SOCIETY STORY
LUFEYO DZOMBE BACK
WITH CHANGA NDI CHANI
Sings for the poor.
ALBERT SHARRA
Lufeyo Dzombe is here to stay. After six years of silence,
the 2004 best music seller who made record with his Malawi for sale album is back on
the airwaves with a new album called Changa ndi chani. Renowned for his daring romantic
tunes, the Wanga wa Chitonga fame star has bounced back with a different style;
singing purely for the poor and the needy.
Taking the same route as taken by other renowned artists in
the names of Lucius Banda and Joseph Nkasa whose recent albums are commenting
more on socio -economic problems tormenting the country, Dzombe has gone straight
with the title track to sob with poor Malawians who have been reduced from
eating bread and accessing other minor foods due to the just introduced Value
Added Tax (VAT) on most foods in the country. In the song, the artist wonders
why the poor are supposed to pay for all these taxes when their purposes are
not benefiting them in any way
Carrying the central message in the song is its chorus which
goes like “Ndimalipira aphunzitsa
chifukwa amandithesera umbuli, ndimalipira ma lawyer kuti anditeteze ku ma bwalo
oweruza milandu, ndimalipira madotokotala chifukwa amandichiza, alonda
amanditeteza ndipo ndimaperekanso kutchalichi kuthokoza Mulungu wanga
pondipatsa moyo.Nanga misonkhoyi ndiyachani?”[I pay for teachers because they
end my ignorance, Lawyers protect me at
the courts, doctors treat me from diseases,wathmen provides me with security and
I contribute at the church to thank God for giving me life. But why for the
taxes?].
Dzombe believes most of these taxes are irrelevant unless
their purpose is to punish the poor at the expense of reckless behaviours of
some people in the authority.
Other hot tracks expected to touch the hearts of many
include Thambo lagwa and Chilema. The songs are preaching about the
consequences of not listening to advises.
“In music we consider most being relevant. An artist is an
ambassador of the voiceless and the messages in the album are what people are
talking about. This is a production that has taken me three years to complete,
not that it was very tough but I wanted something that could appease my
supporters who missed me for six years” said Dzombe while revealing that he has
been in Zambia where he was working on a music contract project with a women
group called Women Lobby of Zambia since 2005 to 2009.
“There were rhumas that I am dead and others said I was sick
, that is what happens in life but I want to assure my fans that I have not
returned empty handed, listen to my music and you will appreciate,” boasts
Dzombe.
Though the album is expected to hit the market this coming
Friday, the 12 track masterpiece has already started ringing the bell in most
radio stations. Even music distributors have started scrambling to distribute
it. Top music distributor in the country O.G Issa has nodded to distribute it
and has already bought 2 000 copies as starting point according to sponsor and
promoter of the album Ganizani Chingonda of
the Gani Records.
Produced at Gani Records by George Chinthenga formerly of
Rhem studios, the album will be available only in tapes until month end of
January when protected CDs and DVDs will be ready; a strategy set to fight piracy.
Dzombe’s history in music indicates that all his three
previous productions have done well both on musical charts and the market. His
best selling album remains Malawi
for sale which sold over 120 000 copies and is seconded by 2001 production
Tikhale nawo which hit over 50 000 copies.
END.
