Adieu 2013

Jah people, 2013 is dead. Talking about graves, gone is the year we lost artists who kept smiles on our faces when Morgan Heritage kept asking

us: Do you see anything to smile about?

Remember Mafunyeta and Geoffrey Zigoma.

In our grief, ethno-musicologist Waliko Makhala likened Zigoma to Malian legend Salif Keita. Without overtly overestimating the dead, Zigoma was an equally rare breed who refused to be muted by albinism, a skin-deep condition that often singles out his kind for stigma and discrimination.

Since his breakthrough on the wings of Ndathera Pano hit in 1998, Zigoma outgrew his unique skin and always used his talent to shatter sickening stereotypes. Sadly, the once self-reliant soul died a beggar because government failed its job—establishing a reliable clinic where cancer patients, like any other, can go for treatment, care and support services when necessary. In his twilight, the gospel artist was spotted performing in pubs on the unholy side of midnight just to spruce up his livelihood and income.

Enter Mafunyeta. Yooo! Unlike many young Malawians, he refused to bury his talents in idleness and sleep over his hands thinking he will live forever. The singer sprung from oblivion to make himself relevant to many by sheer utilisation of his potential manifest in Yellow and Ndimakonda hits. Ironically, he lost his breath because he did not have an inhaler to calm his asthma when he needed just a sniff or two.

Many would have loved Mafunyeta and Zigoma to die like Mandela, at 95 and amid globally insufficient eulogies to underline his greatness as world leaders did during the funeral of the Long Walk to Freedom author and South African anti-apartheid icon two weeks ago.

I would have loved them to bow out like Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, who died in the year ended—old and accomplished enough for not being able to retell their achievements in any amount of time.

Being only mortal, waiting for my turn, I can only wish all artists and art-lovers more life in the New Year. May we have more Skeffa Chimoto’s—living achievers.