Lucius, Lulu tour RSA with shows

ALBERT SHARRA

 

For so long Malawi has been only leading in inviting foreign musicians to perform in the country, with very few of its artists being invited to perform in foreign countries. This signaled something negative about our music and promised no future for the country in music. However, in just a decade, the story has changed. Malawian music is becoming hot stuff in foreign countries with fun lovers there being eager to watch its artists performing live.

 

Witnessing this is a double international music performance invitation that has landed on our four local artists who are being invited to perform outside the country.

 

With Masudi Khonje and Dyghton Mbewe touring Kenya with gospel music, big shows will be in the gold lands of Republic of South Africa (RSA) where our top secular stars Lawrence Khwisa aka Lulu and Soldier Lucius Banda will be touring the cities of Johannesberg, Durban and Cape town with live performances courtesy of RSA entertainment promoters Scallas Café and HK Events.

 

This will be the second time in a year for the secular artists to tour the country on similar arrangements.

 

Speaking when confirming about the invitation, the Mabala fame star said the invitation is a two weeks one and they are expected to perform in two consecutive weekends.

 

“I can confirm to the nation that I have been invited alongside Lulu by a number of music sponsors in RSA and we are expected to spend two weeks there performing. Among the main sponsors are Scallas Café in Durban and HK Events in Johannesberg. In total there are about four but we are treating the trip as one,” he said.

 

Expected to leave the country late this month end, Banda who will travel with the whole Zembani Banda and Lulu will start their journey with a performance at Turffontein School Hall in Johannesburg on first Friday of December. The following day, they will be at Scallas café in Durban and will close the first chapter with a performance at Westlake in Cape Town. The next Saturday, they will be at fun maker Safari hotel winding up the tour.

 

Banda whose two DVDs, Life album and Life Documentary are selling like hot cakes on the market attributes the success of his Life album to his fame in RSA.

 

“Life album is doing miracles in South Africa. People want it very much than what is happening here but I know it is because people in RSA don’t just dance to any music, they listen first and grasp the message. Many people also love Lulu especially because of his recent album which carrying the popular track Mwachenjera Darling,”said Banda while promising to display the best of his capacity.

 

Self styled star, Lulu says he can’t wait for the shows.”It is an honour to me because it will expose me to the international music. I am taking it seriously and my wish is to lift Malawian flag there and give the people what is real about Malawi.I have already started my preparations with Zembani band and we are all geared for the shows,”

One of the orgnaisers of the shows who is also a Malawian but based in RSA Kingsley Kakhobwe, in an email interview indicated that the shows are expected to be patronized by hundreds of people including award-winning musicians in RSA. He said the purpose of the shows is to unite Malawians in South Africa by encouraging them to work together as one.

END.

LL crowns another Florence Banda-LL Miss True African Queen

ALBERT SHARRA

In a glamorous, historical and stunning event, Miss True African Queen beauty pageant formerly known as Miss Matofotofo on Friday night crowned Florence Banda the 2011 Miss True African Queen Lilongwe at the Sunbird Capital hotel Marquee.

As if names matter most in this beauty pageant, Florence has taken over the crown from the current pageant’s national queen whose name is also Florence Banda. The former queen was serving two crowns for the capital city and national.

Dubbed the country’s only best beauty pageant with Malawi’s traditional reflection, the pageant attracted nine beautiful queens from across the city. The group had four chances to convince a panel of six well experienced judges in different parades to book their ticket into the last five and finally in top three.

The race began with an introduction parade then casual, formal, traditional and smart traditional wears. Most interesting and attractive parade that also gave judges a tough time to identify the best five was the smart traditional one. To almost everyone’s satisfaction, the queens displayed beautiful attires decorated with multi-coloured beads and chilundu cloth that really depicted the real life of a true Malawian lady. It had to take the judges almost an hour to settle for the five and they settled for Leah Banda, Constance Kachoka, Florence Banda, Zainab Chimphanje, Getrude Masamba, Halyma Assad Khan and Chikumbutso Sinayi.

However, after the final session of the event which was oral interviews, 34 year-old Florence Banda won the crown which is in its second year now since it was found by Lwazi Mbowa. Leah Banda was crowned the first princess with Constance Kachoka coming out second princess.

The princess received a goat , K10 000, a voucher to plate hair at Aloevera saloon each while Florence had a top up of a voucher to spend 3 nights at Sunbird hotel and K30 000 cash.

The event which was also graced by former Big Brother Africa representative Hazel Warren also crowned Violet Gwaligwali as Miss Personality with Florence making it a double by winning the Miss Beautiful smile Crown.

The all time smiling lady was short of words after the event saying she never expected to win the crown.

“It is a miracle to me, I never expected to win the crown being my first time to contest in the event. But all in all, I am happy to serve the office and i will utilize the crown to help me reach the needy with various support and reach the big mamas with the message that Matofotofo is beautiful, lets celebrate about it,” said Florence an employee at Mota Engil in Lilongwe.

In her speech midway the event, the outgoing Miss True African queen Lilongwe who is also country director for the pageant Florence, asked companies and the business sector to invest more in the pageant saying it has the potential to transform the starving tourism sector.

“Let us all support the pageant because it is the only that is representing what has for long been seen as a no beautiful sample of African women. I believe, done well, this will sell the nation and uplift our tourism standard,” she said while applauding main sponsors Darling International.

Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Culture Daniel Liwimbi who was also guest of honour at the event hailed the ladies for the event saying the pageant is uplifting the flag of Malawi while developing the tourism industry.

According to the pageant’s country director, the next event will be to crown Miss Blantyre in February and Miss Mzuzu pageant will follow. Three queens from each region will batte out at the national finals with the winners going for the continental pageant.

END.

Wendy dances with big mamas in LL

ALBERT SHARRA

In a one time opportunity, big mamas in Lilongwe last Friday night deserted their idleness which they attribute to huge scale of their bodies to dance with self acclaimed dance hall queen Wendy Harawa at the Sunbird Capital hotel marquee during the crowning event of the Miss True African Queen Lilongwe.

Obviously, it is not easy for a big mama popularly known as Matofotofo to match and survive in a purely reggae concert, but the different happened at the venue as the ladies jumped on stage in the last hour of  the show and danced stunningly to local raggea music with Harawa.

It was Lucius Banda’s tracks which Harawa sings most in her shows, Dziko lathu and Amikayele that stole the show during the evening. The culmination of the dance reached when she performed her popular track Toto Ndakana sending the highly filled marquee into deep choruses and serious jiving with other doing it while on their seats.

Minister of Tourism Wildlife and Culture Daniel Liwimbi and some male patrons could not control their agitating bodies but join the ladies in the dance floor that was lead by founder of the Miss True African Queen beauty pageant Lwazi Mbowa and the pageant’s national queen Florence Banda. Even the former Big Brother Representative Hazel Warren could not ignore the moment, for a number of times was seen shaking her body while on her seat.

The hall went weird with some sorts of tension as the fans clapped hands to Liwimbi who swayed the fans with the popular old generation dancing styles.

Speaking in random interviews after the dance, some of the ladies said the opportunity comes once in a time and so wanted to utilize it.

“This was a great night for us and it has displayed that we are not just weak as anyone thinks. We can dance like anyone and this should send a message to artist that we also want special shows like this where we can just dance,” said one of them Lillian Muwuku.

Harawa also nodded to the request saying the big mamas really need a special show.  ”The show was great beyond my expectation and I promise to make them my priority in my career because I am also a Matofotofo and so need to keep them in the entertainment boiling pot,” she said.

END.

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.

END.

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.

END.

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.

END.

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.

END.