The first time I was subjected to a long course of Sweeny Chimkango\u2019s music was in 1998, when I visited Kauye Village in Dedza District for school holiday.
\nNeed I say that the village is home? Well, it is. The msitu is part of the home, too, even though it is supposed to be the land of imaginary lions and other wild beasts.
\nAfter all, don\u2019t the Ngonis, of which I am one, sing:
\nKumanda kwa bamboo anga\/
\nKumanda kwa bamboo anga\/
\nKumanda kwa abambo anga kumalira chiyani?
\nKumalira ngwenya\/
\nEyaye? \/
\nKumalira ngwenya\/
\nKumalira mikango\/
\nKumalira Ngwenya\u2026
\nOf course, they sing. But I am yet to prove that. And not hearing the \u2018sound\u2019 of a nyengwa or any other wildly beast under the mid-day sun offers some relief, for, who, in their right senses, would not run away upon chancing upon the sound of a ngwenya?
\nFor sure I can run, outpacing Henry Moyo the athlete and others\u2014 even if I know that my father, the mighty Leviano Simon, lies silently and\u2014 and one author said\u2014 peacefully anyway; as the birds\u2014 again, as that author said\u2014 sing loudly in the trees.
\nNow, that was a detour. Back to the holiday visit, lest I ignite the interest of ngwenyas and other wild beats! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
\nThat time in 1998\u2014 I have forgotten the date. I mean, I can only remember the year, but not the day, number of week in the year or month. What a shame!\u2014 I was subjected to the music of Sweeny Chimkango.
\nI mean, I was not exposed to it. I was just one of the people who were privileged to listen to it. My Dedza uncle had bought an audio tape of Chimkango\u2019s \u2018latest\u2019 album then. The album was well-woven. The instrumentation was superb. And, so, was the voice.
\nIn one of the songs, Chimkango rants about inequalities in society. One English song actually features a persona who complains that he \u2013 sorry for the term, feminists!\u2014 has been subjected to unfair treatment on the basis of some physical traits and the like.
\nThat time, I wished I could see the artist in person.
\nBut, if the truth be told, I knew it was practically impossible.
\nI was staying in Salima District and used to travel to Dedza for holidays. There was no excuse that would lead to me finding myself in Blantyre.
\nOf course, I was born in Blantyre, at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, when democracy was just an idea and death a remote possibility. But, then, after being transferred to Salima, there was no way back to Blantyre. Or so it seemed.
\nNow, the people in Kauye Village \u2013 that time it was Kantchito Village\u2014 were so happy with Chimkango\u2019s songs. I, too, fell in love with them. But there was no way I could meet the artist in person.
\nAnd, then, when 1998 was history and the 2000s had shown us their face, I started watching Chimkango on Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) \u2013 it was Television Malawi, actually, before it embraced the name MBC\u2014 Television.
\nChimkango used to present Cross Rhythms, a gospel music programme. Chimkango was a genius at it, for he could be seen conversing with himself on television\u2014 two faces, two distinct human beings who were one\u2014 thanks, of course, to technology.
\nBut, even then, the thought of meeting Chimkango was a far-fetched dream. The man was just massive.
\nWell, until some three years ago when I had the privilege of sharing a room with him in school in a land, and at a college, that should not be mentioned.
\nDuring those years, those good times that ended in September 2016, I could watch Chimkango rehearse with his guitar. He would even do some rehearsals on songs he has been working on.
\nAnd everytime he did so, I could remember 1998. When Chimvango was just a voice blaring threw the loud speakers in one house close to the dambo in Kauye Village, Traditional Authority Kamenyagwaza, Dedza.
\nEvery time he rehearsed, I could hide in my duvet while thinking: Is this the famous Sweeny Chimkango? Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
\nOf course, he was. Is.
\nNow, that\u2019s relief. Some dreams, no matter how far-fetched they maybe, come true.
\nDon\u2019t scratch your head, Sweeny! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The first time I was subjected to a long course of Sweeny Chimkango\u2019s music was in 1998, when I visited Kauye Village in Dedza District for school holiday. Need I say that the village is home? Well, it is. The msitu is part of the home, too, even though it is supposed to be the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":40513,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.times.mw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57915","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.times.mw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.times.mw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.times.mw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.times.mw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57915"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/archive.times.mw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57915\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57917,"href":"https:\/\/archive.times.mw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57915\/revisions\/57917"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.times.mw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40513"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.times.mw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.times.mw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.times.mw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}