Blacks overcome accident scares, light up Mponela

Reggae band Black Missionaries experienced two separate road accident scares on Friday evening on their way to Mponela in Dowa for their scheduled show at Linde Hotel.

First their travelling bus experienced a tyre burst at Chingeni in Balaka and a second one in Area 10 in Lilongwe. The two incidents delayed their much-awaited appearance at the renovated Linde Hotel and had patrons on the edge as they were left wondering if the show was on.

The show organisers sent a three tonner vehicle and a minibus to rescue the stranded band members at Area 10. It was, therefore, a huge relief when minutes after midnight the Chileka-based band appeared on stage.

Dreadlocked keyboardist Chizondi Fumulani led the pack when he came on stage to raise the curtain for the night’s music dose. Bearing in mind that they were already behind time, he did not take much time on stage and he paved way for Khonzi Masimbe.

Then backing vocalist Yanjanani Chumbu and crowd favourite Anthony ‘Mr Cool’ Makondetsa took turns to entertain the otherwise huge crowd which had turned up on the night. The patrons looked satisfied with the proceedings for all the patience they had shown in waiting for the band.

After Makondetsa performed some of the popular hits from his past albums and the recent one Ndagwira Mbendera, which have endeared him to many music lovers, he bowed out of the stage.

It was now the turn of the group’s frontman Anjiru Fumulani to show the people from Dowa what stuff he is made of. As usual, he looked energised, fresh and focused on the prime business of the night.

“We are very sorry for the delays. I hope you understand our situation. We are glad that you are here and as Black Missionaries, we are pleased to be performing before you here at Linde,” he said.

He went on to dish out a selection of songs from all the Kuimba compilations. The band performed till early hours of Saturday and only left the stage after 5am to the delight of the crowd which stayed on its feet for the better part of the night.

One patron, Donald Kazembe, said after the show: “It was nice that the band repaid our faith after the initial fears. They rarely come here so it is always important that when they come here they should make sure everyone is satisfied.”