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.