Lulu’s pleasant disappointment

Lulu’s latest and sixth album Better in Your Arms is a pleasant disappointment. He dropped albums called Mbambande, Kumalembe, Sindilola, Ndakudziwa and Mwayenera and everyone were thinking he could not better any of his works. But now listening to the 12 songs in the latest album, you start wondering why we are not mentioned in the same breath with the best of the world.

Here is an album that shows not only the demonstration of talent but how ‘talent’ can be turned into music that can only turn your brains into jelly while trying to figure out how he has done it.

Lawrence Khwitsa, the artiste we call Lulu was going to waste away had he remained closed in the studios where he started from to become one of the talented faces of the country. He is a multi-talented instrumentalist who has made a home in front of any musical instrument. Added to that he knows what to do in the studio to create music that soothes the soul as it caresses the ear.

It was just befitting that the album had to be launched early this month September at the first-rate Bingu International Convention Center (BICC) in Lilongwe. The album is top-notch it wouldn’t have asked for any lesser place.

It is not as if he doesn’t know that he has done some good work. In some of media interviews that I have seen Lulu seems to be suggesting that this is a better album because of its inclination towards gospel nature.

The track ‘Undipweteka’ is mind-blowing considering that on the first impression, one would have been mesmerised by what he calls his choice of music, which he describes as universal to quickly realise that it’s a reggae beat- a kind of lovers’ rock. The rest of the tracks are a fusion of R‘n’B and pop laced up with some traditional elements.

And Hannah is also a love track that encourages a downtrodden wife. When one listens to the messages in the twelve tracks one can but appreciate why it has taken Lulu 3 years before working on another project. Of course, I cannot be sure of the period because I got confused when I stumbled upon some information that stated that Lulu’s five albums before this one is Magwiragwira, released in 2002, Mbambande in 2004, Kumalembe in 2009, Sindilora and Ndakudziwa in 2013.

I took it up to Lulu to clear the confusion but he confessed that he was equally confused.

Anyway, Lulu says he started doing gospel songs a long time ago, only that, this time, he wants to do more. Gospel songs talk to him because there are a lot of things that come out when one listens to God’s words.

Now when one considers that Lulu was introduced to gospel music at the age of seven, we cannot blame him. His father was a member of a quartet that used to rehearse at the backyard of their house and eventually, he found himself singing at church after becoming a member of the praise team at Kawale Assemblies of God Harvest Temple.

It was at this point that he began his numerous relationships with different music equipment. When the band drummer failed to turn up, Lulu would find himself beating the drum, the same way with the lead guitarist, keyboardist etc resulting in making him the master of all the music equipment.

Anyway, without getting to sound like I am promoting the album, all I can ask of you is that please do get Lulu’s latest album and let’s talk. There is a media colleague of mine Priscilla Mphande Nyirenda, she listened to ‘Undipweteka’ got hooked to it and sang it like life will never end for her, so try it as let’s see what this music will do to you. Only then will I get down with a better review!! His ability to beat his bar is a pleasant disappointment!!!