By Precious Gondwe:
At 15:12 hours on Thursday last week, musician-cum-politician Lucius ‘Soldier’ Banda’s remains were interred into the grave, signaling the end to his sojourn on this earth.
For 30 years, his name was synonymous with music in Malawi and beyond.
As some people have alluded to, if Malawi were a movie, it would as well have been said that Soldier composed its soundtrack.
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“Soldier of the Poor’, as he was affectionately referred to by his fans, composed songs that touched every fabric of the society— be it politics, activism, love, culture, religion and what have you.
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He was a musician par excellence.
As his remains jetted down at Chileka International Airport in Blantyre last week, one could not miss the many familiar faces of musicians that were in attendance to welcome him from South Africa on his final journey home.
Among the notable faces present were Dan Lu, Lulu, Mlaka Maliro, among others, all of whom have shared the stage with him at one point or another.
Either directly or indirectly, through his Zembani Band, Impakt Events and other fora, Soldier mentored myriad people in the country.
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Many artists in the country have suckled on his music wisdom; as such, his fingerprints are almost everywhere on the Malawian music scene.
You will be surprised to realise that, away from the stage, Soldier mentored many people, such that some of them are event organisers, band leaders, composers and even businesspersons.
Soldier’s death is not just a huge blow to the music industry, but to other sectors of the society as well.
This is because he understood his role. He understood that as an artist, he was not just merely a musician but the voice of the voiceless.
As such, he ensured that his work served as a reflection of the society’s consciousness, hence serving as a catalyst for change.
Through his music, the Balaka-born musician was a soothing voice to the downtrodden; a voice of calm in the turmoil of life.
He, therefore, trod where some mortals feared to tread.
He composed many songs that all music producers would not have loved to be associated with.
It is not surprising that renowned event organiser Jai Banda nicknamed him “Soldier” as he saw someone who, through music, fought for the masses.
Through his music, Soldier became the humble human rights activist. This is clear in the song ‘Amangokhala’, where the persona speaks against the death sentence.
Through his Impakt Events, Lucius brought us the Sand Music Festival.
Sand Music Festival transcends music; different sectors of the economy benefitted from the event.
We, surely, cannot underestimate its multiplier effect. People in catering, accommodation, transport, curios and handmade crafts and other industries generated income through the event.
The tourism industry, too, tapped from the event, accommodating visitors, including guest artists, from far and wide— notable Jamaica, South Africa and Zambia.
In Sand Music Festival, Soldier created jobs, be they temporary of full-time ones. Many people were employed in different capacities before, during and after the event.
It must not be forgotten that Soldier was a Catholic at heart.
As such, the church had to hold a requiem mass upon the arrival of his remains in Balaka.
Just this year, on Palm Sunday, Soldier was in hospital in South Africa.
Still, he found the time, from his hospital bed, to share a video in which he was asking Christian fans about Palm Sunday activities. He wanted to know, for instance, how their procession had been.
As a Christian, he was also tolerant and aware of the fact that his fan-base was made up of people from different religions. As such, his next Facebook post was a message wishing all Muslims a happy Eid-ul-Fitr.
This was Lucius Banda, a Christian at heart, but religiously tolerant in deed.
The man from Balaka was clearly a man of all.
Indeed, from Balaka, Soldier, inspired by brother Paul, wrote the script of Malawi music.
And, with his success, he could have easily chosen to relocate to either Lilongwe or Blantyre cities because of their economic pool.
However, he made Balaka his home until his death. He talked about Balaka with joy, and one would see that beam in his countenance whenever he mentioned the name Balaka.
I would love to see Zembani Band holding annual memorial shows for Lucius Banda in Balaka. Balaka, this man was proud of you; immortalise him.
On Thursday last week, as his body lay peacefully at Balaka Stadium, where the funeral service was held, many people could not hold back tears, more so after seeing a visibly heart-broken Paul.
In life, Paul loved Lucius with all his heart. As a result, he could not stomach what was happening; that his beloved brother was about to be laid to rest— to become one with the ancestors.
Today, Soldier lies silently and peacefully in the Sosola Village graveyard after being sent off with prayers.
To the Banda family, pepani pepani ndithu, we mourn with you. Your loss is our loss as well. You have lost a husband, father, brother and uncle.
As for us, we have lost an artist, mentor and a fearless soldier.
Thank you for sharing Soldier with us for a good three decades. The crown that Lucius has left is too heavy to be put on by anyone.
It is/will be very hard to reproduce another Lucius Banda, but all we can try is to reproduce his different attributes that could be found in different people.
That way, we could have the musician, mentor, composer, leader, events’ organiser, activist, and philanthropist in all of us.
As the Soldier slept, all I could sing was the chorus from his song “Mulandireni”
Mulandireni/
Munthuyu anali munthu wabwino/
Anali okonda mtendere/
Kukambirana mmalo mwa nkhondo/
Pumani bwino/
Tidzakumbuka zabwino zanu/
Maliro anu ndi chitsanzo/
Ayanjanitsa dziko lonse…
