Chigwandali’s US moments

Musician Lazarus Chigwandali who is on a tour in New York, United States to promote his documentary had a rare opportunity to perform for American actor and film producer Leonardo DiCaprio.

After the world premiere of the documentary, which chronicles Chigwandali’s life as a musician and a person with albinism, the artist was invited to a special treat by DiCaprio.

In one video, the Hollywood actor is seen holding a phone giving the impression that he is recording the one-man band, busy strumming a guitar.

Clad in a baseball hat and a black jacket, DiCaprio is seen in another video engrossed in Chagwandali’s performance.

This follows a surprise appearance that the actor made during a talk between Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese at the Beacon Theatre on Sunday as part of the Tribeca Film Festival where Chigwandali’s documentary was premiered.

The documentary’s producer Johan Hugo, in an interview, said three more screenings are on schedule before the festival ends on May 5.

“The screening got off to an amazing start, people absolutely loved it and there was a lot of big celebrities to see the film. Leonardo DiCaprio is a big fan of Lazarus and he took him out to dinner.

“On Sunday night, Lazarus is doing a lot of press interviews and later, he is having his first ever show in New York which is also a fundraising as we are trying to build a safe house for him in Malawi. We already have a kick-starter campaign going on so that he and his family are safe,” said Hugo.

According to www.tribecafilm.com screening info, Chigwandali’s 26-minute long documentary, done in Chichewa and English, will be screened again on May 1, 3 and 4.

The musician has found himself in New York courtesy of Hugo,who together with Malawi’s Esau Mwamwaya form the duo, The Very Best. Hugo became involved with Chigwandali after he saw his music in which he is video performing with a homemade banjo along the streets of Lilongwe.