On a taciturn and wet Saturday night, music lovers in Blantyre still turned up for Mangolongondo Night at Kwaharaba Art Gallery and Café.
They listened and danced to the sounds of musicians Waliko Makhala, Faith Mussa and Annemarie Quinn.
Hosted by contemporary dancer Robert Magasa, Mangolongondo Night is held every last Friday of the month but changed its sequence to be held on a Saturday for once.
This was because Annemarie Quinn, who is one of the founders of Mangolongondo Night, is leaving the country for the United Kingdom in a week’s time.
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With The Easter Experience taking place at Sunbird Mount Soche Hotel, a few kilometres from Kwaharaba, Mangolongondo Night pulled its own fans in a musical feast that lasted for close to four hours.
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The Easter period has been a challenge, in terms of electricity supply, with load shedding taking its course, but the organisers made sure that a generator was there to supply power.
Waliko, with a band that included his son on trumpet, opened the showdown, offering a few songs that included ‘Moto Wayaka’ and ‘Ndiwomwewa’, whose librettos hit at politicians for playing double standards. “I am excited to warm for Annemarie Quinn and Faith Mussa. Music is food for the soul and today, being Holy Saturday, it is important to do this,” the ethno-musician, who dubs his music ‘Bush Music ‘Uncivilised Music’, said.
The sounds of Waliko set a textbook tone for the concert, with Faith taking over and performing at Mangolongondo Night for the first time. Having been out of the limelight in recent times as he was in United States of America (USA), Faith, performing as a one-act set, kept the audience entertained, telling stories of love, resilience and faith through his music.
“It is my first time to perform here and I feel honoured, especially sharing the stage with Waliko and Annemarie,” he said. The musician ended his script on a high note, dishing out songs such as ‘Mdidi’ and ‘Desperate’, which laid his music base. Annemarie was the last to perform and, backed by Anthony Supriano on percussions and Stanley Phiri on bass guitar, she offered songs from her Blue Sky Thinking album, a project which features several Malawian artists.
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“I have been here in Malawi for a long time but I am going back in a week’s time. We might come back because Malawi is now my home,” the emotional singer and guitarist said.
