The Wambali I knew

Many of us knew Mtebeti Wambali Mkandawire as one fine Afro-jazz musician to have emerged from the country.

He was also a preacher, husband, father, brother and uncle.

But during his memorial show on Saturday at Sunbird Capital in Lilongwe, his widow Wambui and manager Vitumbiko Mumba unmasked his other side we never knew.

Addressing patrons, Wambui gave a glimpse of what type of a man Mte was at home.

She said: “He was a man of the Word. At some point while in Blantyre, I woke up and realised that my husband was not in bed.

“I went looking for him and found him on the floor with three or four Bibles open. He was studying the Word.”

Wambui added that her husband would study the Word for long periods and then later practice his music.

“At some point, I wanted to join a friend run a private school. When I asked Mte about it, he asked me what running a school in Lilongwe had anything to do with our ministry and calling,” she said.

Wambui said her husband then asked her to do some soul-searching and decide if that was worth the investment of her time.

“Mte was purpose driven. He always made sure that what we did was in line with the calling,” she said.

Wambui further talked of how deeply entrenched Mte was in the Word of God that when a friend invited him to attend a service, Mte did not only attend the service, but preached as well.

“When I asked him how he preached when he did not have time to prepare for a sermon, he answered me: You do not prepare for a sermon, you prepare your heart,” she said.

Wambui said it has taken her sometime to come to terms with Mte’s passing on.

His manager echoed the sentiments, disclosing that both Wambui and their daughter Taonga had for some time been refusing to listen to his new  songs.

“I am glad that now we are all here to listen to Wambali’s songs,” said Mumba, who claimed it took him five months to master the courage and listen to the new songs.

The manager said Mte never produced music to earn a living.

He said: “Mte produced music as a way of ministering to souls and impacting on the lives of people. He dedicated his time to serving humanity, especially the church.”

Mumba told the patrons how Mte used his album Zani Muone to sing hymns that he composed specifically for Mwa Khristu Community Church, the church he founded.

“It was only later in South Africa that his producer Joe Arthur convinced him to make it commercial, to which Mte later agreed,” he disclosed.

The manager said the album went on to be an instant hit with Mte performing the songs at major jazz events including the Cape Town Jazz Festival.

“He outperformed many international jazz artists and major news channels in South Africa featured him. But by the end of it all, he came home to serve his people,” he said.

Mte, according to Mumba, was persuaded by various music organisations to relocate from Malawi to Europe or South Africa.

“Their arguments were that once in Europe or South Africa, he would be performing often. He turned down all these proposals choosing to serve his church in the village,” said Mumba.

“I am glad that we are now at this stage where we can listen to Mte’s songs and celebrate his life,” he said.

Currently, according to Mumba, Mte’s music is available for purchase on his website www.wambalimkandawire.com. His new album will be ready in a few weeks’ time.