Legend Waliko Makhala
Ethnomusicologist, researcher, actor and radio producer
Waliko Makhala is one versatile artist whose description cannot be given in one word. His success story in the arts is complemented by achievements registered in different careers. Our Reporter ALBERT SHARRA tells his story
orn on July 29, 1965 in Blantyre, Makhala has grown up in the city and attended primary school at Dharap and Zingwangwa. His primary school days did not reflect anything about his future until he joined Henry Henderson Institute (HHI) Secondary School in 1983.
A passion in theatre started to develop in him with influence from friends such as the late Du Chisiza, Asumile Ali, Janet Chiomba and Moses Kanyoli Gondwe. They teamed up and shared the stage in the school’s theatre club. The same year, the school won the first prize in the Association of Teaching English in Malawi (Atem) competition with Chisiza’s play, The Deceased Attack.
Ambitious Chisiza shared the idea to form a theatre group to operate out of school and together with Makhala co-founded Wakhumbata Prophecy Theatre, now Wakhumbata Ensemble Theatre. Frank Mwase joined them.
Those who were there remember protest plays such as To the Fury, Tears of Blood and Eye of Chimisi. The group dissolved after Chisiza had left for USA. When he returned, with support from Bazuka Mhango, they formed Tiuke Performing Arts with the late Gertrude Kamkwatira.
Due to the nature of the plays performed in Wakhumbata Ensemble Theatre, Makhala who had got a job at government’s Culture Department left. He was working with Benard Kwilimbe as a choreographer.
This was the beginning of a new career for Makhala. He was in cultural career and he travelled across the country registering and training cultural troupes. In 1986, he met Jonathan Kuntambira and Sunday Kuwali who introduced him to journalism. This influenced him to start authoring Cultural Heritage, a column inMalawi News.
The teaming up, led to the founding of the Zedi Publications Limited in 1986, but it folded up after their British sponsor was deported by Hastings Kamuzu Banda’s government.
For Makhala, the passion in cultural issues grew stronger, but he lacked the professional qualifications. In 1990, he went to Taiwan (China) for a Certificate in International Youth Cultural Studies. Two years later, he went for a diploma in ethnomusicology at the Zimbabwe College of Music.
When he returned, he joined hands with Steve Nhlane, now presidential press secretary and others, to form The Star newspaper in1997.The newspaper folded due to lack of substantial funds to run it.
In 1998, he joined MBC. He was among the 18 member-team that beamed the first picture on MBC Television (then Television Malawi) in April 1999. Makhala was producer in the News and Programmes Department then. He is one of the few employees who have founded many programmes.
Makhala founded Zakwathu, Tiyende, On the Scene, Week in Review, Nkhani Mwachindunji and Chuma chili M’nthaka programmes.
Because of the ethonomusicogy training, Makhala has been moving from one department to another. He is now chief research officer at the station.
The artist is behind the project of digitalising old music from cassettes to CDs, currently underway at MBC. The project is being sponsored by Norwegian Embassy through Copyright Society of Malawi (Cosoma) cultural funds scheme.
Makhala believes in sowing for the future. He is currently training pupils of Mwitere Primary School in Luchenza, basics of music with support from Komai and USA’s University of New School of Jazz.
In cultural music, he is a member of the Ethnomusicology Society project which is under the University of Dar es Salaam. This is a group of ethnomusicologists from across the world who meet once a year to discuss cultures of the world and how to preserve and make them relevant to new generations. This year’s event kicks off next week in Dar es Salaam and Makhala will be there.
Makhala says, his interest in research dates back to the 80’s when he worked with Chisiza and Kamdoni Nyasulu who introduced him to cultural advancement theatre. The theatre group produced both English and French plays at Blantyre Cultural Centre.
However, his passion in music, he says began after performing in a musical play titled Last Bus to Chilobwe which was authored by Chancellor College principal Professor Chris Kamlongera.
“The play had scenes of music and dance and I liked them most. From then, I started travelling, collecting, recording, performing and documenting cultural music and activities,” he said.
A visit to his home in Manja Township, exposes in full sense how the artists value African culture. There are many traditional materials including traditional and acoustic music instruments hanging on the walls of the house.
Kaligo, bangwe, mkangala, nsasi ya njale, mbira dze vadzimu and kalimba are some of the traditional music instruments in the house. He knows how to play each of them. There is also a music studio in the house. The studio’s reputation and the instruments rest in Stonard Lungu’s Mukanene album.
Few years ago, he donated some of the instruments to the Music Instrument Museum (MIM) in USA.
A citizen of Makhala Village in Traditional Authority Mtwalo in Mzimba, Makhala is among the best acoustic artists. He produced many songs which he performs during cultural festivals and other music shows.
