Ndirande-based music group Kukana Kuba Kasambwe Band on Thursday was all smiles as it received Vinyl Records of the album they recorded at Mass Moca Studios in United States of America (USA) last year.
The band recorded the songs with Grammy Awards nominee Harlan Steinberger.
The records were presented by Alliance Francaise de Blantyre Director Luc Deschamps and Board Chairperson Aaron Sangala at the Sounds of Malawi Acoustic Session.
Apart from the vinyl records, the band received a Songlines magazine that features a world music chart where Kukana Kuba Kasambwe’s song was on position two.
“This means more for them. The album is already out on the market but Harlan and team decided to put the album on vinyl records as part of preservation [efforts],” Deschamps said.
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Kukana Kuba Kasambwe Band has members Joseph Msofi Band, who is the lead vocalist and plays the acoustic guitar; Konzani Chikwata, who plays the banjo; and Fatsani Kennedy, who plays drums.
“We are thankful for this and we, as a band, will keep on giving people authentic music,” Msofi Banda said.
Their album—which people can access online—has songs such as ‘Getu’, ‘Kungade’, ‘Mtima Wanga’ and ‘Timkonde’.
Before Kasambwe received the vinyl records, the band dished out some of their songs at the Sounds of Malawi Acoustic Session, sharing the stage with Local Girl Keturah and Lucky Stars Band of the ‘Chinafuna Mbale’ fame led by Boniface Ndamera.
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Hosted by ethno-musician Waliko Makhala, Kasambwe warmed the stage before signing off with an appreciation track for the vinyl records.
Next was Keturah, who opened her set with ‘Chimbalame’, a song where she sings about courage and hard work, and finished off with ‘Akule’, a track that advocates for the protection of the girl-child to attain education.
Lucky Stars Band was the last act and, with Ndamera at the helm, they continued from where Kasambwe and Keturah had left off but it was ‘Chinafuna Mbale’ which won the hearts of patrons.
“This is the music we miss nowadays. I hope players out there will continue to utilise these artists,” Bright Gondwe said.
Sounds of Malawi Acoustic Session, which this coming Thursday hosts another veteran artist in Patrick Simakweli, will hold its debut festival in August this year.
