Pakhonde Music Camp, an initiative of Music Crossroads Malawi and ethno-musician, Charles Chavalamangwere Mkanthama, is back and it will be held in Ntchisi starting on March 27 to April 1.
The Pakhonde Music Camp started last year with the aim of promoting ethno and traditional music in the country among the youth.
The five-day event will be held at Search Private Primary School where Chavalamangwere teaches and practices the art of ethno-music.
Music Crossroads Malawi director, Mathews Mfune, said Pakhonde Music Camp was slowly gaining ground because it plays an important role of imparting skills in traditional instruments.
Mfune observed that the art of playing traditional instruments was on the decline in the country and that there have been few initiatives done to ensure that the skills are passed on to the youth.
“Most of the traditional instruments are played by the old generation and so we need to pass on these skills to the youth and this is why we thought of creating the Pakhonde Music Camp,” Mfune said.
He said that the Pakhonde Music Camp is also meant to be a medium to encourage cultural exchange in the field of traditional music with different countries.
This year the music camp will bring together countries such as Malawi, Mozambique, Kenya, Norway and Brazil.
Mfune said the music camp was named Pakhonde which means verandah or balcony to symbolically imply a place where people sit and share ideas as it is done in most African households.
During the camp, participants will among others be treated to the Maviru instrument workshop.
“They are called Maviru workshop in reference to the name of the tree under which the idea to have this particular workshop was initiated,” he said.
Some of the instruments that participants will learn to playare Kaligo, Mbira or Sansi, Visekese, Phenenga, Mitungu, Mangolongondo and Baha from Brazil.
Mfune also said some of the programmes lined up during the camp include jamming sessions, children’s programme and Chavala concert.
He revealed that this year, the camp will be boosted by the presence of the Talent 2016 group which comprises of youthful participants from Norway, Malawi and Kenya.
“This Talent 2016 group went to Norway last year supported by the organisers of the Folde Festival which is also there to promote playing of traditional instruments. It is an honour that they have partnered with Music Crossroads to host the return visit,” he said.
The Talent 2016 Malawi team is made up of Patrick Chimbewa, who plays the Sansi and was taught by Mkanthama, Thokozani Mdoko and Asante Maulidi.
However, Maulidi is currently in Mozambique on another music exchange programme hence he has been replaced by Prince Banda.
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