find that no one is interested to look at it.
Newspapers have realized that entertainment stories are a hot cake and they would highlight the top entertainment stories on the front page. Twice or thrice a week newspapers have fixated pull outs in form of supplementary entertainment publications, with equally an attractive name.
Even Prof. Zungwala, for your information, is housed in the Weekender Supplement of the Malawi News – this is one good example of an entertainment supplement.
It is therefore indisputable that we need awards for our entertainment journalists. The same as one would feel cheated when reading a newspaper that has no entertainment stories would also be equated to a bad aftertaste that is left in the mouth when a litany of media award winners is without any entertainment writer.
Entertainment is an all encompassing media discipline, where music, drama, reviews on books or other literary work and poetry, and the list is long, hogs the limelight.
Each and every weekend artists prepare to go to different entertainment centers where fun seekers go to listen and dance to both gospel and secular music.
The entertainment writer has to explain the slackness in quality output by our musician, their achievements highlighted, misfortunes told and everything happening to them and their art published.
Readership loves to read this and decide where they would want to go if weekend is approaching; likewise, when a published book has hit the bookshop shelves the entertainment writers will dissect and guide the readers which one to go for first before the other.
I remember the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) used to have programmes like ‘Tidziwane ndi Oyimba’ which is one typical example of an audio version of entertainment stories.
Several other radios have also tried to come up with initiatives to champion the entertainment beat. I am failing to paint an emotional picture, which the feelings of many people paint as they draw towards entertainment.
This is not to say I am failing to justify the case of demanding for recognition for entertainment writers…
Honestly as MISA we need to you feel that we leave some holes in the awards when we leave out a very important sector of the media that must always be recognized at events like awards presentations?
From tomorrow onwards, try to read your newspapers and skip anything that has been written on entertainment. Let all radios stop playing music and see if they will survive or if people will remain alive.
Entertainment is life. When all is done people need to unwind and this is done with entertainment. Let’s recognize our Entertainment Journalists, Please!
Feedback: drummingpen@gmail.com

Where are the Lady Secular Musicians?

2011-05-24T10:24:00.002+02:00

If you were to point out at a legendary lady musician in the country, who is into secular music, would you do that at the drop of a hat?
I would really be surprised if that were to be the case. Over a period of time if at all we have had lady musicians doing secular, then they would be a one album sort of artists.
I would not desire to go a yonder to give examples. I know you know Amina Tepatepa, Emma Masauko, Wendy Harawa, Maria Chidzanja Nkhoma, and Beatrice Kamwendo as some of the names that have hogged the limelight and then either disappeared completely and got stuck in the peripherals.
If you look at our history of the late Robert Fumulanis of this world, you will find that one will be able to make a list of names that will date back to the early 1960s when music was being grooved on LP discs in Rhodesia; you will be able to have a number of names all of whom would be males.
You could be mistaken to argue that, but we had Miriam Makeba, without knowing that this is a South African.
This is a South African singer who is one of Africa's best known voices and a champion of the fight against apartheid during three decades in exile. She earned herself the title Mama Africa.
Of course she died of a heart attack after a concert in Italy in 2008 at 76. Imagine. You also have to admire the likes of Yvonne Chakachaka and the late Brenda Fassie, some names that have made big headlines.
What are the major problems that have left our women in kitchens? Why is it that our Malawian women have either crammed themselves within the gospel confines or left at the back of the front liners under the guise of backing vocalists? Why have they been used more as waist wrigglers hiding under the banner of dancers and not be amongst the ‘Creame de la Creame’.
There has always been talk of positive discrimination or an affirmative action to allow the women whom we have pressed down to rise up for a long time to either use our backs to take the first step upwards or to stand aside and let them move forward with much ado.
Why have we not done something as a country about the female folks that have talent in music that can not blossom due to lack of suitable environment?
Much as I appreciate the challenges that our music industry is generally faced with, I would be damned if this would be the very reason that can be attributed to failure for the absence of lady musicians.
Can Musician Association of Malawi (MAM) put in place a deliberate policy where female musicians can stand side by side with the Skeffa Chimotos of this world or even a lady Lucius Banda.
It is so bad that most of the women musicians are dominating the gospel arena where they survive by the faith of such religious following other than sheer talent and creativity.
There are very few names within the gospel cycles like Grace Chinga and Ethel Kamwendo Banda and of course Favoured Sisters and the Chitheka Family who are musicians by talent first and playing gospel as a contribution of their talent towards the work of God.
This Ethel Kamwendo Banda would be marked as the most complete musician. She weathered the storm and survived as a secular musician during the Wepaz Band days. When she decided to switch ranks, very little people gave her chance looking at what was happening at the time.
But she has proved wrong all critics and doubting Thomases alike when she has not only survived in Gospel musicianship but she has as well led the way.
Imagine there was no gospel that propels most of the so called gospel musicians, would you think we were going to have anything around?
This is the point where we should have talked more...But I think I can easily link it to one write up where I wrote something about Lucius Banda being beaten by self. There I explained how parents contribute towards failure by musicians to blossom from tender age to a point where they can be respected musically.
Seriously, do we have a Malawi female musician worth mentioning? Because I don’t any name with me.
drummingpen@columnist.com

Record for Life Studio 1

2011-05-08T20:35:00.001+02:00

Music Crossroads – I am not ready to go into any details about Music Crossroads because we have already written so many articles about the big and commendable job the institution is doing, not only in Malawi but this part of Southern Africa.
Now the institution has established what will be known, no, what is known as “Record for Life Studio 1,” in Area 23, in Capital Lilongwe. This Studio was provided and installed by UK NGO ‘In Tune for Life’ (ITFL) and it is a state-of-the-art recording studio, which is also purpose-built.
Strangely though, the studio was silently and officially launched on Friday, 1st April, 2011.
Qabaniso Malewezi is Malawi’s representative and Trustee of the In Tune for Life and says the establishment of the studio will provide an opportunity for under privileged young people to explore their musical talents in a safe and nurturing environment, where they will be the priority.
ITFL says the studio is a result of partnership with Music Crossroads which for years now has been providing music training of these young people both creatively and technically.
Gayighayi Mathews Mfune, Head of Music Crossroads Malawi says this brand new Studio was first used on March 10, 2011.
He challenged that while many Malawian musical studios, the country’s technicians and engineers are honing their skills every day that passes, there has never been a lack of capacity to record them and that this studio comes into the country’s musical life to fill this gap.
The other good aspect about the said studio is that it is not commercial driven. Most talent in the country has failed to blossom due to exorbitant studio fees.
Gayighayi also acknowledged that indeed most of the young people Music Crossroads has worked with tend not to have any money.
He says the coming onto the scene by the new studio now removes this barrier. No musician worth his or her salt should use lack of resources in this aspect as an impediment to make their musical careers grow.
In Tune for Life, is not new in Africa as it has worked all over Malawi since 2009, although they have been recording across Africa since 2007.
The good thing is that they are able to complete albums, music videos and video animations in Sierra Leone, Malawi, Kenya and DR Congo.
But the good thing with Malawi is that the in Tune for life’s partnership with Music Crossroads marks the first time they have created a permanent recording facility and the training of young Malawian producers are now using of the most up-to-date recording software and equipment.
It might look like this is just an arrangement between Mfune and Malewezi but the whole ITFL Chief Executive Officer Mark Nunn was also involved. He says he is incredibly pleased with this new partnership.
He said the collaboration with Music Crossroads has allowed them to put in place something they hope will benefit Malawi’s most deprived musicians for years.
He said UK companies gave them the equipment which they have used to record three albums in Malawi already.
He had his hands on the console and he says he loved every minute says with new studio, the good things for Malawi music has just the begun.
The three albums in that have been recorded are in the range of what are known as Titenge Udindo series.
These are featuring musicians such as Konkalaz, Body Mind and Soul, Masudie Khonje, Aliona Banda, Daughters Band, Conga Vibes and Future Kings Vibrations.
The albums have been mixed and mastered in the UK, and distributed free through Christian Aid in Lilongwe. These albums are part of a project designed to promote a social goal as well as a musical one.
The music in the albums focussed on HIV awareness and addressing some of the social issues that surround it – like domestic violence, rape and stigma.
Both the In Tune for Life and Music crossroads say all of the musicians on these albums gave their time and their talent for free, as part of the effort to achieve good health for all Malawians.
The albums, and similar socially-oriented material coming out of RFL Studio 1 in the future, will be played and distributed widely, with a strong positive effect on health knowledge in Malawi.
Malewezi insists that so far the project has been very popular so far although I am not sure how best it has been popularised.
But he says his claims are based on the response from artists which he says has been inspirational more so because everybody has been working voluntarily which created an atmosphere which was described as very positive.
The studio is a permanent fixture and the institutions behind its establishment urge Malawian youths to ensure that it is used in a positive way, for everyone.
Well I am going to put across what I think about this project in the one of my future write-ups.
Feedback: drummingpen@columnist.com

Lucius Banda Beaten by Self

2011-05-02T17:06:00.001+02:00

I was fascinated when Lucius Banda conceded that he thinks he cannot match the musical prowess that is engrossed in his four-year-old son Mapiri Bakili Banda.
While his peers would be competing for space to have a better view of Tom and Jerry or anything that kids of his age would rush for, give him a music video and he would go into trance like Luther Vandross appreciating a ‘Clockwise’ jazz video piece by George Benson.
His father is recording his latest 16th album and he can sing all the songs in the album word for word; and he is running short of critiquing the father just because of age limitation. He, at four has an urge to fiddle with musical instruments.
Michael Jackson released beautiful tracks that stormed the world at age 5 and behold Mapiri is only four.
You might think ‘Ndikubwekera’ But the reason I am seen to be mouthful with my fascination with Mapiri is because he has found a better family through which his talent will be nurtured through the passage of time and bear the music torch on behalf of Malawi.
When I learnt about Mapiri, it made me reminiscent how my parents name-called musicians and how near cursing me they would go if they heard me telling them how I wanted to be a music man.
I would gather several tins, tightening plastics across the mouth of tins of different sizes to make drums of varying sound and make a drum kit with some beaten worn out pot covers or plates that would act cymbals. Then I would be drowned in sound that I would be producing only to be jerked to life by a scorching whiplash that would send me scampering for dear life without realising what has befallen me.
Afterwards, would I then see my mother destroying my months’ long artistic toils to come up with such an impressive improvising creation of a drum kit.
Using an oil gallon that I would turn into a guitar had its perils as well, my father would not only destroy it but would ensure a small beating is done to remain a constant reminder of how schooling cannot be replaced with lowlife musical career.
Strangely, he would highly praise Mjura Mkandawire for the ‘Kunali John Chilembwe’ song on 3rd March when gathered to listen to the show or much appreciation for a church Choir at both Mendulo and Nyungwe Catholic Parishes.
I also remember to have done a number of corporal punishments for turning a desk into a drum in class in between periods.
If you now check the route that most of our musicians took, you will realise that it was through the Church Choirs because parents had no idea that one can transmigrate from choir singing persona to something else within the no go musical zone.
Vilification of musicians was the order of the day, what with the so called examples of the days of Zambian Paul Ngozi who the conservative government of late Hasting Kazumu Banda banned because he was spotting dreadlocks.
This mentality is it that caused schools in those days to let learners only parrot what their mothers sang for their Nkhoswe Number one without understanding the dynamics of music and what it can do to one’s life as a career.
Malawi is to an extent a poor country because it has unwritten culture that stifles growth of talent in the young people and the culprits are mostly parents and teachers.
Now Lucius Banda understands the heart of music and what it means to guide the talent in little Mapiri to grow into something that will makes souls dance.
It should therefore not take the father to first be an engineer before appreciating and letting the blossoming engineering skills in the children to grow.
I have argued on these pages that we need music lessons in primary through to our secondary schools; I have also drummed out loud for the introduction of music in technical colleges as a vocational calling that has to produce musicians, music producers, marketers, promoters, etc...
But this will all be in vain if parents and teachers will try to inculcate a negative attitude towards music in children.
Watch out this space next year, when Mapiri Bakili Banda will be five. Don’t say I did not warn you!!!
Feedback: drummingpen@columnist.com

MBC has K50 Million for Musicians

2011-04-24T07:23:00.000+02:00

Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) is sitting on over 50 million kwacha for Musicians, and it is seems not perturbed with the need to give to Ceaser what is due to Ceaser.
Fifty Million Kwacha! What can this money do to a life and a career of a musician? This question was prompted by a posting I made some weeks ago called ‘Royalty Politics Maul COSOMA’ where I was saying the government is toying with the urge to privatise the Copy Right Society of Malawi (COSOMA) merely because it is demanding back the money using all means necessary.
I was saying the money owed to musicians is eight million kwacha, but acting Executive Director for COSOMA Dora Makwinja wondered why I was afraid to exactly say that in fact the money is in the legion of the said fifty million Kwacha and that they have not come to the dead end in their quest to ensure that they recover all this money.
I have said in the past and I will say it here again that MBC is being irresponsible to (for lack of proper word) dilly-dally for years on end when it comes to cutting its coat according to its cloth.
Last time COSOMA was dishing out money to musicians from Broadcasting Royalties was on December 29, 2009 and Makwinja at that function decried shameless tendency by MBC, Star Radio and TVM that love to eat their cakes and have them.
At the same time it was rightly put by the then Minister of Tourism and Culture Anna Kachikho, who had observed that the musicians would have received more money had these institutions paid what is due to Ceaser.
I had said then how it beats all forms of imagination, that big institutions like MBC which is state owned, meaning; they operate using my tax under state subvention and have room where they make a lot of money through advertising, can fail to pay out musicians.
Last time I had declared that it is so easy; if you do not have lemons do not desire lemonade, the same with MBC, TVM and Star radio, if you do not have money for royalties please do not play the music!
But even when I repeat this, perhaps I should demonstrate what I did to drive a point home. I communicated to several musicians themselves to establish what they think fifty million kwacha can do to the industry as well as individuals.
Out of about fifteen musicians that I contacted only five came back to me, although they did so differently. While the hoarse voiced local Ragga star Binge texted back, MacDonald Mlaka Maliro called to find out who had texted him with the question, Overtone Chimombo asked for my email address to respond better. Bon Kavalasaza called to explain his side while encouragingly Lucius Banda called to arrange that we meet and talk.
BINGE
Binge said with that kind of Money the Malawi Music industry can transform tremendously as it can help in putting down big musical shows; introduction of music awards, publication of musical Magazines etc.
LUCIUS BANDA
I arranged to meet Lucious at Nyimbo Studios in Area 15 where he is recording his latest album.
As a man who has done and seen it all in the Malawi music industry, the soldier simply summed it up this way: “Malawians Love Music but Hate the Musician.” He justifies this by saying this is why they are not bothered to support the progress of the music industry in the country. Why should they pretend that MBC is right? He wonders.
He said with his shares from within this fifty million kwacha he would have established his own top-notch recording studio; buy a Coach for the Zembani Band so that they keep checking punctuality whenever on a tour.
He observed that unlike in the past where sales had not nose dived; now the money is needed more than ever before.
Lucius says he pays tax every time he does business musically or otherwise but MBC which has even stopped playing his music is using his very tax for its operations and failing to pay him an outstanding debt through the royalties...
He insists that all this is because Malawi does not respect musicians and this is reflected more with the radio stations that when they are doing newspapers reviews they will jump the pages that are carrying out articles on music or generally entertainment.
BON KAVALASAZA
Telepathically, Bon Kavalasaza mourned for artists like Lucius Banda whom he said are being owed 10-year-old debt on royalties.
This money can uplift the lives of musicians and their families besides improving their career and yet all routes have been travelled to make MBC give out the money with little success, so he observes.
In his case, he says for the last three years he has been involved in all measures to try to get this money; he says he has just been told out of the whooping K50m MBC has now released a million kwacha.
OVERTONE CHIMOMBO
Surprise, surprise, Overtone started by wondering why COSOMA is saying MBC owes musicians K50 million only; does this mean that MBC has paid the other monies in the last 10 months? I have no answer as well.
Chimombo says last time COSOMA had a meeting, with musicians where they said MBC was keeping more than K57 million. More so that MBC is still playing the figures should be increasing.
MBC’s reluctance to pay, Chimombo says, is an infringement on the musicians' rights and that this means the musician is tortured psychologically considering that the musician knows he has money somewhere being held by someone illegally.
Some musicians, Chimombo attests, are failing to do some of their projects like recording albums and shooting videos because they are broke considering that Malawian musicians are the poorest in this part of Africa.
Chimombo calls this oppression and manipulation which has been going on since independence.
He then turns to government that has COSOMA and MBC under its belly to rescue the ‘underprivileged’ musicians. He thinks government can do it but it has chosen to look the other way.
Feedback: drummingpen@columnist.com

Sean Kingston Coming!

2011-04-16T12:50:00.001+02:00

Take it or leave it; love it or hate it; believe it or not, but the realities of it is that the life of 21-year-old Sean Kingston, born Kisean Jamal Anderson, has a life that is similar to that of some local artists.
One coming to mind decidedly is Njati Njedede who does not hide that he spent part of his life in the streets.
When you consider lives of Njati as well as Joe Gwaladi who at first as young boys were deep into begging for alms in the streets; if you were to meet them at that time; and if you were to list your guesses on all what they would become, being a musician would not have made the list.
Likewise, when you consider the life of Sean Kingston and meet him as an 11-year-old boy you would not have thought he would make a musical star of international repute.
Born on February 3, 1990 in Miami, Florida Sean Kingston moved to Kingston, Jamaica aged six where aged 11, he was hauled to jail for breaking and entering although he only spent 21 days.
And then Kingston’s mother and sister were incarcerated for identity theft and he had to live in a rundown stationary car as a house. Having a rough childhood, Sean Kingston poured out his heart in a track called "Dry Your Eyes" that tells how much he missed his mother and sister when they went to jail.
Sean Kingston himself attests to the same. He told Aceshowbiz.com: "When my mother and sister went away, it took a lot out of me."
"My sister went away for four months and my mom has been away for over a year. When she went away, I was like ‘nah man, this is too much.’ I was only 14. I missed her like crazy but I pulled through and used it as my motivation. “Dry Your Eyes” is a defining song on the album for me because it touches on something that’s very personal to me.
Given this kind of beginning, there is little good that one would think would be extracted from such a life.
Of course, the point of departure in comparisons between Njati Njedede and Sean Kingston would be that he attended high school which is exactly what Njati will also tell you, “I am the only educated minibus tout!” he would say.
But while Sean’s grandfather was a noted Jamaican reggae producer Lawrence Lindo, who worked under the stage name Jack Ruby, Njati will tell you nothing about his grandfather inter alia being into anything musical.
Njati will tell you of comedian cum flute player cum musician Kennedy Ndoya the late, popularly known as Madolo where he suckled his talent.
Sean Kingston had the beginner’s luck because when he was discovered through MySpace by Tommy Rotem at Beluga Heights and signed to the label in a partnership deal with Sony that was it.
He also became acquainted to his native music after Reggae legend Buju Banton befriended his family.
Unlike Njati who decided to become Njedede instead of our capital city Lilongwe, Sean being a Jamaican singer got his stage name "Kingston" from the capital of Jamaica - Kingston.
At the moment, for fear of spelling doom for the musical future this is where the comparisons stop.
And this is the reason why Sean Kingston should not fail to come to Malawi.
By sheer stroke of luck Sean Kingston recorded and released the single "Beautiful Girls" and that was way back in May 2007.
Disregard the fact that this song was based on the single bass line and lyrical "association" of the 1961 hit "Stand by me" by Ben E. King, but it registered his arrival.
Just with this song Sean Kingston managed to reach number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, topped the UK Singles Chart not to mention many other international charts.
When he released the album ‘Tomorrow’ in September 22, 2009 that involved big-name producers like former Fugee Wycliffe Jean then this helped him raise his s.
Despite rough childhood his choice on avoiding profanity for his lyrics has helped him achieve success that has seen him even nominated in Image Awards in 2008, for the Outstanding New Artist slot, scooping the MOBO Awards in 2007 for Best Reggae Acts and getting the Teen Choice Awards in 2007 for his track " Beautiful Girls " which occupied the Choice R&B Track slot.
Sean Kingston is scheduled to perform according to his official website at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe on 25th April, 2011.
Fresh are the memories when same pomp accompanied news that KC and Jojo as well as Jamaica-born dancehall icon Sean Paul were scheduled to stage concerts in the country.
Sean Kingston would be a great inspiration to the Malawi youth who are hopeless because of their history or the situation they are in. Given his story, Sean Kingston coming to Malawi would be to the benefit of such youth. Whoever will facilitate the failure of his turn up would therefore do a great disservice.

Music Education Southern Africa

2011-04-09T18:15:00.001+02:00

Music Education Southern Africa shortened to MESA is a two-year project run by the Music Crossroads International. I had never heard of it until March 12, 2011. Have you ever heard of it and that something is wrong with me?
The aim of MESA is to contribute towards the development of the musical infrastructure of Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, by training potential local music teachers.
The bad news is that the project started on November 1, 2009 and will be winding up on October 31 this year and I am not sure if it is on course.
The major objective of the project was to help contribute and enhance professional opportunities for music teachers and development of the music educational infrastructures in Sub-Saharan Africa.
It specifically intended to improve the functioning and quality of music education of Music Crossroads Centers in these five countries besides increasing the number of trained music teachers in the region.
Since the project started it has been trying to identify an international steering committee that intended to add expertise, set the policy guidelines, assist in developing the syllabus and methodology and participate in the evaluation of the project.
Within the five countries, a research team with one international and one local researcher respectively set to map existing music education and commonly used methodologies.
These were biased towards what the young people need and are interested in musically and how these can be catered for in relation to available and emerging work opportunities in the local market.
The team was then supposed to compile the results of the five countries’ research findings in order to identify common areas as well as country specific issues; traditions, instruments and idioms.
Based on these results a modern, useful and standardized curriculum or methodologies would be developed for diverse instruments based on African music traditions and relevant to the five countries.
Where if it is established that banjo should be the lynch pin in a particular country’s musical lessons then be it.
To achieve all this, five excellent music educators, one for each country have been training these music teachers in the established syllabus and methodology and adjusting these to the local circumstances.
The future teachers and the Music Crossroads local partners will then jointly create detailed education plans for each Music Crossroads Center.
Music Crossroads International head for Malawi, Mathews Gaighaye Mfune says this is the starting point.
Because either the private sector or the public institutions will have to take advantage of those that would have graduated through the training currently under way.
I have been arguing here that we needed to seriously embrace music as the tool that will do wonders for Malawi.
I once wrote in one of my entries here of the need to introduce music in technical colleges, I wished you could see the overwhelming support that came from the youth.
I have observed, rightly so, that most youth are venturing into music after exhausting all channels on the job market and the pathetic result as regards what has happened to our music industry is something that I can discuss here now.
I always wonder, what needs to be done to see the people we call principal secretaries, the so called directors or the whole government team of technocrats work towards need-based programmes.
Gone are the days when we have to stick to curriculum and programmes that we inherited from our colonial fathers, come on this cannot fit now it’s like forcing a rectangular peg into a round hole.
We have to take use of programmes like the Music Education Southern Africa (MESA) that can be integrated right into the primary syllabus right up into one for our secondary school curriculum and if it is present in the technical colleges it would only be a continuation.
We do not need someone to go to the moon to bring us ideas on how we can take advantage of one opportunity to end a litany of related problems.
Feedback: drummingpen@columnist.com

MAPEMBA Rescues Musician from Daylight Robbery

2011-03-26T14:13:00.003+02:00

Eight years ago, a Malawian musician needed to part ways with K12, 000 to produce an album in a studio. Now a 10 track album can cost the musician close to K50, 000.
But within this eight-year period, the musician is still getting K25 from a copy of their album from distributors.
At one time the Prof confronted Musicians Association of Malawi (MAM) President Costen Mapemba why musicians, he is supposed help protecting are still slaving for the distributors.
Distributors like O.G Issa had even the cheek to declare that they were operating on losses and therefore they could not raise the stakes for the musician.
Imagine in 2003 we were buying a compact album cassette for K80 and this is the time that the musician was getting K25 per copy. What is ironic is that while the prices have been going up, the musician has stuck with this pittance.
It has now taken verbal fight between the distributors and MAM President to now have it adjusted by K5. Mapemba almost made me laugh my lungs out when he said in fact the distributors wanted it hiked by K3.
The excuse still given is that O.G Issa, for example, has been distributing Malawi music over 14 or so years at a loss and he has not stopped. Do you believe this?
While MAM is still to blame for failing to put in place a system that can check exploitation by ensuring that alternative channels of distribution can be utilised, for reasons I am not ready to presume, they remained undecided.
There is no one that can think the future of the musicians but the musicians themselves.
The starting point is or was the establishment of the musician association which is at the moment trying to become the Musicians Union of Malawi – of course this is a story for another day.
In my mind of minds, I still believe as a music guiding body, MAM needed a robust approach to enter deals with other retailers of repute.
Take Shoprite, Peoples or Metro chain of stores et cetera for example, I doubt if MAM has ever tried to take steps towards establishing sections within these retail facilities after entering musical deals with them.
Music, at most is not something that a consumer will wake up one day to buy. It is only on special occasions, that are most of the times provoked by celebrations of sorts or when one runs into a hit that has captivated them that they would start hunting for such particular music.
People buy music when they are hit with something that enters their earshot. They would pause a bit and enquire what music it is before purchasing it.
Usually they would do that when they visit retail shops like ones mentioned above. I know the company that distributes Wambali Mkandawire’s music has taken advantage of book shops and internet cafes in the country.
MAM therefore should have stricken deals with all points that use music for their good to market such.

MAM needed to create a properly built mechanism that would ensure that a musician profits at the end of the day.
There is a ploy that the distributors employ which rips off musicians. Everyone in the music industry is aware of it but there has just been a resignation where everyone thinks they are helpless and cannot do anything about it.
MAM would have even established independent selling points for musicians by involving the very musicians to be marketing, promoting and distributing music.
If we had a number of alternatives in the aspect of marketing, promoting and distributing music, distributors like O.G Issa would come crawling to get a deal from musicians, knowing what gold the music industry is offering.
Nyimbo Music Company says it has structures that will enable it achieve this. This could be the starting point and with involvement of all genuinely concerned stakeholders, a better way of making musicians victorious can be achieved.
If you still look at K30 that the artist would have to get per copy, you still will have to endure with the headache of calculating what would be the gains that the distributor chalks home.
And this has to be against what this will help to push the poverty stricken musician deep into penury.
Feedback: drummingpen@columnist.com

Royalty Politics Maul COSOMA

2011-03-19T14:25:00.002+02:00

For what I think is uncounted times now, I have written about the Copyright Society of Malawi (COSOMA).
COSOMA was established in 1992 and it operates under the 1989 Copyright Act which protects copyrights and "neighboring" rights in Malawi.

Although the Registrar General administers the Patent and Trademarks Act, which protects industrial intellectual property rights in Malawi, COSOMA has a very central role in this aspect.

At the moment, rules that govern the World Trade Organisation (WTO) allow Malawi because it is only a less developed country to delay full implementation of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) agreement until 2016.

Government through the Industry and Trade Ministry is working with COSOMA and the Registrar General to align relevant domestic legislation with the WTO TRIPs agreement with technical assistance from the Africa Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO).

A few weeks ago I wrote right here that COSOMA has partnered with Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) in a new initiative where they will be using an electronic system that will now be able to capture all musical works performed or played on the radio.
I indicated further that COSOMA is championing this initiative in collaboration with the Geneva based, UN specialised agency on intellectual property matters, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).
WIPO has chosen Malawi to pilot the initiative because of the commendable work COSOMA has been doing over the years.
May I also remind readers here that in Malawi most artists resort to other form of gainful employment as almost 90% of artists need to combine jobs in this way to manage to see the next sunrise.
In this case, the musician is either in a gainful employment where s/he is engaged in small businesses and employment in the public and private sector or will be gaping for survival in poorly patronized musical shows to force ends meet.
COSOMA has at least managed to bring smiles on the faces of most artists through royalties.
I once wrote here that on December 29, 2009, Lawrence Mbenjere set a new record when he became the first musician to cart home money in excess of over K2.5 million in royalties.
What was also historical was that since the establishment of the Copyright Society of Malawi (COSOMA), K2, 523, 459.16 that Mbenjere got was the biggest money it has dished out to a single musician.
And at the same event, Lucious Banda carted home K1, 094, 579.10, Thomas Chibade K712, 742.48. Joseph Nkasa who in 2003 got a million got K597, 942.27 this time round.
Now without a further elaboration, I think I can say here without fear of contradiction that COSOMA has indeed managed to provide solace for our musicians.
But now, without any regard to what the 1989 Copyright Act underscores, government says it wants to privatize COSOMA.
It all started from one broadcaster that accumulated over K8 million in royalties for musicians and was failing to honour.
The law took its course and on a number of occasions, the head of the broadcaster told leadership that, ‘look, we have been paralyzed by sheriffs and all our vehicles have been taken and we will not be able to give you coverage’.
The leadership on several occasions told the courts to rescue the broadcaster, but since this problem kept on recurring, the government thought the problem is COSOMA.
Why is COSOMA trying to paralyze the work of a well serving government instrument?
The question to privatize COSOMA therefore has its attendant and serious questions that require immediate answers.
Where are the modalities of trying to achieve this? If a private person takes over COSOMA what happens to the debt that is yet to be honoured in terms of royalties?
If institutions like the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) cannot pay musicians through ‘a fellow’ parastatal – COSOMA, is expecting MBC to pay a privately run COSOMA, a genuine one?
And what would become of the welfare of artists during the transition period?
Obviously, there are no answers to all these questions, because the decision to privatise COSOMA comes from a political whim which, usually, has no guided sight where the end justifies the means.
Feedback: drummingpen@columnist.com

Coss Chiwalo – A sign of BK Beat demise

2011-03-12T09:17:00.002+02:00

My urge is not to out rightly look at one Coss Chiwalo as a sign that connote death of the all famous Balaka beat.
Yes, the same Balaka beat that was started by Sir. Paul Banda, the same one that made Lucious Banda, Charles Sinetre, Isaac Liwotcha, late Paul Chaphuka, Vincent Kachingwe, Paul Subiri and Rod Valamanja, etcetera.
Balaka opened musical doors that led to different genres for Malawi. It became so common that people started detesting it, Lucious Banda amongst them, as he eventually tried to run away from it.
Check his song “Achimwene mumvetse chuma ndi m’malele kumbukirani makoro – muzawafuna” the last he did with Alleluya Band - a musical outfit that became synonymous with the Balaka beat – to the South African recorded ‘Mabala’.
Well, while most of the old timers of the Balaka beat have excused themselves in one way or the other, Coss Chiwalo has not yet given a convincing reason why he is not there up to date.
He appeared on the scene with a storm, I think that should have been in 1997 when he released his debut album ‘Amandikonda’. The album was full of promise, like how the Billy Kaunda likes had graduated through the Balaka School of musical Excellency under the tutelage of Sir. Paul Banda; it left no doubt that we have a man to carry forth the aspirations of the youth in the area.
Two years later, Coss re-emerged with ‘Amakonda Aliyense’. Here, as usual, opinion started to split. While others felt the production in this aspect failed to beat the first album, others were of the view that this was an improvement from the previous works.
The debate promised that with such pace setting, life will no longer be the same.
But what has followed has been a complete disappointment.
Between 2001 and 2008 Coss released three more albums which in my view were total flops, that is if we are to compare them with his own set standard with the first two albums.
If you think I am lying, tell me how many of you know that in 2001 Coss Chiwalo released an album he called ‘Mudzithandizana’ or that he followed this one with a 2003 album named ‘Chindalandala’? Do you also know that Coss has an English titled album called ‘Heart of Hope’ released in 2008?
I have several theories that I have been trying to use to explain why Coss never impressed as was the beginning of his career.
In between he left Alleluya Band before returning as a prodigal son which could be one contributing reason. The other one could be that once he returned to Alleluya he re-discovered that the band had an international stage through the Catholic Church where they would go to Europe to perform.
There could be a sneaking feeling in Coss that if he is able to make the white people jump out of their skins with his synthesizer wizardly, then why should he waste time polishing up songs that Malawians have long stopped appreciating.
The other explanation would be that the competition is stiff and that the Balaka beat which used to massage the musical minds of the people has now started twitching the very soul it used to caress.
I know Coss holds the biggest of stakes at the moment to make the Balaka beat still stand side by side and shoulder to shoulder with the sound that is slowly but surely edging out what could be the genesis of Malawi’s modern genre.
The start of the Balaka beat has influenced the reggae and the urban stuff that has become the in thing for our radios and all dancehalls in the country.
Now remember how every latest release by Alleluya Band used to turn the nation on its head? Do we still expect anything from Balaka? What have the artists in Balaka done to our hunger for their music?
Is it us who are to blame for poor patronage or it is them who have stopped being creative and in the process they have lost us all?
These are the questions anyone who has a penchant for Malawi music needs to ask. There seem to be no sense of history for the country that one has to preserve and propagate, let alone musical history.
But Balaka genre, the Balaka beat should not die, I leave it in the hands of Coss! Sir Paul Banda, you better read this as well, don’t let this be the way you baby should lose limbs, if anything let it outlive the rest of us, posterity has sharp and hungry ears, that will need the music including the Balaka beat.
Feedback: drummingpen@columnist.com

TNM Registers Growth amidst Power challenges

2011-03-07T12:02:00.002+02:00

Telekom Networks Malawi (TNM), one of Malawi’s two mobile phone service providers has released results for the year ended 31 December, 2010 where it is indicating that it would have achieved more growth if Malawi did not experience intermittent power supply besides its lack of electricity grid in many rural areas.
On a larger picture, the company’s chairperson Dr. Mathews Chikaonda and his deputy Hitesh Anadkat described the company’s performance last year highly.
“The results achieved in 2010 put the company in a strong position to consolidate the gains made in the past years, to increase its position in the market and serve the customers better ...,” the statement reads in part.
The TNM which said the 2010 results were good based its assessment on the high growth in the revenue and Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA), which was achieved as a result of the aggressive investment in infrastructure and related marketing activities
The company says it made substantial investment of MK4.538bn in 2009 and this has increased the depreciation charge by MK571 million on the enhanced fixed assets base according to the report.
Dr. Chikaonda and Anadkat explained that the high levels of investment have substantially increased the levels of short term debt which resulted in an increase in borrowing costs by MK273 million. As a result of the increases in depreciation and financing costs the net profit declined from MK1.215bn to MK1.060 bn in 2010.
“The continuing investment in network has enabled the company to retain and register more customers on the network through expanded capacities, extended coverage and new product offering including data services,” the two gentlemen state in the report.
They also say TNM has also added and created network resilience and redundancy for various critical network elements.
However, unlike Airtel Malawi, their competitor TNM says it appreciates the continued goodwill and support received from the market due to their local Malawian roots which they think is spurring the company’s growth.

“The board and management of TNM foresee penetration level of the country further increasing beyond 40 percent in the next few years,” the company hopes.
The company also believes that the higher levels of subsidy on handsets will play a pivotal role in allowing customers to access mobile telephony service.
TNM believes that limited access to foreign exchange which has rocked the Malawi market for some time now, intermittent power supply and lack of electricity grid in many rural areas, are some of the major challenges and obstacles to the business.
“The company is however confident of achieving strong growth as a result of the capital investment made in the last few years, which also provides a sustainable foundation for a long term growth,” the report says.
The report also indicates that total dividends of MK602.4 million (MK0.06 per share) will be declared and paid for the period ending 31 December 2010.

Give a Salary to the Musician

2011-03-06T11:40:00.002+02:00

The Music industry in Malawi continues to be elusive to the main player who matters in the business. The musician is still a beggar even in the face of all the talent, effort, sacrifice and courage to bring something on the music market.
Amongst the culprits that make musicians fail to achieve anything at all is the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation – MBC which loves to play the music from the local artists although they have no money to pay back in form of royalties.
At one point, the Copyright Society of Malawi (COSOMA) complained that MBC had a debt of K8 million in royalty arrears.
Getting back the money has been tedious, because years on end, so much of similar measure has been tried but the results have always been the same.
Now, I had an opportunity to talk to acting Executive Director for COSOMA Dora Makwinja who impressed me as a woman who knew what she was talking about, in as far as protecting talent is concerned.
She said COSOMA as a body is there to ensure that not only is talent for the artist is protected but that the artist also benefits from his or her endeavour.
As a country, we are yet to be on the road to achieve anything in this aspect because vultures are on the loose to pounce on anything that is on the market which they reproduce and sell while the artist is not even aware of what is happening.
Makwinja has been saying, radio stations have been giving out all sorts of excuses for not paying, ranging from lack of enough human resource to monitor the music that is played on the radios to incompetence of radio presenters to make proper documentation.
While some only play the music and do not document anything, other personalities on our radios would put something on the radio which they will log in the continuity sheet with a different name when it is in fact something else.
You remember a song by Lucky Dube called ‘Think about the Children’ everyone, including radio stations that had in fact the sleeve for the CDs would still call it ‘Born to Suffer’.
The mere misplacement of a title of a track when logging on the continuity sheet has made COSOMA accumulate too much money they do not know where to go with on one hand; on the other hand the musician who should have received the money is not aware and due to frustrations and what s/he thinks is failure, has soaked his souls in Kachasu taking in Mbayani.
Now, COSOMA has partnered with Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) in a new initiative where they will be using an electronic system that will now be able to capture all musical works performed or played on the radio.
Makwinja said they have chosen to partner with ZBS to Pilot the initiative due to the radio’s compliance to hand in their continuity sheets and remitting royalties as required.
COSOMA is championing this initiative in collaboration with the Geneva based UN agent the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO); this is a Geneva based UN specialised agency on intellectual property matters.
WIPO has chosen Malawi to pilot the initiative because of the commendable work COSOMA has been doing over the years.
I do not want to delve on the pros and cons on this one but suffice to say, musicians think they have not been assisted enough by COSOMA, what with propagation of too much fake music on the market that leaves musicians poorer.
But this aside, with the new initiative, we will still get down to where we started from, which is lack of compliance.
You look at an institution like MBC, which run on my tax, there is completely no due regard to willingly remit royalties to COSOMA, don’t mind their insatiable hunger to ride on the music of our artists.
Because what it means is that even with software that has managed to capture the musician who has played a piece of music and all required records that now makes COSOMA ready to pay the musician, you will still find out that institutions like MBC will not comply a bit to give Ceaser what belongs to Ceaser.
In this case would we say the WIPO funded project has assisted Malawi musician in any way? No, I do not think so; we need to do better that this.
It is only when a musician gets a salary for his toils that I would be encouraged to talk highly of all these initiatives and many more to come.
Feedback: drummingpen@columnist.com

Malawi Cultural Centre

2011-02-26T13:06:00.000+02:00

The closure of the French Cultural Centre which for the past 38 years was dependent on the French Embassy to Zambia and Malawi elicited a mourning that made me shudder with shame.
Unlike crying over divorce or death, the closure of the French Cultural Centre, if anything, should have made all of us celebrate.
Celebrate because, the centre’s existence was never in vain. The French’s stay in Chichiri in Blantyre should have been endearing, knowing what vast lessons had been left. With such knowledge, instead of writing mourning pieces or airing out woeful programmes for the closure we would have said:
Exit French Cultural Centre, Enter Malawi Cultural Centre.
I am aware that since the Centre had 19 staff members, including 3 full-time teachers of French and 2 part-time teachers, these would not like what is being said. But this is a different kind of perspective from where I am looking at the whole picture.
My Perspective intends to look at the two pronged mission for the centre which was to teach French language and to serve as the only cultural centre in Malawi.
The French Cultural Centre used to achieve all this by organising various events ranging from exhibitions to theatre, to concerts, poetry, gastronomy, cinema and sport throughout the year.
Of course, the reason I am writing this is on musical performance and to cap all the activities at the centre, they had what they used to call the Music Day, the Beaujolais Nouveau, on every 14th of July.
Most fellow country folks who are mourning its disappearance as well as the French themselves believed the Cultural Centre was the liveliest place in Malawi as far as cultural events are concerned.
You might be wondering why the French created a cultural centre in Malawi. To start with the culture of France and of the French people has been shaped by geography, by profound historical events, and by foreign and internal forces and groups.
According to available literature, France, and in particular Paris, has played an important role as a center of high culture and of decorative arts since the seventeenth century, first in Europe, and from the nineteenth century on, worldwide.
This explains why even when they had not colonized Malawi they still made a point to come and establish their cultural Mecca in Blantyre.
The fact that the French are often perceived as taking a great pride in their national identity and the positive achievements of France whose roots delve in "chauvinism" and cultural issues are more the reason they integrate it into the body of the politics than elsewhere.
To cut a long story short, the French decided to promote what was known as assimilation where their desire was to intertwine cultures of other people with their own with a view of dominating to show the greatness of their culture.
In the process, Malawi which has no regard to create concrete institution that can posit best way of perpetuating cultural practices
The Dr. Daniel Kachambas of this world, showed the world what they were capable of doing musically at the French Cultural centre which in March 2010 also brought the Kachambas’ grand-grand children under a banner ‘hidden talent’.
Malawi’s urban musicians, producers, DJs and fans as Hidden Talent Entertainment (HTE) members Renegade and Pilgrim were launching their mix tape ‘Renegade vs. Pilgrim’.
This is just one tinniest facet of all parts that made what the Centre became since it also had performances of international luminaries such as Angelique Kidjo.
Now as a country, how do we start building on the foundation that the French have left us?
How ironic, Malawi is musically and otherwise failing to display her own culture right here in Malawi and the whole country is failing to appreciate and learn from a European country that trekked to here to establish the same.
Since this is all ours now, I think this provides some fertile ground to start planting seeds of progress. We could start with a one-stop musical cultural centre.
Here, we could get to know who Dr. Kachamba was, what music Stonald Lungu played, how Michael Mukhitho Phiri managed a number instruments when churning out his music.
What drove the MBC and the Chichiri Queens? Why the Police Ochestra did make such a big name? How did Kalimba and Makasu conquer the international market?
This would also be the place to sample music from Ben Mankhamba, Agorosso, Wambali, Peter Mawanga and yes, Lucious Banda and all the latter artists currently hogging the limelight.
This could as well start by copying what French Cultural centre used to do to musicians and their fans. Malawi Cultural Centre I say.
Feedback: drummingpen@columnist.com

Beef Makes Malawi’s Hip Hop Retrogressive

2011-02-20T18:31:00.003+02:00

A friend of mine Limbani ‘LC’ Chaguluka is an accomplished fellow in as far as the Malawi music urban history is concerned. He took offence when I discussed Urban Music on these pages here and mentioned a group of artists that I will not mention, as having started the urban music journey in the country.

According to LC, the urban music which has its base in Hip Hop can be traced back to the days of veteran rappers Criminal – A with what was known as his deep, calm serene voice.

Well, I want us to talk about HIP HOP beef and this could easily be mistaken for meat or something.

What is HIP HOP Beef? This is to be in a state of war with someone...or a rivalry. Like A few years back Eminem and The Insane Clown Posse had beef with each other.

This is in this sense helps to improve creativity as one would always try to be very innovative so that they can outdo the other.

Remember there was ‘PATS’ Entertainment Centre near cross roads deep down Blantyre City. This is where Rap and Ragga competitions used to take place among several issues.

Groups that had beef with each other in the country, especially in Blantyre, they would argue near fighting at this venue.

LC remembers with fond memories a competition where one rapper had to be declared a winner of a well organized rap show that was in December 1995, four days prior to Christmas day.

But he thinks since 1990’s Malawian Hip-hop music has gradually been accepted among the old and young listeners, especially in 2009, when most of the rappers accepted the grim reality that the only way they can break into the main stream market was to rhyme in our native language ‘Chichewa’.

To him, this strategy seems to have worked with ‘emcees’ like Young Kay and Tay Grin who are enjoying a significant air play on our local radio stations.

LC is wondering if there is anything anymore, causing feud between rappers? Or in Hip-hop circles commonly known as ‘beef’.

Hip-hop inherently is a competitive genre, and this can be evidently be proven by citing its own elements which constitute this beautiful culture.

Hip-hop comprises of four main elements, and these are Emceeing, Graffiti, Breaking and Dee-jaying, and of course the new element

‘Entrepreneurship’ which was included, to be in synch with new direction of Hip-hop culture.

Battle free styles and break dancing are some elements which promotes a quite considerable competition in this culture.

However, this element promotes what we call healthy competition in order to lever the game and promote the craft.

But Malawian rappers, American rappers, and the whole Hip-hop industry seems to have lost direction by embracing this ‘virus’ called beef, that it Is part of Hip-hop culture.

This feud synonymously called ‘Beef’ in Hip-hop circles won’t help anyone promoting this infant culture locally; as a result it is only derailing the advancement of the culture in Malawi.

As much LC understands that some rappers are not keeping it ‘real’ thus in terms of not conforming to the principles of Hip-hop, he thinks we just have to accept that all rappers can’t be good, as such beefing someone because he is more entrepreneurial, and making some fortune out of this culture is retrogressive.

Puffy Daddy has made millions of dollars by being a mediocre rapper, he is an entrepreneur and nobody can dispute the fact that he using one element of Hip-hop ‘Entrepreneurship’.

In our case let everybody release the music, as we advance people will get acquainted with artist’s who are doing true Hip-hop, who is in game for fame, and of course who is doing this music for self glorification.

Let someone who is on commercial tip like Tay grin release his music, and let people like Third eye who are doing hardcore Hip-hop release it too.
At the of the day who are you to judge someone that you understand the craft better than the other artist?

Both dimensions of the music currently being produced are good for the progress of our local Hip-hop culture, regardless of the grittiness of the music being realized.

In 1994 a group called Black life had leader who his followers got inspired and would listen to most of his advice, including staying away from petty issues like rap feuds, his name is King Baywell C.

There were also rappers like Prince E and Tackie T who also had a substantial command from the other side of the town of Blantyre city.

These men for being in the rap game for quite some time commanded a huge respect from rookies to old rappers.

These rappers squashed a lot of beefs which culminated from petty beefs.

They did understand and knew the essence of eliminating ‘‘beef ‘for sake of progress and to catapult the image of Hip-hop, which is mostly tainted with obscene language, degradation of women and violence.

The question now in 2010 is, who can act like leaders to settle this rap disputes? for example let’s take rappers like Junior -C or Dominant -1, who have been practicing the art for the last 15 years , and we may regard these rappers as veterans among the current group of rappers .

LC wonders whether they have the respect and command which the old veterans displayed in the 1990’s, thus to say , can they act as mediators and settle this disputes which are too retrogressive for Malawian Hip-hop industry ?
Feed back: drummingpen@columnist.com

MAM STUDIO DRAMMA UNFOLDING

2011-02-12T09:24:00.002+02:00

Weeks ago I predicted that there will be trouble brewing with the coming in of the Studio for the Musicians Association of Malawi (MAM).

For some of you who is not in tune with what the Pen is trying to drum out, let me put you in the picture.

MAM got a Digital Music Recording Studio courtesy of the Royal Norwegian Embassy that is assisting Malawi’s Support Scheme through the Copyright Society of Malawi (COSOMA).
MAM’s Treasurer San Msokera alias San B the said during the unveiling of the same that the K1 million-Studio has sophisticated equipment.
He then said the studio is going to make musicians move away from dependence.
Now soon after the article had run, a number of musicians have been sending me complaints over how the facility is managed.

One musician said the way it has been arranged is like there is no studio for MAM at all because the charges for recording at the facility are not favouring the membership.

In essence there is no profit that individual musicians will benefit from the studio and he laughed off suggestion from San B that the facility is to help them move away from dependence.

Then the other artists that went there say the facility’s equipment is mediocre and this will not make the studio compete with established ones that have better equipment.

Already this will be a minus as without any favours that should go with being a member, even association members who strive for quality will have to think twice before they record there.
It is not clear, read me well here, the kind of procurement that were followed before purchasing the equipment at the MAM studio.

Usually if better procurement is followed, quality equipment can elude those given the responsibility to buy as no temptations to buy cheap equipment and keep the change comes to mind.

MAM studio, I am told, has a condenser microphone and studio monitors that are on one side and while on the other side there is Desktop Computer, a mixer and a keyboard.

But as if this is not enough, without even getting views of the MAM membership on how they want the studio to run, some few selected officials have started dictating what is supposed to be the modus operandi.

As a member driven association, it is high time MAM sat down and elect members in its positions who should equally have the welfare of musicians at heart. The current scenario unfolding is not suggesting encouraging characters of leadership.

Music being what it is should not make its creators poor as is the case with our own artists. In more African countries today, the music industry has thrived so successfully that you cannot even question its management.

In Malawi it is a pity that music is still making those who create it, take it an activity engaged to pass time, other than a career.

What is more disturbing is that the body that is there to help musicians is in fact ripping them off.

Proof is when elections are nearing, you find that they will still cling to their positions; the question to ask is why? As a member driven association, it has to be up to members to look within its inner self and elect people that should steer it to a height that should make each and every musician respectable.

The way the studio facility should be the starting point. Members of the association should be the first ones to help themselves, other than waiting for the Professor to do your job.

Feed back: drummingpen@columnist.com

CALLISTA MUTHARIKA DRAWING SALARY FOR A CHARITABLE CAUSE

2011-02-09T07:39:00.001+02:00

Taxpayers in Malawi are paying First Lady Madame Callista Mutharika over a million Kwacha every month as a salary for her appointed role as National Coordinator for Safe Motherhood for Malawi.

Documents sourced show that the amount translates to twelve million four hundred and eighty kwacha per year for the role for which she has been given a three year contract to run until April, 2013.

Findings show that the previous office bearer Vice President Mrs. Joyce Banda did not draw any salary for the assignment which is largely considered charity work.

Besides her entitlements as First Lady of Malawi, Madame Callista Mutharika is also drawing millions in salaries as National coordinator for Safe Motherhood for Malawi according to available contract papers.
The contract, which does not stipulate her exact duties, indicates that she reports to the president.

Madame Mutharika has lately been engaged in a series of assignments on safe motherhood in Malawi for which her contract says she has to have access to a chauffer driven saloon and 4 x 4 vehicle, cell-phone, electricity and water paid for and is also expected to draw leave grants and gratuity in the end.

According to the contract, the First Lady’s contract expires after 36 months beginning May 1, 2010.

In documents in our possession, the First Lady is requesting salary arrears amounting six million Kwacha.

It is, however, not clear in the contract documents how the performance of the National Coordinator for Safe Motherhood would be assessed and determined.

The concept of a National Coordinator for safe Motherhood in Malawi was drawn from that of the national Goodwill Ambassador for Safe Motherhood initiated by the Africa Union Conference of Ministers of Health in 2005.

The first office bearer in Malawi was Mrs. Joyce Banda, the Vice president, before President Bingu wa Mutharika assigned First Lady Madame Callista to take up the responsibility instead.

In Malawi, the office occupant was expected to expand the knowledge of the presidency and all four arms of government; the private sector, civil society including the church regarding the situation of maternal health in Malawi and its socio-economic impact on the society.

When Mr. Tumalisye Ndovie was appointed ACB director and continued to draw his benefits as a senior police officer, government ordered that doing so was inappropriate and withdrew one set of benefits.