Former musician Bernard Kwilimbe now director of culture in the Ministry of Tourism and Culture offers advice on the importance of Malawian culture while using words that those of the new generation have never heard before.
He uses words such as vitangu to represent plays or performing arts.
“In diversity, the arts should offer a purpose for us to be united,” says Kwilimbe, adding that cultural life is part of education.
The musician, who once towered over the bongos as part of MBC Band, and Rainseekers locally, as well as Afrodisiac in the UK, feels he was one lucky musician whose works were recorded then and he is now able to have the music re-mastered and sold.
“It was sheer luck that anytime I did music, I recorded,” said Kwilimbe, adding that it was from those recordings that he has been able to compile the work he did dating back to the 1980s on compact disks which are selling like hot cakes now.
“I sent the music to Rhythm of Life Records and they have re-mastered and packaged the old album that I recorded when I was with MBC Band in the 1980s. The CDs are available at Anything Goes and Hi-Fi records in Lilongwe.
“The CD sold so much at the last Macfest in Lilongwe. It topped sales and even beat those guys who are on the scene now,” says Kwilimbe.
He revealed plans to have the music he recorded with Rainseekers Band, Apatsa Mosiyana, remastered and packaged.
Kwilimbe told fellow artists who were there during his time to approach MBC and ask for their music to be re-mastered. He suggested that Rhythm of Life Records was doing a good job in ensuring that old music is made new.
