How to Regenerate MAM

As I promised last week, I want to discuss Musicians Association of Malawi (Mam) following a half an hour talk that I had with its President, Reverend Chimwemwe Mhango two weeks ago.

Rising from ‘Ashes’

As I have always complained in the last half of a decade that I have been writing about music on these pages, Mam has been a big letdown to me as well as to the owners – the musicians.

The initial mentality that was inculcated in the musicians was that Mam was a body that was there to be moving around with a begging bowl on behalf of musicians and that whatever ‘booty’ they would chance upon should be shared amongst the membership.

No wonder, to the shock of the current committee members, musicians always ask for alms. I can equally testify that many musicians have always begged for alms even from me.

The Rev. Mhango team has now a duty to change this defeatist attitude of musicians.

Embracing Mediocrity

Whenever you attend meetings organised by Mam in the past, it was crammed by musicians – or so they called themselves thus – who had no single track under their name. Or artists who have only released a single track or album that even without getting any bragging rights as it turned out to be a total flop, still made the owners give themselves undeserved acclaim that they are musicians.

The type of membership is the one that was used to getting undeserved allowances. Most of whom have not been inside a classroom or if they did, they never stayed long enough in that classroom to help them breakthrough in the industry.

Musicians used to behave strangely when called for music clinics. Like a pupil or student demanding payment for attending school, the musicians also wanted Mam or organisers to pay them for attending training workshops aimed at improving their music careers. There was completely no wish to self sacrifice.

It was therefore clear that previous committees of Mam embraced mediocrity by associating with dubious musicians and ignoring well established musicians.

The Rev. Mhango team is lucky because it has realised there is need to change this status quo. Already they have engaged with local music gurus that include Sir. Paul and Lucius Banda, Wambali Mkandawire and Ma Blacks, to mention but a few, from whom they hope to tap wisdom and more knowledge on how best to steer the body forward.

This is a process that is aiming at regaining trust and ensuring that musicians become responsible to sacrifice not only for the good of their association but for their own good as well.

Cosoma Board

As a mother of all artists from different disciplines including Mam, Copyright Society of Malawi (Cosoma) has been operating in the last 7 years without a board.

Now, Mam says they have fought hard with other sister bodies and now government has promised to appoint a board this year.

Affiliation for Foreign Musicians

One other thing that Mam has negotiated with government for is to put up a mechanism where all foreign artists that come into the country to perform must pay temporary affiliation fee. This is because they come here to work and it would be one way where the association will get help by being given an opportunity for an alternative income.

Federation of Professional Musicians

Mam is not part, nay! Mam cannot be affiliated to Federation of Professional Musicians because as the requirements demand, the local musical body is not a union.

Rev. Mhango says at the moment they are currently negotiating with government so that they can attain a union status.

Regionalism

Within the association regionalism is also at the centre of its challenges, where musicians openly say they cannot work with the committee members running the association because they come from other regions in the country. This will only bring dire consequences for Mam and at the end of the day; the loser is the musician himself.

Fund Raising committee

It has always been strange that a body of musicians that has musical equipment has always been failing to organise fund raising shows. Now at the helm of the committee is Sally Nyundo and I am only waiting to hear what plan of action he will come up with so that by December we should hear how much Mam has fund raised and how this money has transformed the body.

Introduction of music in technical colleges

I have vigorously campaigned over here that music has to be drafted in the technical colleges. Previous committee never explored the possibility. I hope this time round this committee will do something about it.

There has never been one single trade that has generated youthful interest in Malawi at any given time than what music has done.

The technical colleges with music trade has to start with the elementary lessons in music in the first year, while in the second year, learners can choose who they want to become.

Guitarists, drummers, saxophonists, trombonists, percussionists, keyboardists or pianists should be one group while the other group should concentrate on music production, the third on music engineering in terms of studio recording while the other group should dwell on marketing.

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Rock Sunday on Matindi

Rock Sunday on Matindi

There are numerous misapprehensions when we hear or listen to a particular music genre. Even right here in our country there are mythical stories that go with the kind of music our musicians churn out.

There are illusionary views for reggae music which, for other strange forces, still receive an understanding from local and international gospel musicians, leading to its adoption by most of whom have their albums packed with reggae.

But there is isolation, or is it unwritten rule where rock music and its ‘satanic’ association have not enjoyed great reception; especially when it comes to hard rock.

What makes it worse is the fact that rock stars are, utmost, dressed in tattered jean clothes, not to mention the tattoos all over their bodies; bodies which are also pierced all over, even in unimaginable areas that only afford to send uncomfortable corporeal feeling down your spine, if you are religious.

Now, when I was switching around numerous radio stations last Sunday night, I think it was exactly at around 21:45 hours that I bumped into an inaugural musical programme on Matindi FM that, according to the presenter Alicia Siyasiya, will not only dish out rock music, hard and soft etcetera, but also dispel the illusions that has cast a bad spell on the way people accommodate the genre in Malawi.

I should believe, judging by her voice, the presenter is a young lady and what impressed me was the translucent passion in the genre that she demonstrated and the depth of knowledge that made the programme an element that sent me spell bound. 

In between the programme she promised to present religious, or call it gospel tracks done in rock in the ensuing programmes just to show that the rock genre is not as bad as it sounds or the players behind it comport themselves.

This reminds me of pictorial story by Reuters found on this link http://www.reuters.com/news/pictures/slideshow?articleId=USRTR3F104#a=1

There is a Mexican priest Adolfo Huerta, known as "Gofo", who was ordained five years ago, but is described as an unconventional priest because he likes rock music, dyes the ends of his hair red, dresses in black, and enjoys riding his motorcycle.

Father Huerta who says it is important to demystify faith and accept people's differences without judgment, found God and priesthood while studying philosophy at the Pontifical University in Mexico City as well as working with HIV-positive patients and sex workers as a social activist.

In his sermons, Father Huerta references rock songs, quotes books and tells jokes. If you check his image you won’t differentiate it with that of Chad Robert Kroeger, a Canadian songwriter, singer, and guitarist best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist for the Canadian rock band Nickelback.    

It is important to say it right here that rock music is a genre of popular music that originated as "rock and roll" in 1950s America before it developed into a range of different styles in the 1960s and later, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States.

If your age is like mine, you will agree with me that our fathers and mothers will tell us how they used to grove to "rock and roll" beat around that time right here in Malawi, which would also take centre stage during the nationwide beauty contest.

Wikipedia states that Rock has also its roots in 1940s' and 1950s' rock and roll,  and it is heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music besides drawing strongly on a number of other genres such as blues and folk, and incorporated influences from jazz, classical and other musical sources.

Musically, it says, rock has centred on the electric guitar, usually as part of a rock group with bass guitar and drums and it is a typically song-based music usually with a 4/4 time signature utilizing a verse-chorus form.

It observes that the genre has become extremely diverse and common musical characteristics are difficult to define.

And this is the story Matindi Radio, through Rock Sunday is ready to tell us in order to demystify the unfounded illusion. I, for one applaud Alicia Siyasiya, her Executive Producer Vuto Zamadunga and the radio station for the effort.

When MAM President Calls

It is not always common that in this job, someone whom you discuss in critical shade should give you a call and pat you on the back.

Early last Monday I got a phone call from Reverend Chimwemwe Mhango, Musicians Association of Malawi (MAM) President.

He humbled me when he said he buys the Malawi News to see what I have drummed out right here week in, week out.

Going by his explanation, which I intend to discuss here last week in long breath, if all the plan and vision that the good Reverend and his team have come up with will fall into place, I can say here without fear of contradiction that the life of a Malawi musician, who at the moment is liken to a street beggar, will never be the same. Please watch this space.

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Forgotten Snowden Ibu

Malawi is a comical country to belong to. Its people are full of pretence. They will always bring a facade on almost everything they do. You believe what you see out of your own peril.

The story of Snowden Ibu is one typical example of such pathetic pretence. The country waits the day that this acoustic vibes master will come out and tell us that he has cancer and then the bells of recognition will ring at the same time before they will die out and bring out an intimidating dearth.

You don’t believe me? Look no further than at Stonard Lungu to know what I mean.

Lungu sang for us in all his life time and until cancer struck him, everyone else wanted to pretend to suggest how best he could be helped. The frustrating thing with Malawi is that they will give out millions of Kwacha for the ruling People’s Party night and only talk on what Lungu can do to raise money. We will help those that are not in need at all but let the helpless to find their way out of their financial or health maze, by themselves.

Having failed to elicit any positives from his begging bowl to have his cancer treated, Lungu was forced to go on stage to try to still perform even when he was experiencing excruciating pain in order to raise money to save his life, which was never to be.

Now, if you talk of acoustic artists that have graced our entertainment space in this country, the story will remain incomplete when it is told, minus the name, Snowden Ibu.

What is now surprising me is the revelation that even when I can recall lines of the track “Ndachita Mwayi” it is clear I listened to the music from radio MBC:

“Ndinali Kuyenda Pamseu;Tsiku Lina m’mawa

Apo ndinakumana ndi mkazi, amene ndinamulonjela

Ndinati mulibwanji; anati ndilibwino kaya inu anzanthu

Ndinamulankhula mawu; anandiyankha mokondwa,

Anati ndachita mwayi, Anati ndachita mwayi

Poyankhulidwa ndi inu bambo”

You can imagine that it is long time ago that I listened to this track, but I am still able to recall what its lyrics calls are and even the accompanying acoustic rhythm.

And to imagine that a musician of such influence, whose talent he has given to us all; soothing us with his music since 1969 when he began his career, he has no penny to show for it; how more heart breaking can it get.

It is even unbelievable that this acoustic maestro does not have a physical album that you can find on any shelve, be it in homes, or music libraries in the country, because he cannot afford one. Aren’t we a big joke as a country?

To start with, Musicians Association of Malawi should, at least, by now have been enforcing a deliberate policy to promote artist that have been tried and tested like Ibu.

By this time, the association should have been trembling in its wake at every mention of musicians like Mr. Ibu. He is the kind of guy whose musical pedigree only equals the figures that have long died; the likes of Allan Namoko, Lungu, Daniel Kachamba etc.

Zodiak Radio owner Gospel Kazako had a project that gave posthumous honour to fallen venerated Allan Namoko. He built him a tomb.

Now looking at the case of Ibu, you might be tempted to wrongly think that if people like Mr. Kazako cannot assist the likes of Mr. Ibu now, maybe he might, once they (the likes of the Ibu) kick a bucket?

When is the best time to help? I don’t know.

The second problem from where to look at the problem is on the lack of musical labels or companies worth their salt.

A genuine music firm will surely sign artists like Mr. Ibu knowing that their ware is not difficult to sell because they already have a foundation, unlike artists who are trying to break even.

Now, unless, people rush to assist the immensely talented when they are in need, they better stop whining when they are dead and give us useless eulogies on what great they would have achieved had they lived more.

Lucius Banda, Anthony Makondesa, Black Missionaries

When Lucius Banda, Anthony Makondesa and The Black Missionaries descend to town with a new album, there is always scampering for a copy, of course others run around to pirate the musical products.

But the effect of each of the three individuals’ new release is magical, to say the least.

Now imagine that the three of them decide to release their new albums at the same time, would it really not confuse the consumers and compromise the benefits to be accrued out of such products?

Added to all this is the question of economic hardships the country is currently experiencing, would the average person who is the dedicated patron afford to cough K4500 [Assuming each is selling at K1500 each] just to own the music at this point in time.

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Bingo’s Uchi Lingo

Those who religiously follow Malawi music will remember Ishmael Dapalapa. He has been band leader for several Mzuzu based bands before he made headlines when he stormed the inaugural E-wallet.

I happen to have known Ishmael Dapalapa Mhango long before his musical exploits and when he released an album which never faired encouragingly on the market, I encouraged him never to give up, considering how frustrating the local music market is and how it is good at killing talent right in its bud.

I saw so much talent in the lad. But he never took heed. He trekked down to South Africa and I felt disenchanted because in my heart I said here is another lost talent.

Meanwhile, there was his young brother Bright Mhango who was busy with school stuff and although occasionally he would follow his brother to do some musical performances. I thought he was just a casual artist.    

Now he got so serious with his talent that he adopted a showbiz name Bingolingo – Bi for Bright and ngo from the surname Mhango and Lingo for language.

He released his debut album ‘Issues’; a 12-track multi-genre album with tracks coming in different forms that include rhythm and blues, Afro, reggae, hip-hop and local beat where unlike many artists of other tribes other than Chewa, he infused his chiTumbuka mother tongue in his tracks, of course with chiChewa sprinkled here and there.
In earnest, I would say he never chanced what is known as ‘beginner’s luck’ because many must be wondering who Bingolingo is.

The inaugural album has tracks like Kaswenga, Stay, Heart Broken, Sibwene, Ndiwe Wane, Mama,  Napulika, Timakondana, Ndidziwe, Ndiwe Wekha, Never Let You Go and Sindingathe and you can tell the rich vein of talent but more so the lack of maturity in other tracks.

If you log on www.reverbnation.com/bingolingoMW you will listen to the album.

You could tell that here is a lad with a golden voice but could not manage to ostensibly utilise it to his musical advantage.

I am the best untrained ear in the business and still hoped the best was yet to come from the young Dapalapa.

Now considering that it was in 2011 that he realised this album, now he has managed to release five tracks Uchi, She is trapped, Make you my wife, Pavuta Pano and Wahneeitorah muwteeimah in the forthcoming album ‘Mwachaje Satafuna’.

With these singles, now he has made me to listen to the Bingo Language with some serious attention. The ‘Bingolingo’ has added wise and unique words in its vocabulary.

Buoyed up by the revs he has received on the internet and perhaps in the local media, he has become mature in his approach. I am still in a state of disbelief that this young chap I have looked down upon as he was being overshadowed by his big brother has finally swayed me.

If you have been exposed to lover’s rock reggae genre, Uchi is one such track that will only be betrayed by the chiChewa lyrics that has been used. Remove the chiChewa words you would think it’s a Jamaican reggae beat or in other words you would think it is the Frank Paul type. In this track, you are left salivating for more such like tracks.

I must make my confession to demonstrate how attractive the track is. Two weeks ago, I was unable to report for work because I was sick. I asked my sister to escort me to a health facility and she came to pick me in her car (I am justified to mention this). We exchanged pleasantries and in the background a radio was playing and I was not curious to establish which radio it was.

But then when the reggae beat started playing, it got me startled and while my sister kept on rattling on, unbeknownst to her that she had lost me completely to the music and I now paid 100 percent attention to catch the back announcement to ascertain who is behind it, having realised it was Malawian.

It was going: Uchi-uchi uchi uchi uchi; uchi m’patse nlawe. Uchi-uchi uchi uchi uchi; uchi ndiwe sugar-sugar. Uchi-uchi uchi uchi uchi; uchi ndiwe super-super.

And the ensuing rhyming verses left me in appreciation of how playful he has been with the lyrics and how tight the backing instrumentation is. It is a simplistic approach to a sophisticated production that sticks to mind and that make children ably mimic it endlessly.

The DJ even said, I think this will be another street anthem and I can’t agree more.

There is also a track Pavuta Pano and if you are a Dan Lufani fan you would think this is his latest track only to be flabbergasted by the use of chiTumbuka.

The singles have also a redone version of  Wanitola Mtima renamed as ‘Wahneeitorah muwteeimah’ where he mixed Wambali Mkandawire type of beat with R’n’B showing some incredible innovation.
But just to show how unsure he is with music even with such talent he works at Blue Financial Services as a quality assurance officer and still pursuing an accounting course. How painful!

Simply put, the Bingo language has really started making much sense. Please try to catch up with him; seriously you will not be disappointed.

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Lomwe & Code fail BBA

At least Code Sangala made a name in music long before his Big Brother Africa exploits. Others would argue that the same could also be said of Tendayi Namate who prides in the showbiz spotlight of DJ Lomwe.

But yes I would agree, but not further than the fact that the two’s musical augmentation equalled where both were DJs for radio stations, but that both have been musicians, that’s where I am putting the full stop.

Twice, Code had enjoyed the glare of international limelight when he represented Malawi in two Big Brother shows. Lomwe as well has also had second-chance-stint when he was invited as a performing artist at the Big Brother show after his participation as a housemate.

But if you check their musical presence on the market right now, you will be left unsatisfied as they are found more on media pages than they should be found in music players entertaining people through radios and dancing halls.

DJ Lomwe even attempted in vain to enlist the expertise of a fellow BBA housemate from Botswana Zeus, (real name Game Goabaone Bantsi) and collaborated to do a 12-track hip hop vibes ‘Double Wowza’ mix tape.

The rapper Zeus is no small man in the world of music. In 2010 he was ranked seventh on a list of the top 15 South African rappers and his song 'Imagination,' was once nominated for Best Reggae Dancehall video in the Channel O Music Awards. In 2009, he won the Best Hip Hop video.

Lomwe music career for starters, was instigated by a trip he took to Botswana after the BBA show where he met Zeus to record two tracks, one of which is the album title ‘Double Wowza’.

The duo reunited at the Lake of Stars Music Festival where they also recorded two tracks at around 2am – one of which is 'Catch Me If You Can' - after meeting up with Theo Thomson and set up a studio in a hotel room because Theo had the equipment handy.

Two more tracks were recorded after Lake of Stars, when Zeus decided to stay a little while to have ago at DJ Sonye's Baseline Studio in Blantyre.

As fate had it, the two were invited to Kenya for a charity programme organised by that country's BBA representatives, Nick and Milliscent and while there, they collaborated again to record more tracks under the stewardship of the East Africa's urban music juggernauts in the likes of Nameless, Mad Tracks and Wyre.

As you can see the album was a production of chance and not of proper planning or music and marketing strategy. I will not be surprised if it is performing dismally on the market; that is if it is even on the market at all.

Just to show you that DJ Lomwe is under the ‘charms’ of Zeus, on his own in March last year at a Big Brother Africa (BBA) double-up party show at Chez Ntemba in Blantyre he completely lost it.

He collaborated with DJ Mbuzi but both shouted throughout their performance when they were trying to mimic what musicians do.

Now, after Code Sangala’s second Big Brother Show, he came with two surprises as he attempted to show that he is a decorated music artist.

He changed his stage name to C-O to signal the start of a solo music journey and secondly, he did it to the shock of sibling Shadre. Code and Shadre had together tapped fame using the Kapirintiya music outfit.

Code assured Malawians that "Kapirintiya remain intact while he was going solo to exercise his artistic right.

You cannot blame him when you consider that his musical background is ensconced in his late father’s musical talent and having tested maiden stage performance with his elder brothers Wallstone, presently at MBC, and Caesar you would be believe he won’t stumble.

I am wondering what his ‘Tradistic Soul’ album is doing on the market considering that it was equally launched with pomp – that is if inviting some of the BBA housemates that included Zimbabwe's Bertha with whom he collaborated in the BBA house to perform the song 'Luwalangu' could earn that description – there is nothing to write home about.

Nothing that Code has done so far has reached the top bar set by the Ndirande based group Kapirintiya’s 'Kwathu Ku Ndirande,' album. Yes they did try to come up with the Christmas art piece 'Noel' and then 'Bwenzi Langa’ but they were still found wanting, a solo performing Code has not changed the status quo either.

As Code once advised: “Leave it to time” perhaps I am not a patient man.

But when I try to imagine if such BBA exposure was given to artists like Peter Mawanga or Joe Gwaladi, they would not have taken it on the chin and wait for an invitation of sorts to act?

To me, DJ Lomwe and Code have failed BBA; they needed to take advantage of it to catapult their musical careers beyond the realms of poverty, but with the console of fame and artistic beauty oozing ingenious musicality.

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