Critical audience keeps poets on edge
Mission accomplished! An impressive audience on Sunday witnessed the launch of Kenneth Khondiwa’s double poetry CD and DVD at Blantyre’s Chrichi Multipurpose Gardens in Blantyre.
Anaponda ndi Mapazi Satana is the product which was launched and, staying to its literal meaning, the show was not short of Satan’s footprints as some fans were offensive from the within fully-charged audience.
They were disgracefully shouting at performers who were dormant on stage to the extent that some were left embarrassed.
From the word go, the audience turned themselves into critical judges, compelling performers to jump on stage equipped. Those who seemed ill-prepared or took too long with their performances were jeered and forced off the stage.
Seven seconds was enough for the charged audience to judge whether to maintain or eject a performer.
As such, the show was not merely Khondiwa’s album launch, but also a mark of excellence from poets as they employed diversity and creativity to demonstrate their skills and impress the critical audience.
The highlight of the day was young poet Yohane Pangani and veteran Robert Chiwamba who impressed with his new poem Takana Mathanyula.
Chiwamba recital, which delves into anti gay practices, did not only stir the mood of the Chrichi Gardens, but also sent the audience into stitches of laughter.
Pangani was a toast of the event when his Ma Bachelor Aku Malawi evoked fans’ emotions which forced some patrons to shower him with K1 000 (about $1.3) notes.
So good was the young poet that at some point, the show was halted for three-minutes when some fans invaded the stage to applaud his performance, forcing him to repeat his poem.
Khondiwa said he was impressed with the double launch of his CD and DVD.
“This is my first time to launch a CD and DVD and it was so nice. I didn’t expect that fans would turn up in such a huge numbers. But I still have a long way to go because we are taking the launch to Lilongwe and Mulanje at the end of the month,” said Khondiwa. n
