Is Traditional Art Facing Imminent Death? Malawi in Perspective

Some emerge from secluded rooms to face appreciative crowds. Others work in groups in crowded buildings to create sculptors and paintings that invoke sadness on people’s faces. Call it the joy of being a fine artist: the ability to bring sadness or laughter on people’s faces.

However, while artists have the temerity to control people’s tempers through their art works, it had emerged that Malawian fine artists who specialize in traditional art crafts are increasingly finding themselves facing a falling sun due to lack of proper recognition and financial returns.

“A lot needs to be done to promote traditional art craft in the country as a significant number of Malawians doesn’t seem to appreciate our works. This is the reason most artists go for contemporary art, which often depicts Western ideologies. What suffers, in the end, is our culture,” says fine artist Kenneth Namalomba.

Namalomba says even policymakers do not seem to appreciate the crucial role fine artists play in national development.

Namalomba, who has contributed to the country’s arts industry through works such as ‘Sunset in Malawi’, ‘Abolition of Slavery’, ‘The Way You Make Me Free’, among others, cites the lack of awards, competitions and sponsorship deals as some of the signs of systematic neglect.

He says, without proper mechanisms to promote cultural aspects that make Malawian artists stand out in a crowded world, local artists will continue to face these little infidelities in their quest to promote local works.

Namalomba says the promotion of art works that depict the typical life of Malawians lies in the power to make the local artist smile, suggesting that the government and the corporate sector should, somehow, inherit the burden of care.

Local versus money
Renowned artist Elson Kambalu acknowledges that Malawi faces a tall order in promoting the depiction of local arts due to issues such as lack of appreciation by Malawians, and the potential to earn income from such works.

“At the moment, there is little we can point at as purely Malawian. Even painting is Western; it’s an alien concept. Artists create works with the idea of selling to tourists in mind. Malawi has never, at any point, developed paintings based on purely local concepts and depictions and this is because artists consider works that may bring them income when coming up with concepts,” says Kambalu.

Kambalu says lack of appreciation of local products has forced artists to prioritise foreign concepts in a bid to maximize financial returns for their sweat.

He cites the proliferation of other types of art works, other than sculptors, as a sign that Malawi is yet to appreciate its own cultural concepts.

“Traditionally, we are into sculptors, even though we also hear that sculptors originated from the East,” says Kambalu. 

Kambalu, who has been fighting for the preservation of local heritage sites, says lack of appreciation for cultural aspects in Malawi has led other countries to claim Malawian concepts as their own.

“Just look at Mipini Art, which we could have capitalized on to leave a mark in the world,” says Kambalu.

“Maybe we don’t treat fine arts seriously. Just imagine, our friends in other parts of the world started developing art academies as far back as 1791, but Malawi has no single art academy. As a result, everyone who wants to become an artist in Malawi starts off by drawing a painting which, in most cases, lacks in some aspects. The problem is that we are not doing painting or sculptor with our souls,” says Kambalu, adding:

“I say we are not painting with our souls because we are not telling our story; we are telling an alien story.”

Value addition

For fine arts educationist and enthusiast, Bernard Kwilimbe, the solution to getting the Malawian artist and arts lover to like local inventions lies in adding value to what is already there.

“Simply put, art means the power of making beautiful things. We already have the people and the implements to use to depict whatever an artist wants to,” says Kwilimbe.

On the issue of duplication of foreign concepts, Kwilimbe says there is nothing wrong with the application of movement-concepts such as realism, renaissance, cubism, abstract art, plastic arts, observing that these movements can be used to depict local aspects.

One of Malawi’s best plastic artists include Peter Masina. Nixon Malamula is another artist whose works show that it is possible to blend foreign concepts with local aspects to come up with something unique.

“What we need is to raise awareness, educating the creator, middlemen, corporate world, and civil society. Otherwise, we already have a firm background, the threshold. You talk of milimo, kusoka mphasa. Even the mask used in the Big Dance; it has a big story to tell,” says the artist.

Kwilimbe observes that, due to their attractive nature, some of the cultural aspects from Malawi are depicted in other countries.

“For example, we have Makonde Arts which, we understand, originated in Malawi. But culture is dynamic; Mozambicans have taken it as their own (art),” says Kwilimbe.

He laments that, while needle work and hand craft used to be part of the primary school curriculum in the days of old, their abandonment led to the collapse in interest among children.

However, Kwilimbe observes that initiatives have been put in place before to promote local arts, citing the initiative by foreign national Paul Januarious who created a website called ‘Brother in Arts’ where local artists portrayed their works. Some managed to secure markets for their goods.

But not all is lost, he enthuses. He says, once value is added to local works, it will be possible for the local artist to put their weary hands to rest, and let their tender heart free to pour itself out in the wise charity of bring smiles on many an arts’ enthusiast’s faces.  

Hassan Kara: Drawing His Way to The Future

...The Story of an Inspired Fine Artist
Born as recently as January 7, 1990, 24-year-old Hassan Kara already considers himself a ‘creator’.

“As a fine artist, my duty is to create all sorts of things using the imagination. Of course, I use the environment to inspire me, and (inspire) my art works,” says Kara, a fourth-year Bachelor of Arts in Education Languages student at Chancellor College, a constituent college of the University of Malawi.

He may not be far from the truth. After all, German philosopher Emmanuel Kant aptly observed that a book publisher selectively mirrors and expresses something that has already happened, while a fine artist “premeditatedly” makes it happen in a context which is imaginary.

Kara falls in the latter category. Exactly 115 days before his 25th birthday, he had already created such art works as ‘Road’, ‘Mother Nature’, ‘Ideal Face’, ‘The Universe’, ‘Experiment’, among others.

What is more? He has even created unconventional art works that include the ‘Experiment’, where he abandons the traditional friend of the fine artist, namely the brush, for seal tape and bubble gum.
“I wanted to bring something new; to retire from the brush and try something geometric,” says Kara.

That, exactly, is also how a new generation of fine artists is turning things around. The one thing about this generation is that they want to capitalize on traditional art, commonly practiced by ordinary villagers in Malawi. Often, these craftsmen have no formal education in fine arts and remain largely uncorrupted by Western creations.

Nevertheless, Kara acknowledges that it is difficult to run away from contemporary art because human society becomes whole only when connected to other parts, and is itself a part of another totality- the universe.

“In the final analysis, Malawi is not an island but obviously a mere part of the whole universe. Therefore, it, too, should fit into the order of the universe, and the arts are no exception.”

Tracing Kara
Like any artist, however, Kara quickly realises that, while in-born talent can be acquired with comparative ease, nothing short of the daily exercise of years can train the man-of-the-imagination to support his talent with auspicious art work.

“Through practice, I have come to realise that I am at my best when working on art works that border on abstract expressionism- in which case, one creates artistic works that are not based on familiar or real objects,” says the artist.

Kara cites the ‘Universe’ as one of the works that border on the abstract. 

 “That painting depicts circles, rectangles to create a picture of the universe that tickles the creator’s imagination, and not necessarily a (universe) which depicts the ideal world. I portray the comt-spoken Kara’s artistic journey started from his imagination; there was someone real who was a real artist who inspired him into the world of wild imagination.
“I was lucky in the sense that my father, Yakuub Kara, was a fine artist who used the pencil to pass the message across. I might have inherited it (the talent) from him,” says the Lilongwe-based Kara, who was born at Machinga District Hospital.
So, while it is true that only his name exists on the canvases of each of his creative works, but his father unseemly inspires his imaginary works. It’s just that the creation of fine art works is best carried out alone.

plexity of the universe by using colours which give the viewer an idea of what the ‘universe’ consists of. In simple sense, I was creating my own universe,” says Kara.

Not that he has been prompted to create his own universe because he is angry with our ideal universe. He says he came up with the idea just to show art lovers that art is not inferior to anything, and has the temerity to bring up creations of gargantuan proportions.
If ‘Universe’ is a creation of gargantuan imaginary proportions, then, ‘Road’ is in a world of its own. The painting depicts a road that leads to a brown sunset, and Kara says this is his depiction of the end of the world.
“It is a fact that, one day, life just has to come to an end. This end comes in two ways: When an individual dies, and when the world, as we know it, shall expire and come to an abrupt end. The end is real,” says Kara.
Some of his inventions include ‘Mother Nature’, which advances the African conception of women and nature as caring.
“The world, I think, is a woman. It shares the attributes of love, care with women. Nature gives us water, oxygen,” he says.
Apart from this, there is ‘Ideal Face’, which he uses to pass the message that we are all one. The impressive fact about the painting is that the faces in it share a common feature: Sometimes a nose, at times eye. Something like that.
A close observation of his works may mislead one into believing that an old hand was at work.


Same old cry
While Kara has brought a new dimension to fine art, he shares the observations made by the old timers that creative minds face a myriad challenges to reach Financial Haven.
“The main problem in Malawi is that people think that art is not an integral part of life. This problem emanates from the fact that a lot of people are not exposed to art: when you are a kid, and are much into drawings, parents tell you to abandon madongo (clay) and concentrate on education. This creates the impression that art work is not that important,” says Kara.
Kara takes himself as one of the fortunate people in Malawi, revealing that his primary school teacher used to encourage him and classmates to draw things on the chalk board while at Lilongwe Christian Primary School.
He suggests that the government should put in place mechanisms aimed at exposing local artists, pointing at the mounting of exhibitions at tourism events as one such initiatve. This, he says, will go a long way in creating a Malawian identity, as opposed to the situation now when contemporary art continues to leave a mark in local paintings.



Facing the future
However, these challenges have not distracted him from pursuing his life dream: creating paintings that draw out the best emotions in us.
“I ventured into fine arts after being inspired by Paul Jackson Pollock whose art movement is premised on creating ideal works through splashes,” says Kara.
Pollock was an influential American painter and a prominent figure in abstract expressionist movement.
Abstract Expressionism is a term applied to a movement in American painting that flourished in New York City after World War II among artists who shared an interest in using abstraction to convey strong emotional or expressive content. These artists moved away from European traditions of painting to create a distinctly American kind of art, which both acknowledged and challenged the domination of early 20th century giants such as Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and Vasily Kandinsky, according to MoMA Learning website.
Other movements include realism, which depicts reality and the art works appear as if they were a real photograph; abstract art, which Kara practices with relative success and includes cubism (the use of cubes to create images); expressionism, among others.
“I am not driven by money. In fact, when I do artwork and someone expresses appreciation; it’s an achievement to me. I want to bring something new in the arts world by combining traditional and contemporary art elements,” says Kara.
By combining these two elements, Kara hopes that the country will soon be saturated with his works- mounded together in peculiar arrangements: piles of abstract and realistic paintings improvised on the walls and our memories.
All these goals are premised on his understanding that, artistic works have the potential to erase the anxieties of common life and let the soothing of the imagination rule supreme.

Aubrey Kalitera: A victim of Malawi’s Second Nature

His stature did not match the nature of a man born as an elevated genius.

In fact, his house- purposely situated far away from the glamorous life of Blantyre Central Business District in Manyowe- did not project the scene of an elevated genius when compared to the grandeur of great personalities in other countries.

And, yet, Aubrey Kalitera- he whose brain churned out more than 20 novels and books, some of which are part of the country’s school curricula- was a great man.

We can, as well, say Kalitera is the answer writer Judith Sargent Murray (1751 – 1820) sought, but failed to get during her life-time, when she queried: “Is it upon mature consideration we adopt the idea that nature is thus partial in her distributions? Is it a fact that she (nature) has yielded to one-half of the human species so unquestionable a mental superiority?”

The answer- gauging by the creativity levels in Kalitera’s ‘Why?’ series or his film ‘To Ndirande Mountain with Love- is an irrevocable ‘Yes’.

Of course, as Murray observed, “The province of imagination hath long since been surrendered up to us, and we have been crowned undoubted sovereigns of the regions of fancy”, but the truth is that Kalitera was a man out of the ordinary. A man born on February 8, 1948 in Maselema Village in the area of Traditional Authority Mlumbe, Zomba, with an elevated genius.

Unfortunately, he was afflicted by the curse of being an artist in Malawi: Rich minds, empty pockets!
Like many creative writers and artists before him, Kalitera bore the blunt of Malawians’ blatant disdain for anything that has a semblance of literature. As renowned author and historian Desmond Dudwa Phiri likes to say, and say again, Malawians are blind to any letters typed in a book.

Phiri’s unflattering observation, to the effect that “If you want to hide something from a Malawian, publish it in a book”, has been ‘approved’ by the nation through its non-willingness to promote local writers and artists by buying their works.

Take, for instance, Kalitera himself. The only time the government supported his works was when it, through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, included his fiction book ‘N’chiyani Mwana Wanga’ on the list of recommended Chichewa Literature books for Malawi School Certificate of Education candidates.

Otherwise, the multi-talented author suffered under the barbarous ‘phobia’ towards any artistic work Malawian. This strange behaviour has the inevitable effect of persuading authors and artists that, somehow, they are not good enough. But that is not the problem.

The problem is that, after making authors and artists buy the idea that they are not good enough, the Malawian- including government officials and private sector players- will use the authors and artists accordingly- paying them peanuts for work that costs a leg- till, at length, the author and artist is turned into someone not very far from nobody.

As proof of it, the Malawian- meaning, government officials and private sector players- spends the whole night at the forsaken artist’s place when they finally give up the ghost- notwithstanding all the deceased’s ill usage.

You should have been there to see this happen! On Tuesday, soon after his untimely death on Monday, his Manyowe home was not as deserted as buyers of ‘Why Father Why?’ ‘Why Daughter Why?’ ‘Why Son Why?’ on the market. If the cash did flow as effortlessly as the sad faces of people that thronged to his home, he would have appreciated the warm-heartedness of Malawians.

You should have been there to see this happen. On Wednesday, as people escorted him to his final lasting place at Henry Henderson Institute in Blantyre, it was as if the nation had supported his creative works all along.

Those who know him say Kalitera had a genteel personality, replete with an abundance of roving wit- attributes he inherited from the communal spirit of T/A Mlumbe’s subjects. Growing up among the ever-smiling people of Zomba, so his admirers say, he bred himself into a likeable personality. It was a bent that could not be straightened even by such influences as town-mongering, civilisation, globalisation, and whatever makes this generation a careless lot.

“He was one of the best writers in the country; a man who did not hesitate to share his knowledge with others. In fact, he was one of the Malawi Writers Union (Mawu)’s reliable trainers,” said Mawu president, Sambalikagwa Mvona, on Tuesday.

What a shame that his books are not commonplace on local book shelves? Who introduced this custom of ignoring our own geniuses? Whatever the case, Murray was right when she suggested that custom, if allowed to take a hold on our lives, becomes our second nature. Thus, the custom of ignoring the works of geniuses such as Kalitera has become our second nature!

“It is a shame that we treat our authors as nobodies,” Mvona said, adding: “Look, we have been talking to the government on the issue of supporting us, to no avail. We have been talking to donors so that they can support Malawians authors, but only the Royal Norwegian Embassy has come to our rescue through the cultural scheme.

“Otherwise, the government seems not to care, the donors seem not to care, and Malawians, too, seem not to care. They only appreciate one’s work when you are gone. We cannot continue living like this.”

Greatness in humility

Born in a typical Malawian village in Zomba, Kalitera rose from a humble background and trod the creative corridors that led to international acclaim. Members of the international community, and the small portion of Malawians that cared, found that, suddenly, his every note was a novel, a film script, or a non-fiction write up on how to become a good writer.

“He was a spring of creativity. For instance, at the Peer Gynt awards last year, he submitted two books namely ‘The Input Substitute’ and ‘Why Poverty?’ He was the only author to submit two books, and that tells you a story about how creative he was. Our loss is great,” Mvona said, adding:

“In fact, we wanted to award him at an event slated for August. So sad he will not be there in person to receive the honours.

And, on this point, Mvona’s voice sounded over all the other voices- full, deep, sorrow-ridden.

Malawians must be as shallow as fountains. They make mockery out of geniuses. And only rise up on dark days like Wednesday (burial day)- when the mood is tinted black and the cheeks are wet with tears of regret- a shameless nation laid low with crushing fatigue and depression.

What makes Kalitera’s death harder to deal with is that he was a gem Malawians failed to tame. And, to prove his gem, he trod on in a country that loathes talent, publishing a horde of books in the midst of adversity.

Book Publishers Association of Malawi president, Alfred Msadala, said despite the challenges faced by Malawian authors, Kalitera showed that it is possible to create works that resonate with international audiences.

“He was unique, knew what he wanted, wrote widely, and many publishers got interested. He was, really, creative and talented, hence catching the interest of international publishers,” Msadala said.

Msadala, himself a writer of repute, said Kalitera was a member of Macmillan, which is a member of the association as well.

But is it not shameful that Kalitera’s works were admired by foreigners such as author, composer, blogger and music historian S.K. Waller? Waller took Kalitera so seriously that she quotes him on her blog, Incurable Insomniac, as saying about a good writer:

"You know what, it is so funny. A good writer will always find it very hard to fill a single page. A bad writer will always find it easy,” Waller quotes Kalitera as saying (Why Father Why, 1983).

Whatever happened for Malawians to dislike sons and daughters of their soil, the fact is that it does not thwart creativity, as Film Association of Malawi president, Ezaius Mkandawire, observed.

Mkandawire said, by producing a movie from the book ‘To Ndirande Mountain with Love’, Kalitera showed that he was a lid that fitted all pots.

“From Ndirande Mountain with Love’ is among the vintage films that Malawi should be proud of. It was made before the boom of this technological advancement where everyone is a film maker because they have a video recorder,” Mkandawire said this week, adding: “It (To Ndirande Mountain with Love) is A very professional (film and) it is in the league of an old great ‘Prodigal Son’, A  film that was short by Norman Phiri for the Scripture Union.”

Mkandawire said, from Kalitera’s life, Malawians can learn that collaboration between authors and film makers can bring the best out of creative minds.

“There must be collaboration between that two, the reason being that not all directors ( filmmakers) can be good story merchants,” Mkandawire said.

However, he observed that turning a book script into a film is not as simple as Kalitera made it appear.

“It is worth understanding, also, that it involves transfer of rights. Unless that is put into a proper consideration, that kind of synergy will always be difficult to pursue. (But) it is important for authors to do just that. The source of stories always comes from authors. Film makers have a role to actualise the stories into film. In that way, both forms of art will have a longer shelf life and create larger audience.”

He said, unlike in the past, when the film industry was small, it is now easy to promote collaboration between authors and film makers.

What is clear, from the life of Kalitera, is that, even when new authors saturate the bookshops with their works, it will be difficult to call to mind new publications and film adaptations that will resemble his. Call it the glory of his creative pieces!

The Making of Big Screen Geniuses: The Parallel Journey of Two Girls Featured in B’ella

…the parallel journey of two girls featured in B’ella

By Richard Chirombo

Reflective solitude and an in-born force of belief, so says Chimwemwe Mkwezalamba, the multitalented 18-year-old whose adventurers in the newly-released local film ‘B’ella, are the tools that have propelled her into the centre of the artistic storm.

Indeed, while the world of arts has largely been considered a masculine privilege due to the dominance of men, Chimwemwe - who plays the role of Kalilole the antagonist in the film- has managed to make a name for herself even at the international arena.

“So far, I am the youngest (film) director in Malawi because, despite being only 18 years old, I won the Silicon Valley African Film Festival Best Imaging Director in 2013 after I directed a movie called ‘The Designer’, which I dully submitted to festival organisers,” Chimwemwe says.

‘The Designer’, which is 45-minute long, was edited by Mid-Media International director David Maseya and revolves around love triangles among the country’s youth.

The fact that she got an accolade from Silicon Valley- a brand well-known for organising film and music festivals in various parts of the world- some of which include the Silicon Valley Jewish Festival, Silicon Valley African Festival- speaks volumes about Chimwemwe’s level of confidence.

She attributes her relative success, so far, to willingness to learn, saying, in a country where acting is fast emerging as a survival tool for professional actors and actresses, she has taken time off to study the men and women who have made a name in the arts.

“I am, especially, inspired by Dikamawoko Arts director, Tawonga Taddja Nkhonjera, for believing in me. He has always believed that I am capable of doing the things I want, and attaining my ambition in the arts,” Chimwemwe, the Blantyre International University Banking and Finance student, says.

She, however, says her fascination with theatre has not distracted her from pursuing her other career goal, namely, banking and finance. She says she is obsessed with the flow of money and the introduction of banks, saying she believes that combining the two will help dispel the notion that acting is for those who have nothing else to do in life.

On some of the challenges she has faced through her acting roles, Chimwemwe, who comes from Mulanje but has spent a better part of her life in Lilongwe, says acting as the villain against her best friend Vinjeru Kamanga has been one of the challenging things in her life.

“For example, in B’ella, I am mean to everyone, including my real-life best friend, Vinjeru (who plays the character of ‘Bella’ in the film). It’s hard when your best friend becomes your enemy in a film, but I have learned to reconcile the two roles,” she says.

Chimwemwe hastens to say she is enjoying her role in B’ella, especially because it mirrors and expresses things that happen in a typical Malawian village. True to her words, B’ella captures the life of teens at Chadzunda in Blantyre district.

 Born on May 5, 1997, the third-born in a family of four says she dreams of starring in a Hollywood film, vowing to make sure that, come what may, she will see to it that she appears on the big screen internationally.

Living the Atem dream

While Chimwemwe’s acting journey could be said to be a result of reflective solitude- where the multi-talented artist has taken advantage of her time alone to concoct award-winning products such as ‘The Designer- the same cannot be said of her best friend, Vinjeru.

Vinjeru, the protagonist in ‘B’ella’, has a story that sounds like that of actress Joyce Mhango Chavula because the name Association for the Teaching of English in Malawi (Atem) features highly in her acting story.

Chavula said in an interview recently she partly owes her success in theatre to her participation in Atem drama. Chimwemwe echoes Chavula when it comes to analysing how it all started for her.

“I seriously ventured into acting while at Likuni Girls Secondary School and featured for the school during Atem drama competitions. I have also acted in such plays as ‘Tubes and Containers’ for Dikamawoko Arts,” Vinjeru says, adding:

“Actually, I am not just into acting. Those who know me will tell you that I am a short story writer, playwright, poet, and singer. I am so many things, artistically, but I am not in a hurry. I take things as they come, one step at a time,” Vinjeru says.

However, the soft-spoken actress, who comes from the area of Traditional Authority Mzikubola in Mzimba district, acknowledges that being new to the big screen made her a bit nervous.

“But I handled the pressure well and are ready to face the world,” Vinjeru says.

She says she is confident that she will make it big, observing that history is littered with women who overcame stereotypes, and systematic oppression to create a tableau of bliss that inspired other women “to dream, think, and act big”.

Vinjeru also observes that it is difficult to escape the
impact of women in the world.

She, however, acknowledges that, while a host of women have triumphed over adversity, making one’s name in acting faces a jungle of professional challenges. She says, even for those who have made a name in theatre, fame has never been is a fluffy concoction of
adorably sweet sensibilities.

“Women have to work their way through a host of challenges. The good thing is that, given the chance, women have shown that they can exceed expectations and put Malawi on the map. That is what I want to do: be good at what I am doing and serve as a role model to the girl-child. We (girls) should not look down upon ourselves,” Vinjeru says.

Indeed, indications are that Vinjeru is billed to “be good at what I am doing” not only through acting, but school, too. She is a first-year Quantity Surveying student at The Polytechnic, a constituent college of the University of Malawi.

Born on June 10, 1992, Vinjeru says she has always been inspired by Eleanor Roosevelt, who she describes as a “born artist”.

During her free time, she likes watching movies or sleeping.

“I take every opportunity I get to sleep and, when I wake up, I am always hungry,” she says.

Kenny Klips: Leading the Way In Malawi

Nothing prepared him for what he has become: A multi-talented artist known more for his masterly of the turntables and music compositions than the auto-engineer he was trained to become.

Today, FM 101 radio personality Ken Wako, alias Kenny Klips, acknowledges that the tape of his fantasies has not rolled in the seamless premeditated flow he thought they would follow.

“I did not want to become a deejay. In fact, I prefer to call myself a turntablist. I wanted to be something different,” says Klips.

Klips says his pipe-dream was to become an auto-engineer because he has long been fascinated by the engines that power mobiles - only for music to break “smoothly” in.

However, Klips is quick to admit that he had a soft spot for music.

“I remember that, while staying in California, U.S., we had (music) equipment at the yard and I used to spend some time mastering it. It was a hobby that, eventually, turned into a day-job,” says Klips.

He, however, says he did not join the music industry full throttle when he came back home in the early 90s, revealing that he concentrated on school.

“When I came back from the States, I never knew how to listen to the radio; I still don't listen to the radio, actually. This is because I do not want to be informed. I don't want to know what the next guy is doing. All I want to do is to make money. Time is money my friend,” says Klips, who reveals that he surfs the internet or reads international magazines when he wants to be informed.

From Deejay to turntablist

Klips, who was persuaded by a friend to submit a demo tape to FM 101 and started working for the Limbe-based station in 2001, says he has evolved from being a deejay and prefers to be called “ a turntablist”.

“I am a turntablist. There is a difference between a turntablist and deejay. A turntablist is someone who makes music out of music by playing records or vinyl, among others,” says Klips, adding:

“The problem with deejaying in Malawi is that each and everyone can become a deejay. My type of deejaying - and the way I understand deejaying- is different from what Malawians describe as deejaying. And, if you scrutinise the industry, you will discover that the average listener does not know what the art of deejaying is all about.”

Klips says, “for the real thing in deejaying”, those calling themselves deejays should tussle it out on www.dmcchampionship.com (which is the world championship of deejaying).

“Otherwise, deejay competitions in Malawi are about who played the song the judges knew; who played danceable music. But deejaying goes beyond that: In the developed world, you will find that people attend deejay battles and competitions to appreciate the art; they go there not to dance but 'watch' the art, in much the same way as people play the guitar. Deejaying is an art,” says Klips.

Klips, who comes from Traditional Authority Msamala in Balaka, says he is one of the rarest breed of turntablists who create music out of music by remixing other artists' songs and creating something new.

For example, Klips has a remix of P Square, Theo Thomson, Blasto, and Chris Brown's songs, creating a unique touch that only he can come up with.

Celebrity status versus fame

While Klips remains one of the select Malawian turntablists to have  turned the tables in the Big Brother Africa House, he maintains that he does not consider himself famous.

“Fame, to me, is the presidency. When people have to book appointments to meet you, and the appointments fail several times before you finally meet; that's what we call fame. Fame applies to those who can't be touched easily,” says Klips, adding:

“(Musician) Lucius Banda, for example, is not famous; he is just popular. We know him and can call him anytime. That, too, is the case with our musicians; they are just popular.”

This notwithstanding, Klips acknowledges that he has played roles that have raised his status in Malawi, counting the establishment of the movement called HHR (Hip-Hop Revolution) - which used to collaborate with the then Zain Malawi (now Airtel)  in unearthing raw music talent from all corners of the country - among his achievements.

“"Before that, up and coming musicians had no chance because they were not being given the platform. So, we coordinated with the then Zain Malawi and ensured that young people who did not have access to the media could submit their music CDs or DVDs at Zain outlets," he says.

He has also triumphed in several local deejaying competitions.

Born in the family of four - two brothers and two sisters - Klips is a well-known figure across Africa, thanks to his prowess on the turntables, a development that has seen him strut his stuff at such platforms as the Big Brother Africa Season Eight, which was dubbed The Chase.

He also once supported Young Kay when the musician performed at a Big Brother eviction show during an earlier season.   

But, in a typical Kenny Klips fashion, the artist-cum-deejay, claims that he did not feel good the first time he played music during the Big Brother Eviction show.

"I did not feel good and I didn't know that anyone was watching me."

Apart from deejaying, Klips is a musician and counts the album 'Mwakawidwanso' among his music exploits. The Hip Hop album was produced and released in 2006.

He also owns the media company Montana Audio, and also works as an auto-engineer and producer.

Clearing the mist

Like all human beings, however, Klips has his misgivings. He picks a bone against the media's tendency to describe some music as urban, gospel, secular, among others.

“It's ignorance of the highest order. There is no urban music because urban music is not a genre. Gospel music is not a genre. Secular music is not a genre. The same goes with the issue of music identity. What do they mean when they say urban music artists? The media are to blame for this misinformation,” says.

“When we talk of genres, we talk of Dance Hall, Reggae, Hip Hop. Of late, we have observed that many people are getting into fusion, fusing a bit of Hip Hop with other genres. That's what Piksy does. The way Lawrence Mbenjere does it.”

This, notwithstanding, Klips sees a future for Malawian musicians.

He says selling music online promises to be the long-cleaved solution to the poverty that seems to cling on to musicians' coat, no matter how they try.

“The online market is fast becoming the biggest market for Malawi music. In a country where the music distribution chain is distorted, this is good news, and I have sold my music online for some time and been able to pay school fees for my dependants,” says Klips.

He says, in a country where commercial banks have “killed music because of their love for big people”, musicians should explore other means of earning a living, citing the online market as one such option.

“You see, I don't understand why our banks are so stingy. In the U.S., the banks are always forthcoming because they want to be in debt and (them) to be in control of your life, and things work well,” he says.

On where he wants to be five years from now, Klips says: “I want to be somewhere where there will be lots of white people. I just don't wanna suffer. I wanna live and survive better than now. I just want to make more money!”

ALLEGED SUPPLY OF PRODUCT LIKELY TO CAUSE INJURY TO HEALTH OR PHYSICAL HARM TO CONSUMERS CONTRARY TO SECTION 43 (1) E OF THE COMPETITION AND FAIR TRADING ACT AQUA PURE BOTTLED WATER

PUBLIC NOTICE OF INVESTIGATION



Following increased consumer complaints, the Competition and Fair Trading Commission and the Ministry of Industry and Trade requested the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) to conduct laboratory tests for Aqua Pure bottled water to determine its conformity with prescribed consumer safety standards, in particular MS 699-Mandatory Malawi Standard on Bottled Water other than Mineral Water Specification.

This request was in pursuit of the Commission's mandate of regulating, monitoring, controlling and preventing acts or behaviour which are likely to adversely affect competition and consumer welfare in Malawi as provided under the Competition and Fair Trading Act.

Findings of laboratory tests conducted by MBS showed that Aqua Pure bottled water failed to comply with minimum standard requirements on total plate count and coliform bacteria. This essentially means that the Aqua Pure bottled water which Bowler Beverages Company Ltd is supplying into the market has been certified unfit for human consumption by the Malawi Bureau of Standards until it satisfies whatever requirements stipulated by MBS.

In view of this, the general public is being informed that the Competition and Fair Trading Commission has instituted formal investigations against Bowler Beverages Company Ltd for alleged supply of products which are likely to cause injury to health or physical harm to consumers, when properly used or which do not comply with
prescribed consumer safety standards contrary to Section 43(1)(e) of the Competition and Fair Trading Act.

In light of the prima facie evidence on the standard of this product, and in the interest of protecting the public, the Competition and Fair Trading Commission is advising Bowler Beverages Company Ltd, that it is required to immediately recall the product from the market given the substantial evidence provided by the Malawi Bureau of Standards certifying that the product is unfit for human consumption.


CHARLOTTE WEZI MALONDA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

CALL FOR INCREASED BUDGET ALLOCATION TO THE MINISTRY OF YOUTH AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT

COMMUNIQUE:

23RD FEBRUARY 2015

CALL FOR INCREASED BUDGET ALLOCATION TO THE MINISTRY OF YOUTH AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT

1.0 Introduction

The Youth Act Alliance is a network that has a membership of over 35 youth led organizations across the country. The Alliance’s secretariat is Child Rights Information Documentation (CRIDOC) which is responsible for coordination and day-to-day operations. The network is composed of the National Advocacy Platform, Regional and District Advocacy Platforms.

2.0 Vision Statement

Safeguarding children and young people in maternal, newborn, Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) and HIV health care programs in Malawi through advocacy.

2.1 Mission Statement

A platform of youth led organizations that advocate for improved service delivery, quality and equitable access to youth and child friendly health services in the circles of maternal, newborn, sexual reproductive health and rights, HIV and AIDS, and youth and child rights at local and national levels in Malawi.

3.0 Objectives

3.1 To build capacity of the Alliance’s membership and mobilize resources in support for its membership.

3.2 To advocate for quality, equity and improved service delivery in the areas of sexual and reproductive health rights for young people at local and national levels in youth and child friendly health services manner.

3.3 To foster networking, collaboration and information sharing among its membership

3.4 To advocate for youth social, economic justice and youth inclusion in decision making positions in order to realize youth demographic dividend.

4.0 Situation Analysis

In Malawi, 60% of the population are young people below the age of 24. Young people aged 25-35 years account for 17%; meaning that 77% of the population of Malawi are young people. The majority of these young people face various social and economic challenges such as early marriages and teen pregnancy, unsafe abortions, high school dropouts, unemployment, exclusion, poor youth friendly services provision and accessibility, low access to comprehensive sexuality education, low investment in youth programming, socio-economic injustice and inequality, high rates of HIV infections and Sexually Transmitted infections (STIs), just to mention a few.

However, while the Government has on several occasions promised and developed ambitious policies on youth programmes, there still remains a yawning gap in terms of translating the programmes into practice. The youth sector is marred by underfunding whenever resources are made available in executing the programmes, politicization come into play.

We, the youth from all the three regions of Malawi strongly disapprove the decision of Parliament and Executive arms of the Government in trimming the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development budget allocation from MK 1.1 Billion Kwacha to 600 Million Kwacha.

We register our concern to the August House and the Executive to rescind the decision and increase the budget allocation to the Ministry as 1.1Billion Kwacha as this was not enough already.

The 2014/2015 financial year budget allocation to the Ministry of Youth with 1.1Billion Kwacha budget beak down (analysis) was as follows;

ORT     K 120,605,905

Personal Emoluments  K 259,822,126

Development Part II  K 690,000,000

TOTAL     K 1,070,428,031

Distribution of ORT within the Ministry Departments

Total ORT    K 120,605,905

Administration   K 57 Million

Department of Youth  K 36 Million

Department of Sports  K 26 Million

Total budget for the ministry represented 1% of the national budget

In 2013, a budget of 120 million kwacha was presented by NYCOM to Ministry of Finance; however only 50 million kwacha was given. Yet the annual wage bill for NYCOM was 45 million kwacha. The remaining 5 million was not even adequate for rentals, utilities, vehicles etc. It was just another dead year for NYCOM and all the youth. Similarly, the 2014/15 budget for NYCOM is around 160 million kwacha, but only 55 million kwacha has been earmarked.

Again 2014/2015 also seems to be a dead year as the Mid-Year Budget Review has trimmed the budget to 600 Million Kwacha. This, essentially, means that the 600 Million Kwacha is earmarked for salaries and administrative operations only.

The reduced budget allocation means that there is zero budget to the Youth Reproductive Health Rights and HIV services, Youth Leadership and Participation, Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF), National Youth Service, Youth Centre and Recreational facilities, Complimentary Education, Youth Economic Empowerment, Formal and Informal Vocational Training and the construction of a Multi-Purpose Youth Centre in Mzuzu is now a white elephant. This is automatically deterring national youth development as the industrious, energetic, innovative population is being sidelined.

As a significant demographic dividend of the county’s population, the youth strongly oppose the decision made by Parliament and the Executive because the government is not bigger than the entities that voted it into power, in this case we – young people. It is the obligation of the Government to ensure that young people benefit equitably from the tax payers money. We believe that the priority of trimming the budget should have, instead, gone to the Malata subsidy.

It is our constitutional right for the state to provide basic social amenities through the national budget. The current position has propelled us to demand for the rescinding the decision by Parliament and the Executive in trimming the budget allocation to the youth sector before the Parliament rises. We, the youth pay taxes too and we deserve to be a priority within priorities in as far as realization of demographic dividend is to be achieved across the country.

According to the provision under Chapter I of the Republican Constitution of Malawi, “the authority to govern derives from the people of Malawi as expressed through universal and equal suffrage in elections held in accordance with this Constitution in a manner prescribed by an ACT of Parliament”. In this context; we demand our power to govern by calling the Parliament and the Executive arms to reverse the decision made.

Signed:

ChimwemweKaonga     Edward Phiri

Chairperson       National Coordinator

GEOFFREY ‘MR SPLASH’ KAPUSA TO HOST SECOND MUMA AWARDS EVENT

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015

PRESS STATEMENT

The organisers of the annual Music Malawi (MUMA) Awards, MediaCorp Limited and

Trocadero Consulting in partnership with the Musicians Union of Malawi (MUM) are

pleased to unveil Television personality Geoffrey ‘Mr Splash’ Kapusa as the host of the

Second Edition of the Awards. The awards ceremony will be held at the Bingu

International Conference Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe on Friday, February 27, 2015.

Kapusa is the senior producer at Malawi Broadcasting Corporation Television and show

host of the popular musical show Music Splash which for years has become the main

television outlet of Malawi’s popular local music.

The organisers believe that with Mr Splash hosting this magnificent event, it would bring

the glamour and dynamism that the awards deserve. This is also to recognise the efforts

Kapusa has put in promoting and developing Malawi music through the years that he has

been hosting Music Splash.

This edition of the Awards has fifteen (15) categories which are open for voting covering

different genre and artists/groups that have made an impact on the local music scene in

the 2014 season and also has a special Life Time Achiever accolade that would be

bestowed on Michael Fredrick Paul Sauka, the composer of the country’s National

Anthem. Sauka will be awarded posthumously and it is expected that his widow Beatrice

Sauka will receive the award on behalf of this son of Malawi.

The voting started at 06.00 hours on Thursday February 12, 2015. Note: This is for Airtel

subscribers only.

A full list of nominees and the voting codes can also be accessed on the MUM Facebook

page http://www.facebook.com/mumaawards or follow us on twitter @MUMA_awards,

and the website: http://mumaawards.tumblr.com

BUDGET PARTICIPATORY MEETING

BLANTYRE CITY COUNCIL

21st February, 2015

For immediate release

BUDGET PARTICIPATORY MEETING

Blantyre City Council will on Tuesday, 24th February 2015 hold Participatory Budget Meeting in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Civic Centre, Blantyre from 9:00 am. The Council is in the process of formulating its budget for the 2015/16 financial year.

To ensure that the budgeting is participatory, the Council has scheduled this meeting where members of the public are expected to give their input into the budget. The contributions from the public are very valuable to the Council as together we can do more in developing our City.

Members of the media are invited to participate in the meeting and also provide coverage of the same.

Anthony Kasunda

PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER

Early Marriages: A Thorn in Education for All Goals

As education officials work day and night to find lasting solutions to school drop-out rates that show no signs of scaling down, another monster, namely early marriages- threatens to reverse the gains in Mulanje District, as RICHARD CHIROMBO found out recently.

Caroline Mikwamba looked almost celebratory as she waited for the next popcorn customer at Namphungo Trading Centre in Mulanje this particular Sunday.

It was clear, however, that, deep down, her ceiling of self-esteem had dropped so low that she only wanted to hide.

“The thing is, I am only 14 years old but I have gone through a lot in my short stint on Earth. For example, I dropped out of Chisawani Primary School (in Mulanje) when I was 12 years old and married,” she confesses.

Caroline, who comes from Namphungo Village in the area of Traditional Authority Juma, says marriage was not an experience filled with roses and flowers.

“I immediately became the target of abuse and was often subjected to beatings and other forms of abuse. It’s an experience I would rather forget,” she says, excusing herself momentarily to attend to a female customer.

But the soft-spoken and shy Caroline hastens to say she was forced into marriage due to resource constraints. Faced with challenges such as lack of clothes, body lotion, and school shoes, she felt that the bright future education officials promise comes with so many sacrifices.

  “So, when the next man I met proposed love to me, I accepted. I was not forced into marriage by my parents; I merely informed them that I had found a husband and they did not object,” she says.

Unfortunately, she is not the only one to have fallen into the pit of early marriage at the expense of education in Mulanje. She says she knows two girls of her age who are married in her village.

For 14-year-old Gloria Phiri, swapping school for marriage is the “worst decision I have ever made”. Experiences she encountered after dropping out of Chisawani Primary School in 2012 while in Standard 7 will forever remain etched in her memory.

“I thought life would be easy in marriage,” says Phiri. “Instead, I faced a number of unanticipated challenges.”

She urges girls to remain in school, saying resource constraints should not weigh down their hopes for a brighter future.

This story of girls swapping education for marriage repeats itself in the case of Mercy Wyson, who thought that education suited boys and not girls and became a family girl.

Frustrated by lack of resourced and wooed by the open arms of a matrimonial home, Mercy could not do otherwise but opt for the role of a house wife at the tender age of 12.

She only rescinded her decision when her mum, Estere Muliwa, encouraged her not to give up on her hopes of sitting Malawi School Certificate of Education examinations one day.

“I encouraged Mercy to take another go at education and, as a mother, I try to provide what I can because I realise that school is very good for her,” she says.

Poverty hampers school retention

At the top of girls’ grounds for dumping school is the issue of resource constraints.

One of the girls who dropped out of school to found a matrimonial home, Estere Muliwa, says the availability of resources such as school bags, shoes and uniform could go a long way in retaining girls in school.

Her sentiments are echoed by Mikwamba, who says lack of learning materials was one of the factors that influenced her decision to drop out of school.

“Well-wishers, the government and other organisations should ensure that resources are available for the girl-learner to do well in school and during national examinations,” says Mikwamba.

A local education official agrees. Namphungo Primary Education Advisor (PEA), Jimmy Villiera, says the sight of girls of school-going age busy carrying out domestic errands remains a cause for concern for local authorities.

  “Some girls drop out of school after being lured by boys who into cultivate tomatoes, tomato cultivation being an income spinner in these areas. So, lured by prospects of money, some girls drop out of school and marry at a tender age,” says Villiera.

He, however, observes that some community initiatives have led to a decrease in school drop out rates.

“Although we are yet to come with the exact figures, there is a notable change as a number of girls have gone back to school,” says Villiera, adding:

“For example, we have Mother Groups. These are women who act as role models and encourage girls to remain in school. The girls also have models in form of primary and secondary school teachers as well as the Member of Parliament for Mulanje West, Hon. Patricia Kaliati.”

He says education officials are hopeful that these initiatives could help keep the girl-child in school.

Villiera looks after 12 primary schools, of which eight are full primary schools while four are junior primary schools.

Local problems, local solutions

While the spectacle of school-age girls washing plates continues to be part of life in Mulanje, local communities are generating ideas that would lead to a reversal of the situation. Among the lieutenants fighting for position change is Group Village Headman Mwawihe, who is the chairperson of the Chiefs Council, a network of traditional leaders who have the welfare of their subjects at heart, in the area.

The council, which has eight like-minded chiefs, has enacted by-laws applicable in areas that fall under the chiefs’ jurisdiction.

“For example, we have banned marriages of youths who have not yet clocked 20 years. Anyone who married at the age of 15 pays the fine of a goat,” says Mwawihe.

He says, apart from this, chiefs no longer allow children to attend dances that span all night long, imposing a curfew that becomes effective from 3 P.M.

“We want our children to remain in school,” he says. “As I am speaking, some of the children who dropped out of school are now back in class. Indeed, four girls who got pregnant while in school have gone back to school after taking care of the babies,” says the chief.

Apart from chiefs’ efforts, some community members have also adopted the role of peer educators. One of the educators, Loveness Kaipa, says she was inspired to take a leading role after observing that culture and negative stereotypes continue to conspire against the aspirations of women in the village, leading to a large number of girls dropping out of school or getting pregnant.

Kaipa, who comes from Chafikana Village, Traditional Authority Juma in Mulanje, is now using her experiences to motivate girls who have dropped out of school or become victims of early marriage.

“I faced my own challenges in terms of getting education opportunities. I used to do things out of ignorance and I think I also married while young. This is not strange here because there seems to be competition among girls to marry fast. There are lots of young people who married while at a tender age. In most cases, most girls marry after getting to Standard 8.”

While both chiefs and peer educators are doing a commendable job, it is not an overstatement to say that no one understands the development needs of Namphungo Trading Centre and surrounding villages better than Tikhiwa Pazala.

It comes as no surprise, therefore, that he currently holds two influential positions: Area Development Committee (ADC) chairperson and Community Mobilisation Team (CMT) chairperson.

Pazala says: “We have established that most girls marry at an early age, while those still in school face the challenge of unprepared for pregnancies, and these cases prompted us to engage guardians and parents who force their children to marry at an early age.

“We have also created by-laws and, through the by-laws, we mete out punishment to parents who force their children to marry at an early age. The parents pay a fine of K5, 000, while the bride and bride groom each pay one goat in fines.”

However, Pazala observes that challenges remain.

“One of the challenges is that of lack of resources (in terms of fees) after the girls do well in Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education examinations. It is common knowledge that poverty is rampant in Malawi, a problem exacerbated by orphan hood. In the end, girl-children believe that marriage is the solution to their problems,” says Pazala.

This notwithstanding, police officers are appreciating the efforts of community members, with Child Protection Officer at Namphungo Police Unit, Sergeant Getson Ching’amba, acknowledging that things are changing for the better.

“In the past, lack of knowledge negatively affected the synergy between community members and officers.

“In the past, community members did not know the right procedures for reporting, say, cases of those of marriage by individuals who are below the Constitutionally-recognised age for marriage,” says Ching’amba, adding:

  “On our part, we have been conducting outreach programmes in schools, churches, apart from running a Victim Support Unit,” he says.

National picture

Not that early marriages are a concern in Mulanje only. At the national level, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology putting in place mechanisms that would stem the rate of early marriages.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Rebecca Phwitiko, says, among other measures, the ministry has been encouraging girls who dropped out of school to go back to school after delivery.

“We have also been creating an environment that is conducive to learning for the girl-child,” says Phwitiko.

Civil Society Education Coalition executive director, Benedicto Kondowe, says the nation needs to put in place deliberate mechanism aimed at creating a level play ground for the girl learner.

“This includes good sanitary facilities in schools, removing barriers that hamper access to education such as long distance to schools, and providing the resources that would enable girls and boys to excel in their education,” says Kondowe.

May be it’s due to initiatives such as these that girls like Caroline have gone back to school. The challenge, however, is to keep them there.

More so when it is clear that the gulf between bringing the girl child back to school and retaining them stays unabridged.