Stonard Lungu lives on in Young Stonz
One of the finest music talents ever to emerge from Malawi, Stonard Lungu, might have died long time ago but his music still lives through his children who are playing his music.
Better known as Young Stonz, Lungu’s children have cut a new album called Mzimu Wa Gogo, which promote pure local music.
The album has also incorporated some of Lungu’s classics such as Anachita Chobaya and Ndikakwatira Kumangoni to honour him. Lungu succumbed to cancer in 2008.
“He was our music mentor who taught us the values and basis of local music. Therefore, we decided to feature some of his old songs in our new album in his honour and our drive is to promote local music,” said Young Stonz leader Mumdelanji Lungu.
It has become tradition for many artists in Malawi to take over the legacy of their fallen fathers or brothers in music. For example, Star Marley tried to wear the shoes of his brother Vic Marley who died in a tragic road accident on May 24 2005.
Moda Fumulani, who is now performing alongside The Wailing Brothers, is also attempting to maintain the legacy of his late brother Gift who died of tuberculosis in 2009.
On the poetry front, Mollen Nazombe has been trying hard to maintain the legacy of his late brother O’brien Nazombe.
Asked how they are balancing their own talent while maintaining the legacy of their father, the Young Stonz said: “We are not utterly re-doing the music of our late father, but rather our own composition. But we are selecting some of his songs to do remixes in our attempt to honour him. His name can’t die just like that.”
However, the Young Stonz bemoan lack of creativity as a main stumbling block which is choking the development of Malawi music.
“The big challenge is that most of today’s artists are just copying styles from other countries or those that are trending,” said the musician.
The Young Stonz is a music group of Lungu’s children which was established in 2009.
They released their debut album Kulira Kulira in 2010, but it did not do well on the market. The group is confident about its second coming.
