Why Lucius envies the Blacks

Big is better. Soldier Lucius Banda, who has spent about two decades singing and nurturing new talent, feels let down by his band.

During his fifth concert at Club Limpopo in Lilongwe last week, the self-styled ‘soldier’ spent about two hours entertaining a sizeable audience that had to do with a long drawnout list of curtain-raisers, including Sam Simakweli and Kaka, until he took over the microphone around midnight.

In the absence of Lulu, an emerging crowd-puller who was in Ireland that night, Banda’s Zembani Band also had to rely on cameos by Ndili Nawo Mwayi starlet Katelere Ching’oma, Unalonjeza ragga queen Wendy Harawa and Chiphaso one-time bookseller Lawrence Mbenjere to keep the demanding crowd busy.

In an interview, he waxed lyrical about the Black Missionaries, saying the Chileka reggae group remains top of the beat because they boast a diversity of lovable performers he can only envy.

He stated: “With age, I wish I were performing earlier in the show—and for a shorter duration—but the band seem to be afraid or too shy to come on stage after me.

“Our colleagues from Chileka, the Blacks, are lucky to have several big-name performers in the name of Anthony Makondetsa, Moda Fumulani and Anjiru Fumulani. They don’t face the pressure we usually encounter.”

And the Zembani boss discussed the reason he, Harawa, Mbenjere and other artist might have veered into politics: Music does not pay.

“I have spent about 20 years making music, but I don’t have much to show for it. I have been teaching my son, Johnny, to sing and play instruments, but he told me in the face that he would rather become an irrigation specialist like his uncle because I get too little despite working harder than him. It pains to hear this, but it’s true,” he said.

In a separate interview, Banda’s product Charles Nsaku said music can be an impoverishing gamble if mixed with politics.

While thanking Banda for keeping afloat Limpopo’s dream to give fun-seekers big-time gigs every month, the club’s owner Yowasi Vale said it makes business sense for crowd-pullers to jump on stage on time.

He reckons this is vital because the social media, especially Facebook and twitter, gives the fans the power to attract or dissuade their friends beyond the venue.