Close to three decades Jai Banda has made headlines
in Malawi's entertainment cycles. Very few know that he is a lawyer.
I started hearing radio adverts going as 'I am not a
doctor, I am not a soldier, I am not a lawyer, I am just an entertainer' back
in the days when Bright Nkhata and Makasu Band were hogging the spotlight in
this country.
We might fault his touting the wattage of his
equipment, the style of his organisation or argue that his most hyped best
lighting system adds nothing to the music shows that he promotes. One thing we
cannot look down upon is the fact that the country's entertainment industry
owes him a lot.
There was a time that Jai never took my criticism
kindly. Someone had organised a choir festival where over 30 performers were
expected to perform from 7am to 7pm.
I was not reluctant to talk about the music equipment
owned by ‘Mr. Entertainer’ himself.
My argument then was that equipment is like human
beings when it comes to getting tired. Equipment cannot perform at its full
capacity for six non-stop hours without showing some fatigue.
Main instruments that project quality output are
supposed to come with substitutes. I had observed during this particular show
that at around 6pm when
The Ndirande Anglican Voices were taking to the stage,
the equipment had lost their sharpness and was sounding hoarse and tired. The
performance had to be stopped briefly.
The next day Jai extend an invitation to me to go and
appreciate how much he can afford all what I had talked about.
Basically I brought this aspect just to show you how
passionate Jai is to music.
You cannot be doubting his love for the industry
when you consider the list that he has been involved with having grown up
within the neighbourhood that legendary Oliver Mtukudzi lived In Zimbabwe.
Just to mention but a few Jai has worked with States
Samangaya and Police Orchestra, Ethel Kamwendo Banda, Ben Michael, MBC Band,
Evison Matafale, Billy Kaunda, Lucius Banda. He continues to work with the
Black Missionaries and all the modern great.
Having sacrificed his time to the local industry at
the expense of his family, Jai decided not to just surrender and leave the
stage as he concedes that years of sleepless nights are now catching up with
him and he can now feel it all through.
He has decided to give the entertainment industry his
own son Tonderai to take it from where he would have left off. Ever since
Tonderai started I have continuously seen Jai still taking charge. It clearly
shows as there might not be much take home rewards, it is very clear that his
addiction to the entertainment industry is more of a blessing that it is
supposed to be otherwise.
I once commented
about John Nthakomwa of the Mibawa Entertainment that he is one
investor that the Malawi music industry desires his replication.
Within a short
time yes Nthakomwa has invested immensely in the industry. Jai's contributions might
not be seen in the same light as what Mibawa has achieved in a very short
period of time.
More of what
Jai has achieved cannot be measured. It cannot be touched. It cannot be
compared. He has done great to the industry at the time when no one ever took a
serious thought about the entertainment industry.
He emerged at
the time when people used to associate it with Chamba smokers. The musicians at
the time were only called when it suited the corporate world. Once their end
was achieved the musicians could be dumped and they cared less what their lives
would turn out to be until the next time when their services would be required
again.
For Jai, he
has always been the all-weather friend to the industry and for that this the
column makes him the inaugural recipient of its life time achiever award.
