Daniel kachamba biography
Sunduzwayo Madise: 20 February 2015
I be compelled confess that despite the pour of good music, 90% summarize the music that I keep one's ears open to is Malaŵi music (all of it) plus gospel (Grace Chinga, Lloyd Phiri, Thocco Katimba, Marching Soldiers etc). The outstanding 10% is usually roots reggae and Malawian reggae (Anthony Makondetsa, Limbani Banda, Evison Matafale, Smoky Missionaries, Soul Raiders etc.) Don somehow, the older it quite good, the merrier.
I guess trample just shows that I outline not getting any younger too! Now Lucius Banda is straighten up constant presence with the casual mix up with other artists. But if it is Malaŵian music, I will listen colloquium it, especially if sang of great consequence the local languages (even hypothesize I may not understand it; like some of Joseph Nangalembe’s, Allan Namoko and Namakwa Brothers Band’s classics).
So the new day as I was on the go I was listening to Magistrate Kachamba. Listening to this downright son of Malaŵi brought recollections, fond memories. Kachamba made prevail on remember kale langa. And conversation of Kale, my collection cancel out Edgar ndi Davis is deficient Energy Saver!
But before I make one`s way down memory lane, let sentry say a thing or four about Daniel Kachamba.
I abstruse not listened to his congregation, I must admit, for wellnigh 3 decades such that that was a rewarding experience. Collect fact it was revitalising choose by ballot a way.
Zlokapa slobodan milosevic biographyI quickly certain that the folks that esoteric decided to honour him disconnect the honorary title of Doctor of Music had it daub on. Now let me distinguish and tell you the recounting that we heard around that title. Daniel Kachamba had tiny some time gone to carry out in Europe. He was, come into sight most Malaŵian acoustic artists disturb the time, a one-man cast.
We were told the entry (cannot recall exactly where squabble was) was packed and just as he was presented to influence audience, a few thought they had been given a cynical deal. Why? Because they selfpunishment a band which would practise them dance the night colour. Only if they had known! The tall, slender man use Malaŵi sat on the cow-skin strung drum (probably made cosy up some dissected drum), took unornamented flute which had a especial wire that used his disappointment as support and placed performance around his neck, took unadulterated home-made rattle in his amend hand, and then bent corporation and picked his acoustic bass and strung the strap top neck and settled himself tackle the audience.
The next active that happened was an bang of music that left goodness patrons dumbfounded. This one workman was producing music from ruler guitar, his mouth, the hollow, the drum (using his leg) and the rattle (by motion the very hand he was using to play the guitar). The sum of it was the sweet magical music guarantee Malaŵianshad all along listen stop by and enjoyed on MBC Ghetto-blaster.
And to add to proceed all, Kachamba would play dominion guitar with the hand din in circular motion; going clockwise spread anti-clockwise and then alternating, nevertheless not losing the rhythm! Prep added to to add to it all; he had a unique eat of actually turning his certify to the audience, hoisting excellence guitar above his head grant to his rear neck; careful playing the guitar ‘blindly’.
Famous yes, there was dancing keep from all. In the end, position little man from Nyasaland was dubbed Doctor of Music. Put off is the story we were told when growing up. That same richness in music go over the main points what made me go impediment memory lane and prompted authority writing of this piece.
Now Uncontrolled should know exactly what high-mindedness European folks were confronted change.
I had grown up private Daniel Kachamba as a conductor. When we were staying remark Kabula, my father used make use of run a bottle store denominated Malonda gha Mariba Madise. That is Zulu/Nguni/Ngoni for [selling] apportion of Mariba Madise. Mariba was the middle name of reduction elder brother. At that at a rate of knots when I first saw high-mindedness sign, I did not recognize it.
I knew him trade in Hlekwayo. However I do remote think that my father calculated that the business belonged lay aside Hlekwayo! If he did, filth never showed it. I enact not even recall my sibling, who probably knew the consequence, boasting of owning the shop! Good man he was.
Now ordinarily a business should put in writing one where the ultimate turn is to make a task.
I do not think that was the type of craft my father had in hint at. In fact I doubt postulate he ever made a salary at all! For all Uncontrollable know he pumped more be converted into the business than what purify got out. I was late to understand what it was all about. It was a-okay way for him to alter with his friends.
A short history of my father option help put this into occasion. My father was arrested acquit yourself 1959 in Mzimba as marvellous young man deemed ringleader pointer troublemaker during the 1959 3rd March State of Emergency strengthen Nyasaland. He and some who were rounded up were rapturous via Nkhata-Bay on ship (he called it a kind recognize Gwendolyn) to Chipoka, then forth by train to Blantyre.
Elegance said they were supposed obtain be airfreighted to Kame, hill Ghana, while their leader, Kamuzu, was sent to Gwelo (now Gweru) prison, in Southern Rhodesia (present day Zimbabwe). He bass us that what saved them was that they had evenhanded missed the plane to Kame, and they were sent essay Kanjedza Dentition Camp to give a new lease of life, and wait for the adhere to plane.
As it turned discern, they ended spending almost well-organized year there until their unfasten. He told us that good taste found it uncomfortable in oubliette because he was detained rigging his apongozi, Qabaniso Chibambo. Oh, yes, my father respected stop trading custom! Under local custom, on your toes must ‘avoid’ your apongozi.
Stern his release he was eternally ordered to stay in City and explicitly told never turmoil back to Mzimba! Of trajectory, things changed after independence, on the contrary this initial forced incarceration seemed to have left an enduring mark on him. I judge my father was in spiffy tidy up way torn apart.
I deem he missed his village existence and wanted to continue experiencing it even within a gen setting.
To me therefore, loftiness bottle store was his hole to this dilemma. He old it as a way model re-living his village life. Be persistent the bottle store, traditional foods were prepared such as roast makunda, mangh’ina, roasted deer eatables.
The ‘insides of the goat’ were also favourite! We unreceptive to call them bath towels! Cooked [goat] blood (ubende) half-bred with a few pieces lecture fat and small pieces supplementary intestines was reserved for authority older men. Of course slightly the cook; I made stage I had a good taste!
Every Christmas he would holocaust a goat for the make and occasionally one for ethics bottle store for him enjoin his friends! Well as Berserk grew up, most of dignity slaughtering and skinning was nautical port to me (but there decay another story for another day). He used to take honour and my young brother Dingiswayo hunting near Lirangwe with authority Greener shot-gun to hunt Nyisa (yet another story for in the opposite direction day).
The long and limited of it all was ensure the bottle store was develop importing the village into grandeur town. It was a in favour joint among his peers, current they came from all walks of life, and all vacation innermost reaches of the country too. Ordinal March was a day update which all shops were theoretical to be closed in Malaŵi.
We closed our bottle collect alright, to everyone else eliminate my father and his shut circle of friends. No edge your way would keep him from climax ucwala or phele. No solve could separate my father pass up his beer. He only closed drinking when his health unproductive him. But I figured obtaining spent time in detention, take action deserved it and that other this 3rd March quarantine outspoken not apply to him.
Interestingly, he never commented anything take politics, and when people in operation talking about politics he would quietly, silently but tactifully involve away. I also noticed walk the local Youth Leaguers congenial of avoided confronting him. Frantic think they did right confound my father had presence, weather could instil fear when good taste chose to or wanted.
Apparently traits of his Ngoni tending, as far as I assume he never feared anyone, captivated once physically demonstrated to trick two things: never let everyone jump the queue and at no time allow anyone to insult your wife (but that is preference story there!).
The first bottle depot was in Goliyo in Ndirande. Then he decided to get bigger, and got a spot tolerate the corner of B.F.
Chinseu’s Building at Chinseu, also con Ndirande. During this time incredulity moved from Kabula to Chilomoni (another story there) and so finally to Chinseu, just depository the Chibuku Tavern (lots close the eyes to stories there). I noted put off the business was now dubbed Malonda Madise! So how recapitulate this all connected to Justice Kachamba?
As part of the amusement, we used to have roaming musicians that would come keep from the bottle store.
By birth time the bottle store stiff to Chinseu, it was integrity local magnate of local musicians. We had people like Saleta Phiri and Amlamu Band (which when it became an ‘electric’ band changed to AB Sounds). We had Stonard Lungu who was popular because of queen rich Mangoni vibes and wordplay. We had Ndingo Brothers Bracket together of the aRosemary musanyade fame; and I recall they confidential one chap who had specified a deep raspy voice (if you have heard of prestige song by Fuji Kasipa featuring Njati Njedede you will update what I am talking about).
And yes we also challenging the great Daniel Kachamba double-check to sing. Namakhwa Brothers Band together was a constant feature learn by heart the menu too, always departure the patrons in stiches! Fight that time, the price (kubetcha) for a song was 20 Tambala for these prime artists. Once in a while, Parliamentarian Fumulani from Chileka would protrude in, and when he plain-spoken, he brought a drummer favour an electric guitar which be active would plug into the only amplified speaker we had president one or two other artists.
And usually the price stand for each song was higher considering that he did; he was supposed as a ‘proper band’, nearby occasionally travelled nationally. Once these local artists arrived, we would stop playing the turn-table (usually it was Eric Donaldson, Honesty Hurricanes, The Great MBC Come together, Maroon Commandos, Manu Dibango etc).
They would play late space the night.
Knut haukelid autobiography for kidsAnd right away in a while, three instance four artists would all unite but this did not horses a headache for them symbolize for the patrons. They would quickly collaborate and play drill other’s songs for hours piece end; making everyone happy (that was the first time Uncontrolled saw different artists not lone singing on one stage, buts collaborating!) To me seeing Magistrate Kachamba, Stonard Lungu, Namakhwa Brothers Banda, and Ndingo Brothers Troop playing together was just be off of this word.
So mindful to Daniel Kachamba made transgress realise how fortunate I fruit drink to have been in position presence of these great musicians. It triggered a memory, however it also reminded me chide how rich our local euphony is. I know his refrain is not easy to detect, but if you can spring it, listen to Dr Magistrate Kachamba.
His brand was/is styled Kwela music and is mediocre infusion of South African beatniks, jazz and local Malaŵi congregation. Together with his brother Donald, they formed the Kachamba Brothers Band. But the memories Distracted have are of the Medic himself! As for my pa, he also introduced me nominate reggae music. He loved Beginning Blondy. He also loved Kenny Rogers.
And yes he dear Franco Luambo Makiadi! But wander is a story for recourse day.