A4AY Band strikes chord at LoS
Organisations facilitating training of some youths under the Action for Adolescents and Youth (A4AY) programme at Mibawa Studios in Blantyre have lauded the group for its sterling performance at this year’s Lake of Stars (LoS) Festival.
Sponsors of the project, the United Nation Children’s Fund (Unicef), have since extended the training period to November.
The organisations said this during the band’s assessment meeting at Mibawa Studios in Blantyre along the Limbe-Thyolo-Muloza Road yesterday which also served as a viewing session of the live performances at the LoS Festival.
“We do not take it for granted for a band which has been in the studio for only two months to perform at the Lake of Stars event. It is a huge achievement and motivation for the young artists who are trying to establish themselves in the [music] industry,” said Mibawa Entertainment Company chief executive officer John Nthakomwa.
“The sponsors are satisfied with what the learners are acquiring. The training period was supposed to end on October 7, but it has since pleased Unicef to extend the project to November. There is also greenlight that Unicef will train more artists.”
Mibawa is implementing the project in conjunction with Active Youth Initiative for Social Enhancement (Ayise) and has christened it The Making of the Band.
Unicef education specialist Kimanzi Muthengi expressed gratitude over the children’s performance, adding the youth are on the right path to advancing their socio-economic rights.
The A4AY band performed during the LoS event on Friday night, dishing out their own compositions and renditions of other local and international artists, including Lawrence Mbenjere, Bob Marley and Morgan Heritage.
Some of the band members are Chifundo Harrison, Gift Banda, George Mkalimwa, Mussa Mulera, Davie Mkhoswe, Twista Chitungo and Mathews Mangazawo, also known as Orange Man. n
