Hope gone yet Hope remembered
Dan Lufani is a well-known artist in the country having released a number of albums.
But little is known about his brother Hope, who died on Thursday at Koche Catholic Hospital in Mangochi.
A musician and producer, who just recently recorded some of the songs for Blantyre-based musical group Young Generations Band of their upcoming album Africa Rise, Hope, had been battling cancer for some time according to her sister Yamikani Chikoti.
Hope, an exceptional talent, who also starred for Dan Lu’s Rockers Band, was laid to rest yesterday at M’baluku in Mangochi.
For the years I have watched Hope perform, I saw an energetic artist, who was passionate about music and apart from curtainraising most of his brother – Dan Lu’s performances, he also played instruments with the keyboard as his main instrument.
He was mostly behind the scenes but did so much in music and he was the band leader of Rockers Band at one-time.
Although I followed him greatly trough social media where he usually announced his projects, the last time we met was during the Matafale Memorial show last year where people enjoyed reggae vibes in the rains. We took a photograph.
Hope released a number of songs and although some of them did not air frequently in the country’s radio stations, he proved he was in music not by chance but rather he loved it and that this was his career.
Dan Lu said he was saddened by his brother’s death and that he will miss him greatly.
“He was talented and had a future. He was hard working. His strength was in production and that saw him producing songs for me and several other artists. He was a band leader of my band – Rockers Band and I toured with him in a lot of shows but he moved on to concentrate on his projects,” Dan Lu said.
He said that Hope also helped in fighting for fellow musicians and that he was not afraid to voice out his concerns during different forums.
Jai Banda popularly known as Mr Entertainer said Hope’s death was a great loss to the creative industry.
“Hope Lufani was multi-talented and we were working on his new album together. We were supposed to launch it after launching the Six Solid Band album. He could not only double as a keyboardist but was also a prolific vocalist,” Banda said.
He said that Hope was always seeking advice from him.
“He loved Entertainers Promotions. He was humble and down to earth person and sometimes gave us his songs to critique. We will miss him,” Banda said.
Musician Symon Matipwiri, who worked with him in Rockers Band and was also the band leader, described Hope as a humble person and that he was a good keyboardist.
Yamikani described her brother as creative and talented as well as a good producer and that he died on May 21 2020, a day after his birthday.
“My brother Hope was a rare talent, friendly, lovable by many and very humble person. He was very dedicated and passionate about his art even when he was ill. He loved production and he loved music,” Yamikani said.
Shadreck Chikoti, a renowned writer, and husband to Yamikani, wrote Hope’s tribute on his Facebook wall: “Hope mlamu (in-law), this is too much. Is this what you had been planning all along? Your birthday comes a day after Uhuru’s and so each time we celebrated his birthday, we remembered yours and did we not combine the birthdays of the past three or four years? You make it worse, you make it painful, especially Shamiso, when you pass on a day after your birthday, two days after Uhuru’s”.
Chikoti further writes: “Today I have been singing the song you composed with Shamiso’s poetry. “Oh little bunny, you are so funny, and today is very sunny. Do you like to play in the sun, just for fun? They sent the vocals to me while I was in Iowa and I loved it. And you made the song during your Papa’s funeral. I am I the only one, who thinks your life was deep and that you were carefree because you had a connection with the universe?”
Hope might not be known to many but for those, who followed his musical journey, he contributed greatly to the creative industry.
It is sad that in most cases, we honour or talk good of people when they are gone but so many times when I met Hope, I told him he was an amazing talent.
Hope Prince Lufani was born on May 20 1987 to the late Reverend Sonny Lufani and Agness Lufani of Mb’aluku Village, Traditional Authority Chowe in Mangochi.
He was the sixth born in the family of eight children.
A graduate of Robert Blake Secondary School in Dowa, Hope went on with his tertiary education at African Bible College to pursue Bachelor of Education but he dropped out in the third year of the course to pursue his passion in music.
