Implications of HS Winehouse Closure

There was a time back in 2004, when indeed a building structure designed to serve as a warehouse closer to the Railway station in Blantyre was transformed to become a soundproof indoor theatre that would become an entertainment haven.

The Warehouse Cultural Centre however disappeared in 2012 or thereabout as mysteriously as it appeared eight years earlier.

The Warehouse, if you must know, is the place that stood shoulder to shoulder with The French Cultural Centre in bringing all sorts of arts, be it drama, musical performances, poetry festivals and the list is endless.

It is however music that I want to talk about. It is at the Warehouse where we first enjoyed acoustic music in earnest. Edgar and Davis, Agorosso came to be popularised at this spot. This is also the place where Mablacks, Lucius Banda and Zembani Band used to play.

When around 2014 or thereabout HS Wine House opened its doors down in Namiwawa in Blantyre not many understood what it was meant to become, let alone why the fuss when it was just another bottle store that will specialise in selling wines.

However, it was never to be as it was almost like an ambiguous response to the question of a befitting replacement of Warehouse, of course not in real terms considering that this was right in the middle of residential area where already complaints of noise pollution would become one of the blockades.

But nevertheless this became the home of acoustic as well as jazz music performances. All the established names and budding artists would go there and perform to a middle class clientele with the possibility of turning out to become bigger since this was a decision making congregation.

The other big thing is that the venue was being offered for free and this was therefore availing opportunities to both the budding - to gain exposure and the established ones - to get more visibility.

And for the entertainment media practitioners, this was almost like a package full of all what their pages and broadcasting time yearned for.

For the entertainment starved patrons this was a perfect spot that offered them a variety of artistic performances in a mild measure; not the Chez Ntemba kind of booming music or the Motel Paradise kind of Phungwee, but that artistic feel that gives you both musical entertainment and an artistic purview.    

Of course after the exist of the French from their cultural centre which was sold to Malawi Government, our efforts as a country to carry on where the French left off has proven to be a total disaster.

At first it was all left to vandals before Government renamed it Blantyre Cultural Centre and started renovating it but is still failing to make it what it used to be. Now it is not as an attractive spot as it used to be as entertainment activities there are sporadic.

Seeing the gap, with the influence of the French, another place called Jacaranda Cultural Centre opened its doors and in has brought with it, its unique way of hosting a number of entertainment activities.

This was complementing HS Winehouse which like I said earlier was hosting entertainment activities differently, with every Fridays being special days full of all artistic happenings.

It is therefore very sad to learn that all what HS Winehouse was offering has come to a halt following the announcement of the owners that they have closed down the place and are relocating to Mangochi.

Of course we cannot force them to hang around if it is not making business sense but we can still mourn the place's passing knowing too well how the entertainment industry used to benefit from them and how they will become an orphan again.