Artists unite against albino killings

One poet. One choir. Solo singer. One cause. Ndirande Anglican Voices has teamed up with gospel star Allan Chirwa and youthful poet Robert Chiwamba in a rare collabo that breaks the silence on the killing of people with albinism.

The track, Nawonso ndi Anthu-which is trending on the social media-is a timely renunciation of attacks on people with albinism.

The bloody pursuit of people with albinism, previously associated mainly with East Africa, surfaced in Malawi in January 2015 and the practice has continued despite public pronouncements against it.

In a typical open-ended act of spoken word, Chiwamba says it is horrible for people of all manner to keep mum while those with albinism are being terrorised like nomadic goats being assailed by hungry lions.

He clarifies: “The bones of people with albinism are not unlike yours: they contain neither ivory nor gold.”

Nawonso ndi Anthu also offers a once-in-a-decade encounter with Ndirande Anglican Voices without the prominence of its founding leading vocalist Denis Kalimbe.

On its unique release, whose video entirely stars a young man and woman with albinism, the famous vocalist has been replaced by solo gospel star Allan Chirwa, who lives in the choir’s populous hometown.

However, the most interesting twist to the musical narrative of the plight of people with albinism is that artists have risen to shatter the ice-cold silence.

At least-or is it at last-there is one more solitary voice crying in the valley of hard hearts, calling for the country to re-examine its morals, start talking about the mostly underplayed menace in all spheres of interaction and begin tackling the attacks more decisively than merely political rhetoric.

The continued onslaught on people with albinism calls for concerted efforts involving unarmed civilian voices, including artists.

This is the greatest homage to the likes of fallen bestselling musician Geoffrey Zigoma, who fondly christened himself Yellow Man in reference to his unique skin and always strived to put a human face to albinism.