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.

Do we have a song for rendition?

I read in the Jamaican The Sunday Gleaner of April 2, 2017 that it has been over 40 years since Peter Tosh released his classic hit song Legalize It from the album of the same name.

This year, to celebrate International Peter Tosh Day on April 20, the Peter Tosh Estate is releasing a 2017 remix of this powerful and prophetic canticle, which was from the first album Tosh released after leaving the Wailers. This is according to The Sunday Gleaner.

The publication further explains that the song was written by Tosh as a response to his ongoing victimisation by the Jamaican police, but it was also a political statement pushing for the legalisation of marijuana.

In Ganja's pre-emancipation era, the oldest Jamaican publication highlights that Legalize It became a unifying anthem that brought like-minded exponents of the herb together from diverse countries and cultures and that in recent years, the perception of marijuana has changed radically, with many jurisdictions now making allowances for research as well as for recreational and medicinal use of the herb.

Two things quickly came to mind; one is that Malawi is exactly doing this by researching on industrial hemp while the other sent me searching for any legendary music icon or an enormously huge musical hit that can deserve such mention or better still that, can enjoy a modern rendition.

When asked to mention Malawi’s legendary musicians, we are fond of lining up names like that of Daniel Kachamba and his Kwela Band, Stonard Lungu, Snowden Ibu, Allan Namoko and the Chimvu River Jazz Band. There are also tracks from Kalimba and Makasu as well as by the Old Police Ochestra, New Scene, led by Morson Phuka, The Roots, Wambali Mkandawire juts to mention but a few that are considered to have rich value for our hall of fame.

If I ask readers which track could be an outstanding one befitting special mention will it be Kalimba’s Sometimes I wonder, or Anachita Chobaya or Uthenga waimfa by Stonard Lungu.

There are also tracks by Jivarcort Kathumba's 'Abale Wanga'; Joseph Nangalembe's ‘Mwananga Che Ben’; Daniel Kachamba's ‘Anthuwa Bodza’; MBC Band's Tikulonjereni; Robert Fumulani's Chemwali; Namoko's Lameck; Lucky Stars’ Chinafuna M'bale; and of course Super Zunde’s Kongolo Wene.

Back to my earlier enquiry, do you think we have a musical artist of a song that require the national attention, recognition and to be held in the highest regard by setting aside, say a Joseph Nangalembe Day for example?

I know that Martse has done a rendition of Billy Kaunda’s ‘Mwapindulanji’ and in the recent past San B and Nepman have done a copy from fallen Reggae King Evison Matafale’s Kuimba 1 album called ‘Chauta Wamphamvu’.

While for Martse it is said he got Kaunda’s blessings, for Matafale’s song there was a dispute on the question of copyright issues as some family members felt short changed and demanded answers.

Well this is perhaps a kind of scenario that one might advance as a mitigating factor why there is no such recognition of the same. However, the question still remains if any past songs and musicians produced a kind of musical art that turned the nation on its head due to its influential effect requiring it to be honoured today.

Do we need to move or establish a body that should look at such songs or as the saying goes, good wine needs no bush?