Despite Zahara’s unfulfilled promise, Blantyre Girls play on

It is now almost two years since South African star Zahara visited Blantyre Girls Primary School in Blantyre and promised to send 30 box guitars to the school so they could learn how to play.

But since then, nothing has happened; there is no sign of the guitars.

Yet even when the guitars were not forthcoming, the school did not sit down and give up in frustration.

With the help of Belgian volunteer music teacher Johan Vanhoutte, the school started a guitar course last year for some teachers and Standard 7 pupils.

“They got one instrument for the school and every Wednesday the girls go to Phoenix School to pick up seven guitars to have their lessons at their school.

“After the lesson, they take back the instruments and remain with only one guitar to practice for the next lesson, which is almost impossible,” Vanhoutte tells On the Arts about the initiative.

According to Vanhoutte, if the school had 10 guitars of their own, the possibilities would be unlimited.

“They could start a guitar club, the teachers trained could train the children, they could teach each other the basics of guitar playing, they could make their own songs or learn how to play local and traditional songs. They could play at assemblies and other functions and in this way interest other musical children in the school and beyond.

“The teachers could use the instruments in class and after school time they could organise lessons for children or adults from outside the school,” he says.

Blantyre Girls headteacher Louis Store is a huge supporter of the idea, having started the Wednesday guitar lessons himself.

According to Store, it is of the utmost importance to have music in a primary school.

“As we all know very well music starts when we are born and stays with us until we die, it’s always there, at home, in the community, in school, at church, it’s simply everywhere. It helps children to feel part of a community, of a group; it relieves stress and is a constant companion in what we do; playing, working, dancing, celebrating, or mourning.

“In school, music has different functions, it’s a way to learn the alphabet and many other things are taught through songs and dances. It’s also a way to ‘bring children together’, they easily fit in with each other when singing and dancing together,” he says.