My Journey In Music.
I was born from a Muslim mother and in a predominantly Muslim and Traditional society. I never knew that one time I would become a professional music artist. Even so, the other fact is that my family had a musical background in that my mother used to sing political songs for one of the ministers who parted ways with Dr. Kamudzu Banda- the first president of Malawi. This happened after the 1964 Cabinet Crises. One of the ministers then, Dr. Masauko Chipembere, was from my area and my mother was singing political songs for him. Her brother, my uncle, who learned driving in the second World War, was one of his two drivers. Later, Dr. Masauko Chipembere went into exile to the USA and died there. In the latter years, my mother started singing political songs for Dr. Kamudzu Banda. She was leading songs for women from my district, Mangochi, formerly known as Fort Johnston. If you can come across songs by Kamudzu's women, officially known as mbumba, from Mangochi district, most of the songs you will hear were composed and led by my mother like "Walira Koto" which means the hard or deep cry( but referring to fallen politicians- the president's opponents). It was one of the songs that the president liked and few of the songs that he sung along during political rallies and his official visits within Malawi. My mother was a great singer. That's part of the family Musical background.
My Journey In Music Continues.
On the other hand, my family also had a background of traditional music. My mother was a daughter of a village headman of our village- Makwinja. Makwinja was a son of group village headman Chindamba- the first traditional head of our area- Malindi. This was the area where Dr David Livingstone described as having arrived at a place where the mountains come very close to the lake- on his last missionary trip coming from Mozambique and passing through the Southern coastal area of Malawi- someone wrote. When he arrived in my area, he met my great grandfather- Chindamba- the father of my grandfather- Makwinja and he was a Muslim.
My Journey In Music Continues.
I am talking about the traditional background now. Dr David Livingstone conducted a Sermon and my great grandfather, Chindamba, attended with his counsellors but he never got converted to Christianity but one of his subjects. Today, I am a pastor and of the fourth generation from him and that event- the traditional part.
In a letter to Arthur Tidman of the London Missionary Society, David wrote, “I hope to be able to work as long as I live beyond other men’s line of things, and plant the seed of the gospel where others have not planted. My great grandfather never got converted after his Sermon but his great grandchild is the pastor-me today. I want people to know this but I am still talking about my journey in music and in reference to my family's musical background.
The bolder that Livingstone used during that Sermon is embedded into the western wall of the St. Martins Anglican Church in my area. In fact, he was my great grandfather, Chindamba, who sold the entire area that the Anglican missionaries occupied in my area and built a college, now St. Michael's girls' secondary school, a hospital, primarily school and other infrastructures followed in latter years. So he sold the land to the Anglican missionaries between £2-3 in the late 19th century.
My Journey In Music Continues.
Because of our traditional background, many traditional activities in my village took and still, take place right in our compound. One of the identities of these activities is traditional music- in Yao. Makwinja, my grandfather, conducted boys initiation ceremonies and his wife, my grandmother, conducted girls' initiation ceremonies and Litiwo- for pregnant women. When she conducted Litiwo, I was set apart to tie beads around the necks of pregnant women during that special ceremony as all men were told to stay away from our home. In both the jando-boys initiation; Mzondo- girls initiation and Litiwo-a ceremony for pregnant women, one of the main components added was great SINGING- with drums, sticks but also- Acapella and clapping of hands- you can imagine my musical background. It's already great. I did observe that if guitars and drums plus trumpets were added to the songs sung during the boys -initiation ceremonies, for the Yaos, the exact genre that could come up or be produced, would be Reggae. So from the beginning, within and towards the end of these ceremonies, SINGING or MUSIC is the main component or identity- well composed songs and backed up with traditional instruments and sometimes, the clapping of hands and dancing. During the boys ceremony- Jando- they normally use NGWASALA. Young boys line up with dry sticks and striking a long dry bamboo. So the sound of the sticks backed up by the drum- beating and the beautiful singing go along exactly like Reggae Rhythm.
My Journey In Music Continues.
On the other hand, many men in our district used to travel and work in South Africa. When they came back, some brought back Sound boxes to play vinyl records and many of the songs in the vinyls were from East Africa and Zimbabwe. The popular genre from East Africa was Kanindo. A type of music named after the popular Kenyan musician- Oluoch Kanindo- who happens to be it's founder before it was done by local artists. So my community was full of such musical activities -music from East Africa and Zimbabwe. I still remember some artists, songs and stanzas but also, choruses of popular songs of those days- in the 70s. We also used to sing along these songs. Some of those still in my memory are:
Tabu Ley with his Afrisa International but also, songs by some of the band's individual members like:
Sam Mangwana, Mbilia Bel and Lokassa Ya Mbongo.
Les Wanyika- formed in 1978 by Rashid Juma, Omari Shabani, Tommy Malanga, Sijali Salum Zuwa, and Phoney Mkwanyule (based in Nairobi, Kenya) had beautiful songs I liked especially, Sina Makosa and Kajituliza Kwake Kasuku.
I also liked the Afro - Rhumba classic songs by Orchestra Super Mazembe. It was originally from Zaire( DRC- Congo), under the name Super Vox and later the Orchestra Super Mazembe; not forgetting Franco Luambo Makiadi but also, the Maroon Commandos.
I also loved songs by:
Boney M. The Israel Vibration, Don Carlos, Eric Donaldson, Bunny Wailer, Culture, Alpha Blondy, Jim Reeves, Dolly Parton, Steve Kekana of South Africa & Chitsitsimutso Choir RCZ Kamwala, Lusaka, Zambia.
Lastly, being born from a Muslim mother and my father being a Catholic, by our tradition, I was to follow the religion of my father- Christianity. In those years, there was no Catholic Church in my area. The biggest and most prominent denomination was the Anglican church brought by the U.M.C.A missionaries. So my mother sent me to the Anglican Church and some elderly Anglican women helped me in my Christian life. It was my joining of the Anglican church that moulded my Christian music as I sung in the youth group up to being a choir master sometime later- when I moved from my home district to Blantyre, Malawi's commercial city. From here, I begun my professional music journey where I later travelled to Johannesburg, South Africa, to record my second album. When I came back home, I became the vice chairman of Musicians Association of Malawi, for the Southern chapter and putting together that organisation until it's called the Musicians Union Of Malawi today. Apart from music, I am also a full- time Pastor- Cross Victory Church and a Christian Author.
DISCOGRAPHY:
I have recorded 4 music albums to my credit. The first one with my first band, The Zion Ambassadors, titled- WE WANNA GO TO ZION. It has songs like Messiah's Come, We Wanna Go To Zion, Refugee Repatriation, Let Young men rule, Nepotism,Konzani Moyo and more. The second one was recorded in South Africa titled- KHALE. It has popular songs like Lord Bless Africa, Kajuni, Khale, Destruction of Sodom, Man Today and other songs. The fourth is JERUSALEM with songs like, I Will Praise The Lord, Jerusalem, I Want To be With You, Never Be Afraid, Ndisaiwale Za Chikondi Chanu and some more. The latest one is- WINNER. It carries the hits: Mukafika, Winners, Are you Ready, Yana Katema, What The Lord Has Done, Lord Bless Africa, Vol.11 and other songs. I have also recorded two Christian classical songs recently- My Destiny(featuring. Michael), my son and the other was released as its Instrumental.
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ANOTHER JOURNEY FROM MUSIC ARTIST TO A PASTOR.
Lyric sheet:
LORD BLESS AFRICA,Vol.1
(1). They Shall Break Spears Into Pruning Hooks And Their Swords Into Plow-shares.
Nation Shall Lift Not A Sword Against A Nation; Neither Shall They Learn War Any More.
But Princely Rule Shall Reign To The Abundance.
- AND TO PEACE- THERE SHALL BE NO END.
CHORUS:
Lord Bless Africa.
- Africa
Lord Bless Africa.
Our Home Africa.
Our Land Africa.
(2). When Our Lord JESUS CHRIST, Saw That The Anger Was Set Ablaze. He Was King Herod. He Then Found A Refugee In Africa- Oooh- In Africa; Black People(s) No Longer A Paradise. Lord I Pray, Set Free -Africa. From This Tribal War Zone.
(3). Massive Abuse, Human Rights, Persists In Africa- Oooh- In Africa. Global Refugee Crises Hunger In Africa- Are Inextricably linked. Tyrant People Terrify The Continent- Fond (Of) Extrajudicial execution, torture (and) tribalism. But People Cry For Liberty, Equality, Impartiality- Still We Struggle For Peace And Harmony- oooh.
Lord I Pray, Set Free- Africa- From This Tribal War Zone.
Make sure to listen(by streaming and downloading) to these songs from different digital stores- through my websites too. Also, do not forget to follow me there and on the social media platforms. Be one of my fans along this musical journey. I will really appreciate it.
Thanks for reading and knowing me.
George.
( Artist, Pastor & Christian Author).
