Sam Simakweli’s attempt at resurrecting Chaphuka

Paul Chaphuka remains an enigma because he came at a time when there was the rebirth of Malawi music. His one and only album ‘Ndichiritseni’ released at the time he had just died on May 11, 1997 was only made possible by legendary brothers Paul and Lucius Banda. What would have become, had he not succumbed to skin cancer is a subject of conjecture.

But his album is marked in the all highly treasured archives as one of Malawi’s classic music production, albeit going with the equally pioneering all famous Balaka genre.

Chaphuka’s career started – or it is better known to have started – when he played with Mte Wambali Mkandawire and as an instrumentalist he used to play the bass guitar a departure well registered when he joined Alleluya Band where he was now playing lead guitar.

The album had many captivating tracks like Nkhoswe, title track Ndichiritseni – which of course is a Chichewa rendition of Alpha Blondy’s song ‘Heal Me’ found in the album Dieu. Just like Alpha Blondy who suffered a mental breakdown that prompted the release of the track in 1994, Chaphuka too, having realised of his ill health sought God’s healing power. As they say the rest is history; while Blondy survived, for Chaphuka, it was never to be.

Lucius and Paul had to finish the album and together included a tribute Tsalani in the album. This is all to give you a picture of the priceless sentimental value that this album has.

Now why I am all rumbling about Chaphuka today is because Sam Simakweli has taken a ‘leap of faith’ and done a rendition of one of Chaphuka’s great hits in the album called Mavuto Tawaona.

It is this one that has brought us to talk about Chaphuka in light of this production from Simakweli who currently brands as Sam Smack.

When you understand the pain and richness of this song just like the rest of the tracks in the album, you realise that it would require a special reason to do a rendition.

The place to look for such a special reason is obviously in the released newest production and my effort to look for one in Simakweli’s Mavuto Tawaona did not help matters as it left me with mixed feelings.

To begin with, this is a classic that, much as effort would be made to modernise it, there is still need to preserve its touch. This without doubt should have been achieved with Simakweli’s golden voice. But for whatever reason he decided to sound like a Nyanja speaking Zambian.

Smacks is one of the six-pointed stars in the local urban genre and if any attempt was made to do a Chaphuka rendition everyone would give it to him if he so decided to bring in the urban elements. Now he does so by bringing in a guy I am hearing for the first time called Michale Es.

My problem is not because I have never heard of this guy before. But here is my explanation:  

There is a ring to all the classic tracks that are redone by modern artists. They tend to resurrect the old, by making it to the top of numerous charts. The reason Simakweli’s effort on this Chaphuka track has not made necessary noise is because it has not brought any fresh impetus to the resounding following that the initial track attracted.

Most of the old folks who fell in love with Chaphuka’s original toils feel short-changed especially with the rapping which, as most of our rappers do, did not bother to make sense and bring clarity to own lyrics thereby degrading itself to the levels of noise.

In short, with the bar that was set by Chaphuka, any attempt to redo his work should be well thought of and should not come in half measures. Unfortunately this one has.

Princes rides on the back of 7thDay

Some two weeks ago gospel musician Princes Chitsulo and Dan Lufani were the only artists that scooped two awards each at the Second Annual Music Malawi (MUMA) Awards ceremony in Lilongwe.

 

Many people felt like Princess Chitsulo who got the Best Gospel Female spot did not deserve the other award of the best Song of the Year for her “Ndidzayimbabe” track because it’s not her composition but that of the Seventh Day church. The song is said to be found in their hymn book which is popularly known as ‘Kristu Mu Nyimbo’.

But I am surprised that this is only pointed out because it is Princes who did that when almost all of our Gospel artists in the country with an exceptional of just a few merely copy songs from international artists and turn them into their own.

 

It reminds me of the late Paul Chaphuka of the Alleluya Band of the old. He released an album called ‘Ndichiritseni’ helped by veteran Sir Paul Banda and his brother Lucius at the time when he was in his lowest ebb as he was battling with cancer.

The story of his condition and the effort to record the album in his state made the album very popular but years later it was disappointing to note that in fact the title track ‘Ndichiritseni’ was plagiarized. This was the composition of Ivorian reggae maestro Alpha Blondy also by the same title, although in English, called ‘Heal me’.

By the way, the track by Princess was produced by the evergreen Lloyd Phiri whose track, in his latest album, called ‘One Love’ borrows its hook from the late Lucky Dube’s Ding-Ding.

The most shameless of the country’s entire gospel act is Ndirande Anglican Voices which copies everything from South African gospel artists and only remove words that are in South African local language and replace them with Chichewa.

If you think I am lying just listen to the group’s ‘Oyimba Ndiambiri’ which is carbon copy of Debora Fraser’s Bizwile... not sure of the title but I have the track with me. Ndirande Anglican Voices also did ‘Ndibwelera’ which they copied Vuyo Mukoena’s ‘Themba Lwami’.

And now The Great Angels also did ‘Opanda Dipo’ which they copied Lundi’s track that I can’t remember the title in the mean time.

Then there is a case of Evance Meleka who, when he declared himself a ‘Gospel Artist’ I had no reservations with his decision but my problem was where he had decided to become an Oliver Mtukudzi copycat which has instead turned him into an impressionist shame.

If I ask the people reading this who have listened to Evance to tell me whether or not he is one of the few gifted guys with golden voice, none will raise up their hands to disagree with me.

Meaning, Evance’s voice is unexploited gold which only he can take care of and nurture as time goes by but he launched his gospel music career with tracks where he has imitated Oliver Mtukudzi unashamedly.

When you check the behaviour our artists it is clear that they don’t care because they do not know that copying without following copyrights laws has consequences.

Just Wednesday this week a court in the USA has made musicians Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke pay US$7.4m to Marvin Gaye's family over their track ‘Blurred Lines’ which they say infringed Marvin Gaye copyright.

A jury awarded Marvin Gaye’s children nearly $7.4m after determining singers Thicke and Williams copied their father’s music to create Blurred Lines, the biggest hit song of 2013.

The verdict could tarnish the legacy of Williams, a reliable hit-maker who has won Grammy awards and appears on NBC’s music competition show The Voice.

When you listen to the two tracks you will need to be attentive to capture a split second similarity in the progression cord but here they are told to pay such huge sums while our Gospel artists copy everything and only slot it in the Chichewa words.