According to Chirwa, Kalimba was initially formed by a group of young talented men who included Mhango, Nassau Mkukupha, Stain Phiri and Nkhata. The aim of the group was to become the resident band at Capital Hotel in Lilongwe when it opened its doors in 1976.
“The band spent several years entertaining guests at the hotel but it eventually decided to shift from being a cabaret group to a recording outfit, and eventually, in 1983, that happened with overwhelming results,” explains Chirwa.
The band, says Chirwa, trekked to Johannesburg, South Africa, and with the help of Dephon Promotions, it remains Make Friends With the World. It proved to be a huge success and left an indelible mark on the music scene; both locally and internationally.
Mhango’s composition, Sometimes I Wonder, made it to BBC Radio To 40 world music chart where it ended up in the Top 10, making it the first and only Malawian song to reach that far.
Yet, it has not been an easy road since then. Starting with success, the band has faced several challenges to be where it used to be. The journey, nonetheless, continues.
“So far, since it was formed the band has three albums namely, Make Friends With the World, Adyanguyedye in 1986 and Agogo in 1996. Following the demise of Kalimba’s pillar, Mhango, I inherited the band and we have since released two albums, Tiyende Limodzi in 1999 and Umoyo in 2015,” said Chirwa.
Veteran acoustic artist Kidd Mkandawire says during the early 1990s there were a number of good music groups like Love Aquarius, New Scene, MBC Band, but Kalimba had a unique approach to music.
Mkandawire, who is based in Denmark, observes further: “The band’s live shows were electrifying and the stage dress was also a class of their own. Most importantly, their song writing and arrangement was beyond the bar.”
After the success of their debut album, there were financial misunderstandings with their recording company. This discouraged the group members and it was the end of what promised to be a great future.
Chirwa agrees disagreements over payments resulted in the group’s disorientation.
“As it was, the fire the album ignited led to Kalimba becoming the most sought after group in the country; performing to packed venues; setting the standards. Follow up albums had been planned with the same recording company but due to how the firm handled things the lads were disappointed and discouraged,” he says.
The group lost trust and this made them drop any further recording plans. They considered suing, but concluded that it was going to be expensive. This significantly affected Kalimba’s further development and music in general in the country as they were the most known and successful group from Malawi.
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