‘Best of Paul Banda’ DVD launch in May
Veteran musician Paul Banda will launch his first ever DVD Best of Paul Banda on May 6 at Bingu International Conference Centre in Lilongwe.
According to Zachariah Jezzman, who has spearheaded the production of the DVD through Anthu Ambiri Records, the launch will be part of celebrating Paul’s journey in music.
The launch will see Paul sharing the stage with his brother Lucius alongside San Bennet Msokera popularly known as San B.
He said they decided to work on the Best of Paul Banda for people to sample his music videos in this world of technology.
“Paul Banda is one of the music legends in Malawi having embarked on the music journey at a very tender age of 15. His story of how he started his music journey is amazing and that is why we embarked on the DVD project,” said Jezzman.
He said that he used to be known as Che Beni as a young boy, a name he extended to Benson.
The singer and guitarist, who insisted that he never wanted to do a DVD until he was convinced to do so by Jezzman, started his music journey in 1974 when his mother sent him to buy salt at a grocery where, for the very first time, he saw musician, late Joseph Nangalembe.
“He was physically challenged but he was impressed with the way he was playing a guitar at a party, a thing he could only hear on the radio from a neighbour’s house,” said Jezzman.
According to him, Paul recalls that he forgot to buy salt since he could not let the live sound of the guitar exit his ears.
This prompted his mother to follow him because she was not sure what Che Beni was doing at the grocery.
“Joseph Nangalembe left a mark in me,” said Paul, who has several albums to his credit.
When Paul went home, he made his own guitar known as banjo using local materials and a gallon and that marked the beginning of his music journey.
Four years later, in 1978, Paul started Alleluya Band together with Father Mario, the band that continues to entertain Malawians and supporting the operations of Andiamo Campus financially.
He later went on establish a recording studio known as Imbirani Yahweh which produced albums for different musicians.
The singer, who turned 50 two years ago which coincided with Malawi’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, was bestowed the title of Sir by renowned music promoter Jai Banda alias Mr Entertainer.
The DVD the first for the musician, has 10 songs and includes a one hour full documentary of the life of the musician taking viewers through his music journey, sharing his successes, lessons, challenges, his future plans and advice to musicians and Malawians.
Jezzman said Anthu Ambiri Records having worked on the production, will also support him in marketing and distribution.
“We just want to call upon the corporate world to support us in this project. We cannot do the launch alone, we need their support if it is to be a success and we call upon companies to buy tables,” he said.
Jezzman said some of the songs that people will sample in the DVD are ‘Malilime,’ and ‘Achimwene Muzigona Kunyumba’.
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