Blacks pull huge crowd at Blantyre fundraiser
Reggie group Black Missionaries on Friday night performed at Mkango Lodge in Blantyre during a fundraising show for Chileka Nyabhingi House which pulled a massive audience.
This was a Friday show but it spilled over to the early hours of Saturday.
The show saw Black Missionaries better known as Blacks or Ma Blacks in the music circles putting up an electric performance that left many people satisfied.
There were some slight technical glitches which affected the sound when Anthony Mr Cool Makondetsa was performing but things improved later and the same also happened when Black Missionaries was performing.
The reggae group performed for hours dishing out songs from all their Kuimba albums before bowing out around to 4am.
Anjiru said they could not perform until morning as some people wanted since they had shows in the Northern region having clinched a deal with Population Services International (PSI).
The group left soon after their performance at Mkango Lodge for the north leaving the stage for other artists.
During the show, Black Missionaries also took time out to remember keyboardist Gift Thugo who passed away last month saying they will miss him and his talent.
There was no-one on the keyboard which Thugo used to play with Keyboardist Chizondi Fumulani doing it all alone on the main keys.
With lead guitarist Takudziwani Chokani and drummer Paul Chokani now with the revived Wailing Brothers, who launched their album Unfinished Project recently, Owen Hulera and Amos Mlolowa are now playing the two instruments respectively.
The two seem to have fit in well and Anjiru told the audience that Mlolowa, who produced the group’s Kuyimba 10 and Hulera, who was part of their Kuyimba four album which was a success with hits such as ‘Ndamusowa’ standing out, were not new in the Blacks family.
He said the two have been performing with them in the past years.
Anjiru could not be drawn to comment on the revival of the Wailing Brothers by the Chokani brothers, which have brought in several stories.
People have been curious to know more since but the two parties have remained mum.
“We are not here to talk about others; we will only talk about Black Missionaries and all I can say is that we are on a mission and we thank God that the mission is still going forward,” he said.
The group’s bass guitarist Peter Amidu kept on telling the audience during the gig that Black Missionaries were on a mission and not competition.
Anjiru said they were thankful to God for the gift of life and for the talent and the support they received during the show.
“We will continue the mission because this is the talent that God gave us. We are also thankful to PSI for hiring us to be part of their programme of disseminating important messages to the youth,” he said.
The show also saw several other artists in attendance including Fuggie Kasipa, who was arrested recently in connection with illegal fire arm and is currently on bail.
Kasipa at onetime jumped on stage after being invited by Blacks lead vocalist Anjiru Fumulani, where he hailed Black Missionaries for continuing the mission which late Evison Matafale started.
He said he patronised the gig to offer his support to the group. He however, did not perform telling the audience that he was currently working on new songs and that he will perform next time.
Other artists, who were present included ‘Manga Mabuleki’ star Francis Dangoman Kadango, producer and musician Limbani Chibwana, who at one time showed his skills on the keyboard and Annie Matumbi, who performed with Black Missionaries collaborating in the song ‘Ndizayimbabe,’ from their Kuimba 10 album.
The show also saw several other performances and they included Khozie Masimbe, Yanjanani Chumbu and Young Generations.
Makondetsa also hailed people for their support saying they were where they are today because of their massive support.
“It was a good show, it’s been sometime since we performed here and it seems people were hungry. We just want to call upon them to continue supporting us,” said Makondetsa.
He also maintained that people should look forward to his latest album later this year.
Random interviews with people indicated that they were satisfied with the performance.
“I have enjoyed the show, I thought with the moving out of the Chokani brothers will compromise Blacks performances but the two guys who have come in have fit in well and the sound is still the same so it was a good show for me,” said Lloyd Buleya.
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