Hundreds scramble for Naeto C show in LL

ALBERT SHARRA

It required only those who spend good hours at Gyms lifting heavy objects to get an easy entry into the fun maker Zanzi in Lilongwe where a popular Nigerian rapper Naeto Chikwe aka Naeto C was performing alongside our own self styled Tay Grin last Friday night as hundreds of people of all generations scrambled for an entry at the venue.

The show was expected to start at 8pm as per publicized information but by 7pm the venue was fully packed and fans already started scrambling for an entry.

However, despite coming in time, the keyed up fans had to wait till midnight to watch the 10 over 10 fame star who could not be seen at the venue alongside Black Rhyno owner Tay Grin till midnight. Surprisingly, no one showed any signs of frustrations by the delay and when the two arrived at 12:21pm the venue turned into weird of excitement with fans singing in choruses Naeto C  wabwera! Naeto C wabwera!

The show started at exactly 1:17am with Tay Grin singing a number of his popular tracks and wind up his turn with his recent remix Oga Oga sending the fans into maximum entertainment

Popular for his stage antics, Naeto C could not disappoint the fans. He dished a number of well-liked songs in a back to back non stop performance throwing the fans into serious jiving. Among the popular tacks that sent the fans weird included KI NI, big deal and Lagos party remix from his recent album Super C. However, it was his popular track 10 Over 10 that could go without a backing voice from the audience.

Speaking in a vox pop interview, patrons at the venue praised the two artists for their performance saying they gave them the quality they have been lacking for so long but complained on late arrival of the artists at the venue.

“This is what Malawians of today want, we want star performers who can satisfy their audience with even three songs. We are satisfied but would request the two if they can arrange us an afternoon show before Naeto C returns to Nigeria,” said the patrons.

Commenting on his visit to Malawi in an earlier interview, Naeto resident of  Owerri in the eastern part of Nigeria said he is happy to visit the country and said he is optimistic that the partnership he has set up with Tay Grin will benefit the two countries musically.

“I respect Malawi for its talent in music and I believe I will learn a lot and Malawi as well also benefit a lot from Nigerian music talent,” said Naeto C amid advising the young artists to desist from computerized music and dependence to sponsors to have their music produced saying talent sells itself.

Tay Grin hailed the fans for the patronage saying he has learnt a lot that people in the capital city are hungry for his music and has pledged to organize another show soon.

“I am very impressed with patronage Lilongwe fans have given, this is very good and motivating. I will come back soon with another show as a token for their support,” said Tay Grin while rebuffing the late arrival complaint raised by the fans saying that was the show’s arrangement.

According to organizers, over 1000 people patronized the show.

Naeto C arrived in the country on Friday afternoon through Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) aboard a South African Airways plane and was expected to perform two shows in Lilongwe and Blantyre.

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Clemol crowned 2011 FAME Designer of the year

ALBERT SHARRA

After being selected as a designer who produced the best dress design that fits the First Lady Callista Mutharika last year, 29 year-old designer Clemol Sato of International designs on Friday moved a step further to the last slot to win the 2011 Fashion Malawi Edition (FAME) best designer of the year title at the Capital hotel marquee in Lilongwe.

Clemol who is just four years in the industry was short of words after the event but said he was not surprised with the nomination saying he has best designs that could not deny him victory at the competition.

“I am humbled that I have won the title which was so competitive. It is a great honour to me and I believe it will act as a stepping stone in my carreer,”he said pointing out a variety of designs he has as having some elements which most designers don’t know.

For the second time in a row the first lady has also liked his dress designs and she has pledged that she will put on one of his designs during the next United Nations (UN) conference.

Speaking during the event, Mutharika who was also the guest of honour at the event hailed founder and director of FAME Zalanie Nyundo for the initiative which she said will promote creativity among designers and promote designing in the country.

Nyundo said it is her wish to see the initiative growing very big and more youths joining it. She also asked the corporate world and individuals to support the initiative saying design has a bigger role to play in the development of the country.

Over twelve designers both from Malawi and the surrounding countries exhibited their artistic work. Among them  include Uta Kylie, Kara Maria, Manuka, Khalidwe, International designs, Sheen Karim, Samalani Youth Designs, Afrofasions (Mali), L’Afric, Patricia Mtambalika (Namibia) and Lilly Alfonso.

Clemol is the second winner of the title after last year’s winner Lilly Alfonso.

This year’s event was held under theme redressing our environment.

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Immigration deports Jumani

ALBERT SHARRA

Immigration Malawi yesterday (Wednesday) deported Jim Jumani Johansson on conditions that he was leaving in the country illegally.

Immigration Malawi Public Relations Officer Peter Kakatela confirmed the development in a separate interview yesterday afternoon.

Kakatela said Jumani whose Swedish passport number is 62521615 has been residing in the country illegally for more than a year.

“We have really deported Jumani yesterday through the Kamuzu International Airport. We have established that he was leaving in the country illegally for almost a year. We have caught him when we were doing our routine operations and when we checked all his documents we established that his time to stay in the country expired sometime back,” said Kakatela rebuffing all allegations that the Immigration service has been targeting him.

According to Kakatela, Jumani who came into the country last year in an effort to trace his father‘s home land applied only once a 30 days  temporary residence permission t live in Malawi after the expirely of his first residing period.

“When a foreigner comes into the country, he/she is given a visitors permit which is 30days and there are other two chances to extend the stay by 30 days each if there is need to do so but it is only after the visitor has given concrete reasons. Not only that if these three residence permits have expired and the person still need t stay on concrete reasons, he is entitled to apply for a Temporary Resident permit whose duration is 6 months, but Jumani only applied once and when it expired he never did again.

“As per Immigration Act, anyone leaving in the country without permission is breaching the law and we term the offense as deportable offense. The act empowers the office to deport the person immediately,” said he.

The deportee has come at a time when Jumani was also on police bail on accusations that he insulted and threatened to kill president Bingu Wa Mutharika at his home in area 47 in Lilongwe.

Jumani came into the country last year claiming that he is the son to the former president of the country Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda but his efforts to be recognized and be admitted as the son of the former first citizen of the country has been meeting resistance from all quarters of the concerned sides.

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Maloto a Pharaoh relevant, LL fans

Maloto a Pharaoh relevant, LL fans

ALBERT SHARRA

Hundreds of fun lovers who flocked to Capital hotel in Lilongwe last Saturday to watch the third premier of Maloto a Pharaoh a stage play produced by Michael Usi aka Manganya have openly praised the piece saying it is beautiful and relevant to Malawian situations.

Speaking in a Vox pop interview, the fans who most of them are the ones who failed to watch it during the last performance at Crossroads hotel due to space said they came deliberately to witness the relevance with the negative comments that have been made since the first show in Blantyre.

Since its release two months ago, the play has received both negative and positive comments to an extent that the Malawi Censorship board decided to scrutinize the play on the basis that it is political in nature and it is attacking government.

“We have heard a lot and I came here just to prove this, but what I have seen today is different and I wonder why Malawians are always against the truth. Stage plays are one ways of speaking for the poor as is done by some musicians and this is what I have seen in this play,” said one of the patrons Anderson Muyawa.

Another fan Linda Gumbata of area 10 in Lilongwe hailed the play saying despite the political element in it, the play is really portraying the current situation in Malawi and the educative part of it is just beautiful and development oriented if taken serious by our leaders.

The most interesting part that swayed most fans, is the last part in which Manganya the pastor refuses to bless the wedding of Tesha and afana GG because Tesha was a prostitute. The pastor takes advantage of that scene to impart knowledge in stubborn leaders in families, companies or nations who believes in themselves most intelligent and they can solve any problem that can come before them that they should consult others when confronted with troubles.

The pastor brings in a popular Egypt scenario that saw king Pharaoh of Egypt swallowing his pride to ask young Joseph to interpret his dreams for the sake of saving people of Egypt when the country was in hard times.

The play also highlights the difference between wisdom and education in as a far as leadership is concerned.

With some news beats and polishing, the play which features crème de la crème of actors in the names of Seasons of Life Tapiwa Gwaza, Litys Viola, Thoko Suya, Tikuferanji TV play actors Augustine Mauwa, Patricia Malunga and Fides Kumwembe and former Wakhumba Ensemble Theatre duo Gift Namachekecha among others, has moved an inch to advise boys to be clever when in relationship with girls to avoid being double played. It is also exposing the weakness of men who accept to change women at bottle stores.

In an interview, Manganya (Usi) who strongly distanced the play from politics said Malawians should take advantage of the play to build a better Malawi for the future generation by working together, consulting each other and pick others views when faced with problems.

“My dream is to contribute to the development of the country and that’s what the play is all about, it is about oneness and an advise that one head can not solve everything and hence the need for tolerance by our leaders if we are to succeed,” said Manganya pointing out Isaiah chapter 1 verse 18 which reads” come now lets reason together” as the only solutions against any problem.

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