Miracle brings Grace Chinga to Comesa
Comesa Hall in Blantyre on Sunday turned out to be too small as it was overwhelmed by a gigantic audience when Miracle Chinga finally launched her late mother’s album Esther.
People started trekking to Comesa Hall in the morning and by the time the show was in progress there was still a long queue snaking from the venue, all the way close to the Chipembere Highway.
It was hot inside such that people were drenched in sweat and it was even difficult for others to watch the performances on stage.
People tussled and shuffled especially those in the front as it was all packed and only a small space was left for performances.
Miracle’s mother Grace – was no ordinary singer, she was an amazing performer and composer – she released successful albums including Thandizo Langa and Ndidzaimba Nyimbo and her sudden death in March this year left the nation in pain.
But Miracle’s performance during the launch brought Grace in the Comesa Hall.
At 17-years and awaiting results of Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations, Miracle may not be like her mother and she may not possess the energy that her mother had but she has potential.
Her entry with a praise and worship song, which took time due to the huge audience, was greeted with a delirium of cheers that brought her smiles.
Before she took to the stage, Miracle who was in short hair, a style which her mother used to spot, late Grace’s mother also performed and she thanked people for the massive support.
Miracle putting on high heeled shoes, commanded the stage well and even interacted with the audience using a slogan that her mother was in love with – “are you happy?” and the audience responded in unison with a heavy “yes!”
The youthful female singer was not hundred percent perfect, she still has some areas to work on among them the voice which will demand her to practise more.
Miracle performed close to four songs including Linga Langa and the title track Esther which were new to the audience before she bowed out paving way for an auction sale.
The auction prolonged for sometime but it saw several people including fellow gospel musicians coming forward to buy the CD with the highest purchasing it at K200,000.
Before the auction went into gear, Prophet Favour alongside his fiancée, who got the CD at K50,000 prayed for the album’s success as well as Miracle and gave her advice to tread carefully if she was to be successful.
Backed by a band that had instrumentalists among them Amos Mlolowah on drums and Dick Kankhunda on second keys, Miracle came for the second time and this time dressed in traditional attire with a headgear before she dished out some of her mother’s well known songs.
It was during this second outing that newly appointed Minister of Civic Education, Culture and Community Development, Patricia Kaliati, stormed the stage as the audience chanted Akweni!Akweni!
Kaliati was the one who cut the ribbon to officially launch the album and she went about the business having asked Miracle to perform the song Linga Langa once again.
“Miracle is our role model. She went through pain with the death of her mother but here she is, standing up and launching her mother’s album. Let other women learn from her,” said the minister, who went on to buy the CD at K300,000.
She requested Miracle to perform Wayalula and later Ndzaulula which dragged her and several other patrons including Member of Parliament and musician Allan Ngumuya to the dance floor.
Kaliati also told Miracle that her door was open and encouraged her to continue her studies alongside her brothers Steve Spesho and Israel.
“I am speechless. All I can say is thank you Malawians for supporting me and my family. We are taking the launch to Lilongwe on September 18 and then September 25 in Mzuzu,” Miracle said after her performance.
Random interviews with people indicated that they were satisfied with her performance.
Some of the artists that warmed up the launch include Ethel Kamwendo Banda, Thoko Suya and King James Phiri.
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