Malawi 0 – Zambia 4

By the look of things, the line up alone would tell you a different story. A story that would include a full line up Malawian side against a Zambian side that had one representative and you would wrongly think the Lusaka influence would pale into insignificance.

Lucius Banda, Lulu, Maskal, Piksy, Dan Lufani, Wendy Harawa and of course The Blacks made the Malawi team while only The Organised Family duo represented Zambia. You would say Malawi had an upper hand.

But the reality on the ground is that Malawi tumbled miserably. Whereas Malawi brought quantity, Zambia brought quality. Whereas Malawi brought noise and erratic over-dramatisation, the Zambian duo, which was ironically backed by a Malawian Mizati Band, provided the entertainment that was spell binding to the thousands that thronged the Robins Park last weekend.

Malawi’s biggest culprit was Maskal. He failed the Malawi team as if this was his first show; in other words he displayed irresolute qualities of a debutant. He had no idea what level to start his song with. He started on a high note and ended up stepping himself all over.

Listening to his CDs one cannot help it but appreciate that Maskal is a good act when it comes to singing, but on this day he resorted to shouting.

To an extent, Lulu also helped to condemn the Malawi team to the category of mediocrity.

I don’t know what has come over him, to start with. He is sporting a new hair style; long hairs that did not do badly, given who he is. He was putting on a shining tar-gray suit but he kept on trying to fiddle with his slacks pockets with the freer hand as the other was holding on to a microphone, which was distracting as those watching him were trying to fathom what it is he was trying to get from the pockets.

Then one thing came out clearly, Lulu was trying to copy Michael Jackson through his hairdo, dressing, dancing antics and how he was throwing about his vocals. I wish he had stuck to the Lulu he introduced to the public from the onset.

Lucius Banda needs to be more innovative now. Apart from his new message where he is pleading with people not to get fat – saying obesity is killing a lot of people – his stage music antics are becoming predictable and monotonous like the Black Missionaries.

Dan Lufani was poignant to himself I guess. He was more satisfied with what he was doing than taking caution of what the audience expected from him. You know that feeling when you end up with a bittersweet aftertaste? This is what Dan gave the audience. He never exactly knew where to take them.

Armstrong needs to do more. Apparently he only has one track. The rest of the music that he played provoked many to protest that he was not stirring the people that thronged Robins Park by touching where it matters most. This tells him something though, if he is the learning type. He better go back to the drawing board lest he remains a one-hit-artist.

Black Missionaries still managed to ride on the names of their dead makers; Evison Matafale and Msamude Fumulani.  There is still lack of the sting; I mean they still bring that familiar act. Who has to think for them, surely, so that they become more new and move away from the template of their forbearers?

The other person that failed the audience is Collen Ali, the so called sound engineer of the day. What is wrong with preparations for live shows in Malawi?

This other day The Black Missionaries mocked the spirits of their dead makers when they ill-prepared and spent half of the time for the memorial show in Chileka in trying to rectify faltering equipment.

Likewise even with Multichoice as the owners of the show, still the intermittent provision of service from the engineering crew and their equipment left many with sour mouths.

There was a time when Piksy was playing where the bass guitar disappeared. Luckily, because of the nature of his music he managed to keep up the temperature on the dance floor by continuing doing some clowning around with rhyming lyrics bordering on sexual inference from his songs.   

This is what failed The Blacks when they were faced with a similar situation. Apart from Anjiru filling the speakers with sweet nothings, they lost out on a number of patrons some of whom decided enough was enough and decided to call it a day.

This was so because before The Blacks the Zambian duo of the Orga Family terrorised the dance floor when jerked patrons appreciating things as they unfolded from their seats to stand up and try break and twist a tendon or two. They felt Orga Family had compensated them enough.

If local artist were around to watch their counterparts, I guess they learnt a lesson or two of what it means to master the art of making the audience feed from your palm.

Feedback:drummingpen@columnist.com

Kalindekafe is PS for Mining

By Gregory Gondwe

Government has appointed Dr. Leonard Kalindekafe as the Principal Secretary in the newly established ministry of mining who until his appointment was Director, of Geological Survey Department.

Mining Minister John Bande told The Daily Times yesterday that with the appointment of Kalindekafe, what is now remaining is putting up a corporate office and other departments that should be added to the already existing ones like the geological survey.  

Kalindekafe holds a PhD, from the University of Dundee, UK. And he is a Geologist with field experience in many African countries as well as Canada, Saudi Arabia and Oman.

He is the current Chairman of the UN-Founded Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF).

Kalindekafe is also a fellow of Geological Society of London and his major expertise is in mineral exploration, geological mapping, geochemistry, seismology, oil and gas exploration, mining law and policy.

Tourism and Culture Ministry is to blame

If you look at the events surrounding the former French Cultural Centre, now Blantyre Cultural Centre, you cannot help it but to wonder what type of authority is put to run our government...

To start with, how can government pay K300 million for the centre and then left it without putting any security leading to vandalism that completely defaced its usefulness.

To start with, can one surely buy a house that is stuffed with all that a top-notch house would require and then pay no attention to it like it does not belong to them at all?

Seriously, this is what government did with the centre and now it was ransacked and looted and now they are busy trying to arrest the perpetrators. Wait a minute, was government supposed to take a proactive or a reactive posture in the security of the centre? Because to me it is clearly comprehensible that someone I am paying with my tax did not do his or her job well.

And I am surprised he or she is still under government employ. Heads are supposed to roll in the Ministry of Tourism and Culture for their failure to provide security to the centre.

Of course government has fired Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Culture Daniel Liwimbi but much as I wish the reason for his dismissal should have been this one, I know for sure, it’s their politics out there.

But look here, Malawi Government pays a whooping K300 million to French government for the purchase of Malawi’s Entertainment Mecca.

They claim that there was no security because it was a very long process to secure it due to various factors including shortage of forex.

But because there is no security, people taking advantage of this glaring lapse ransack it and in the process deface this beautiful face of Malawi entertainment established in November 1973.

Looting started from right at the main gate where the guard room’s steel door and all window panes were stolen. Right in the yard a non-running Mitsubishi 4by4 blue vehicle that was parked inside was robbed of all its valuables and made to sit on stones.

The library windows were broken and thousands of valuable books stolen or destroyed. They did not spare the state-of-the-art equipment such as public address system, Plasma TVs, computers and some furniture.

Media reports indicate that the Malawi Police formerly charged long time music promoter and private practising lawyer, Jai Banda for buying the stolen equipment.

Jai has been charged with receiving stolen property after the law enforcers confiscated from him sound craft mixer and power supply cables.

The police say Banda, bought the sound craft mixer and power supply cables whose true value is K5 million but at a total cost of K200, 000.

Some of stolen equipment Police say they have also recovered include Yamaha drum set, a microphone and bongos from Pastor Kenneth Dickson of Hope for all Nations church in Ndirande who bought them at K100, 000 when they are valued at millions of kwacha.

The property stolen from the venue is worth K20 million or more.

The centre has shaped the music and drama of the country because it made itself accessible at an affordable rate. 

Maximum charge then was about K50 000 which was far below what today’s popular venues like Robins Park, Comesa and College of Medicine Complex charge, which is between K150 000 to K300 000 per performance.

It is a mockery that so far Blantyre Arts Festival has used the place because it had invited Salif Keita and had nowhere else to host him and after pleading with government they were given a nod.

The second time the place was used was when Information Minister Moses Kunkuyu with his gospel music competition was allowed to use the place because of his political might.

The place remains closed to the people – artists – who need it most. Meanwhile those well established artists who either have sponsors or have the money can be able to go to the expensive venues in Blantyre.

Meanwhile, a young talented musician in Kanjedza or Chilomoni is still waiting for the day government will open the centre and allow him to showcase his talent.  My fear is he will get tired and start other engagements and we will lose out as a country because, who knows? This was the gem that would have sold Malawi abroad.

Pleading with government to open the centre seem to be falling on deaf ears. Now that there is a new Minister of Tourism and Culture Rachel Zulu Mazombwe, I pray this has to be one of the issues she has to deal with once and for all. Seriously who should be paying for the ministry’s negligence if the delay to reopen is due to the vandalism it suffered?

Honestly do you think a story about the centre has a logical sequence? I think it does not and someone getting perks out of my salary has to explain better.

Feedback:drummingpen@columnist.com

Reggae Music Again

At the age of 30, Jamaican musician Busy Signal, real name Glendale Goshia Gordon, had already cut himself a name as a top billing dancehall artist and no reason therefore for him to look back, and regret on the musical standing in the reggae famed Jamaica.

As one of the leading artists in the contemporary dancehall movement, Busy Signal has been a large part of the scene since 2003.

Media records show that his first hit single, "Step Out", was one of the most popular dancehall songs in 2005.

May be let me start from the beginning. Reggae started first before ‘Dancehall’ but both owe their history from a genre known as ‘Ska’ music started in Jamaica in the early 1960’s; this was a fast beat and by progression after a really hot summer in 1966, the beat slowed down and then camerock steady.

It is from the rock steady style that reggae reggae was born.

Over the years, the reggae music has evolved to different directions such as roots reggae,dub, ragga and lovers rock.

Ragga where dancehall emerged from started in the mid-1980’s, in other write-ups dancehall is described as cross pollination between reggae and hip-hop, with a dance music vibe.

It took the West Indies by storm shortly later after and there has always been an argument that perhaps it was the slow poison that was slowly finishing off the reggae especially in the early 1990s.

According to Soul Rebels dot com, some of it has an appealing dance beat, mostly composed with synthetized rhythms.

It says although some artists chose to sing about the same themes as did the initial form of reggae, such as repatriation, slavery, poverty, universal love and teaching Rastafarism, some others chose a romantic theme.

The musical website observes that dancehall is also largely known for its slackness.

It writes: “Let's not forget that this music comes from the ghetto, which may explain some of its claims, but where reggae was able to address social concerns in a positive way, dancehall all too often does it through anger and negativity. Because of the beat, the way the message is delivered and its slackness, dancehall doesn't appeal to everyone. If you want to dance in reggae clubs, you have no choice but to be exposed to dancehall, which represents the majority, if not the entire selection, of some DJ’s play lists.

Being a roots reggae lover for more than a decade, I know that Rastafarians, followers of the Old Testament, cannot deal with homosexuality, as is true in many other religions.

Over the years, the biblical concept has been prominent in their music, but dancehall singers have taken this to a completely new level.

They now promote discrimination and violence towards gays and lesbians.

When they sing about male homosexuality, they use street terms such as Mauma Man  or Maama Man), faggot, fishman, funny man, freaky man, Poop Man, Bugger Man and the most commonly used, Batty Man,  or But man and Chi-Chi Man and in Jamaican slang ‘chi chi’ means vermin).

For women they use: Sodomite, Chichi girl and of course lesbian.

I believe the majority of dancehall singers are not Rastafarians, but some seem to be strict followers of the Rasta faith.

The Rastafarian movement has evolved into four, main distinct groups over the years: the Orthodox Rasta, the Nyahbinghi Order, the Twelve Tribes Of Israel and the Bobo Shanti.

Some say that homosexuality is a Babylonian disease brought to the Caribbean by the white conquerors, and that it must be eradicated. They condemn it, as expressed by Judgement Day, to be thrown in fire.

The Bobo Shanti seems to be the group that have the strictest views on homosexuality, and the way to deal with it.

The Bobo Shanti, which include popular dancehall singers such as Sizza, Capleton and Anthony B, condemn everything that doesn’t go along with their beliefs: “Fire pon politicians, Fire pon Vatican, Fire pon chi chi man...”

Singers defend themselves in interview by saying that it’s a spiritual fire.”

Now the reason today I have concentrated on the theme of dancehall and reggae is because of a similar situation in the country where the so called ‘Urban’ music is slowly, like dancehall did to reggae, eclipsing the music of the old like the ones played by Allan Namoko, Daniel Kachamba and company.

Now, what is unique about Busy Signal is that despite the fame he garnered through dancehall, just this year he has released an album ‘Reggae Music Again’ which is calling upon his youthful colleagues to cling to reggae in order to cultivate the positivity that it preaches.

May to borrow from United Reggae Dot Com "One drop" sets from dancehall artists are not new. Capleton cut one in 2010 and Mr Vegas was poised to release his currently postponed effort in early 2012.

It might be tempting for some to point to this one, not as a first but as a pivotal moment like Buju Banton’s 'Til Shiloh' - but that is journalistic hyperbole, and for history to decide.

There will also be suggestions that, like 'Til Shiloh' did for Buju, 'Reggae Music Again' might take Busy too far away from the dancehall - yet the quality of this album renders all such thoughts irrelevant. A fantastic example of everything modern Jamaican reggae can be today.”

Blacks Stumbles at Memorial Show

The intention was good.

To show that the event is for everyone, even the aviation department in Chileka offered a pitch within the runway zone, 6 times as large as the usual place where the Memorial Shows in remembrance of the fallen greats, Evison Matafale, Msamude and Gift Fumulani has become an annual fixture.

The turn up was so huge; I guess in overwhelmed the organisers of the show. People trooped to Chileka in Buses, Lorries and large scores footed to the venue. But the show despite its good intentions was a dud.

The line-up of those who were to perform was also impressive, the headliner of course The Black Missionaries – which has become a full package these days with Anthony ‘Mr. Cool’ Makondetsa, Moda Fumulani, Yanyanani Chumbu, Khonzie Masimbe and Toza Matafale – and other artists like Kapirintiya, Dan Lu, Agorrosso, Maskal etc...

As I was getting in, Agorrosso had already read the signs and he was leaving the venue citing unconducive environment for nature of his music which was going to render his performance a sham.

My rough ‘gestimation’ would be that, it was an open ground of between 1000 square metres and the sound equipment in use was fit for a 100 square metre enclosed place – and the attempt to use it at the show last Sunday proved to be a big letdown.

This big problem was further compounded by non-stopping power cut.

Proving an act of total lack of preparation, a single cord was tapping power some 100 metres away and crossing the tar mark road leading to the Chileka Airport before passing through the crowd.

Depending on how vehicles would wheel past the cord, or feet of crowds getting entangled with it, the cord could be easily unplugged resulting in cutting shot performances of musicians, leading to an abrupt end of the show.

Strangely, he just left without even informing the organisers because the Master of Ceremony still called him on stage some 6PM when he had left 2 hours before.

Now there were over 10,000 fans and what was laughable is that the sound equipment used had a compromised quality owing to the nature of the venue performed. Meaning; the equipment was fit for closed venue like a hall.

The magnetism of the memorial show is so huge that you expect companies to start jumping onboard the wagon and strangely no one seems to be interested; no Airtel for example as I know this one likes being associated with musical acts.

Imagine if marketers were to be innovative and cultivate such large crowds by ensuring that the little K20 in their pockets is used to buying something right at the place where the act is unfolding.

Collaboration in such shows helps to contain situations like overwhelming crowd where top-of-the-range equipment that can carter for stadium performance can be hired, even from outside the country.

Looking at this event and the huge crowd that it attracts, I guess the Department of tourism should not be told that it is supposed to take over or work with organisers so that it becomes a national arts event.

There are lives at stake at such places and I don’t think if people will one day decide to become unruly due to such technical hitches, organisers will be able to manage the situation.

There is a need to go back on the drawing table and ensure that there is control over people not to mention safety.

Imagine over 10,000 people were packed in razor-sharp wire fence and there was only one entrance which was also the exit of just a metre’s width. In case of a scuffle, chances of losing lives were high and perhaps the nation would realise that there was need to partake in the organisation of the event.

Perhaps the big letdown would be its association with the presence of marijuana smoking and excessive alcohol imbibing which companies or organisations as well as government would not want to associate with.

I think this is the more reason why more than one group, in this case The Black Missionaries, should be organising this show.

Of course when they were starting the memorial show, The Blacks were able to organise it, but now it has outgrown them and they cannot properly organise it any more.

Now the show in Lilongwe organised in collaboration with Mungo Park tomorrow promises to be full of fireworks and I can foresee large gathering as well.

I am positive that the lessons learnt last week should be a step to success for tomorrow’s show.

Otherwise Drumming Pen celebrates with the rest the lives of Evison Matafale as well as Msamude and Gift Fumulani.

Feedback:drummingpen@columnist.com

    

    

When music can feed you no more

OG Issa is the name that is synonymous with music in Malawi.

When music that was produced and marketed in Malawi started coming out, soon after multiparty democracy had taken roots in this country, this is also the time that this name made headlines all over.

If it was not in the newspapers then it was on radio stations, if not newspapers, in minibuses, churches and even in songs that musicians used to sing about OG Issa.

Both good and bad stories came through with OG Issa running as the sole music distributor.

Some musicians said OG Issa was an exploitative element in the Malawi music industry albeit with no grounds to substantiate such claims. Others said OG Issa needs to get a sky-scraping recognition for making Malawi music what it has become.

Around 1993-94 when they started operating to now 2012 when they have closed their biggest outlet in Limbe we are roughly talking of about 17 to 18 years in assisting musicians in the country on one hand and boosting his business on the other.

Over the years I have discussed about ‘Greedy and Exploitation in the Music Industry’ on these pages as well as how ‘Distributors Steal from Musicians’.

My argument then as is the case now is that Music is supposed to be the most sellable commodity in Malawi but in the case of the local industry those that are reaping the fruits are not musicians themselves.

Distributors and marketers are the only beneficiaries in the industry, enjoying the fruits which they play little or no part at all to produce.

They take advantage of the talented and poverty stricken musicians who would bring hot music but have no idea how they can profit out of it and instead what musicians have profited out of such venture is a mere fleeting fame.

Based on my assessment, the 95 % lion’s share the distributor gets out of an artist’s music and since there are devoid of bargaining power, they just accept to be milked without protest.

Now if you look at this kind of share and how much music marketing dealers flock to OG Issa you can tell how much money one can make in a period of 18 years.

Unlike government, investors have a time frame within which they are going to operate by investing, market the investment, make profits and head elsewhere, perforated and hissing out smell of money.

If government which has tried to hand over some such businesses can put in place regulatory means, there is no way someone would just come from their use a bait and throw in a line and once he catches the kind of fish desired, he leaves and goes.

OG Issa used to be a major music distributor in the country especially at its Limbe shop, which used to carter for the rural areas where local dealers would come and buy music in large numbers.

The reasons that owner Salim Sattar is giving in necessitating closure is not making sense. This is perhaps the case because out of music, Sattar has created many business ventures and because he cares less about where the industry will go from here, what he has reaped has satisfied him and what happens to the musician out there bears no interest in his world of profit making.

This is why along the way it became to be known as ‘OG Issa Group of Companies' and the music section was now referred to as ‘Afri Music Distributors’.

Music gurus are saying distributors are now failing to make obscene profits they have enjoyed over the years because artists have resorted to selling their own music as they are desperately trying to deal with issues piracy which has robbed of their would have been wealth.

O.G Issa has had a share of controversies, remember two years ago Lawrence Mbenjere stopped selling his music through Afri Music after being tipped that the company was allegedly swindling local artists' money through the selling of more tape covers than those initially agreed upon.

This was also the case with late Evison Matafale who was so angry that he broke the counter at the Limbe Shop.

The company acknowledged of bad blood with Mbenjere and at the height of their bitter working relationship it returned to Mbenjere stock of tape covers for his 11 albums amounting to 25 485 copies, a figure that translated to a sum of K637 125.

This only changed when the two signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOC) to resume distributing and selling of his music.

Afri Music's manager Staneck Kulemero told the media at the time that everything will be conducted in a very transparent manner where every detail of their deals will be perfectly documented using a high-tech computer system called system that will be tallying the tape covers he brings to the distributor against those that are sold before they can order more from him.

Now, is the way it has been presented, I mean the reason for closing shop, making sense at all?

Feedback: drummingpen@columnist.com

Symon & Kendall Factor

Nyemba-nyemba is the track that catapulted Symon Limbie Kamlaka and Kendall Kamwendo to musical fame. This compelled them to settle for food and eating themes in their music.

Rightly so, their latest production this week ‘Nkhwiko’ cycles around this theme as well. Nkhwiko which is the oesophagus through which becomes part of the alimentary canal where food passes is interestingly the title track of the album. Imagine!

You might think there is a serious message to this, but nope, as the track merely tells the oesophagus to get ready as it will experience better food passing through it down into the stomach.

Quality is oozing from their DVD production which I have just bought, with a well designed cover. The DVD is of utmost quality for its better parts and at least of medium quality in other pictures.

One can build an opinion regarding how they have approached production because even if you have not seen it yet, but you have ever watched their past works, you would easily explain how you think has been the production.

Obviously, you will talk of a village set-up which is also the case in this particular video.

Symon and Kendall came on the music scene on their own terms and their style is unequalled because it is only unique to them, whether it is musically impressive or not is another subject for another day.

What has been clear is the steadfast growth they are musically achieving. On the strength of my observation of their music career, without trying to establish further, what else they are doing to earn a living, I might as well say they have succeeded a lot.

Unlike their music compatriots within our borders, they have seen to be much organised, where they have managed to put together a band from the Capital Lilongwe that keeps touring across the country. You can appreciate further the band equipment and even the vehicles that they have accumulated which they use for their tours. 

This success is also epitomized in their latest album where you can see how big they invest in their music video recordings. You can also tell by their latest appearance. On a lighter moment, you remember that skinny Symon with ‘Duntu Kendall’. All this is now gone and now we have two Duntus in Symon and Kendall.

But seriously their success can also be seen with their capability to manage to convince Group Village Heads to involve the whole villages in their music production.

This is not all, at one village they even organised a mock wedding. If you look at the kind of food prepared for the event – now in this case it was the music video recording event that shows how plenty food was prepared by very busy women – signifying the seriousness attached to their music.

The music videos in the Nkhwiko DVD, to say the least, will make you lose your lungs to laughter.  

There is a track ‘Nionzanga’ in which they reduced their fellow comedian musician Anne Matumbi to an act that completed their recording their track to an extent of making him crouch outside the cage that keeps an old lion at the Lilongwe Nature Sanctuary.

Just to show how they don’t always believe in serious stuff in their lyrical content this track is merely in the album to make fun of Matumbi.

I would really do injustice if I am to describe all what is contained in the ten music videos in the DVD which is to say – if you are a genuine music collector with a passion to see Malawi music industry grow, then this is ‘a must have’ through purchasing of the DVD copy not promotion of piracy.

As Kamlaka is saying in the DVD indeed good things come with good preparations and this is why he says they had to prepare well before coming up with the latest musical album. He acknowledges that releasing albums every six months compromises on quality and this why they had to take their time.

Kendall thinks the project is a success, but is quick to point out that what remains is the feedback from the consumers.

With such effort and huge investment, you cannot really fault Symon when he is warning pirates. He says they are being hurt much by piracy and they have devised a plan to make sure that whoever copies their music and videos should be punished severely.

Perhaps this is why they also put together what they call Music development Institute (MID) which its initial task was to fight piracy. The DVD also includes a track under MID done in collaboration with Evance Meleka.

If you like a combination of comedy and music like what the late Kennedy ‘Madolo’ Ndoya used to churn out, then perhaps we have a very advanced version of a combination of comedy and music in full package when it comes to Symon and Kendall and with the latest release of their ‘Nkhwiko’ may be its time you equally treated your Nkhwiko to some throaty laughter.

Feedback: drummingpen@columnist.com