Calls to honour legendary artists heighten

There are increased calls for the need to honour the country’s legendary artists while they are alive.

Adding his weight to these calls, Minister of Homeland Security Richard Chimwendo Banda urged relevant stakeholders to confer the legendary Giddes Chalamanda with an honourary doctorate degree.

He wrote on his Facebook page: “My suggestion is that people like Giddes Chalamanda deserve honourary doctrate degrees in music and arts. We need to celebrate him while he is alive. He has put Malawi on the map.

“For sure, Giddes Chalamanda deserves an honorary Doctorate Degree.”

Chimwendo Banda added that as an ardent music fan, he was ready to support any motion in Parliament towards improving the welfare of artists in the country.

Currently, Malawi has artists like Patience Namadingo and Ethel Kamwendo Banda with honorary doctorate degrees.

Chalamanda, 90, is still performing and winning hearts of many music lovers despite his old age.

Recently, his Linny Ho remix went viral on internet and generated over 70 million views on TikTok. The octogenarian also did a collabo titled Khalidwe with Afro-jazz female of the moment Keturah.

However, there is a growing tendency of honouring people, especially artists, when they die.

Davis Njobvu of Edgar Ndi Davis (Onyamata Ozelezeka) suggested that Malawi should build a National Heroes Square where stories of legends should be documented, kept and celebrated.

He said Malawi should invest in resources for research and learning work to document stories.

“We have people like Michael Sauka, the composer of the National Anthem whose story need to be documented. We need the future generation to read and learn about their own country,” said Njobvu.

Edgar Ndi Davis duo was the first to support Chalamanda both in kind and incorporating him in their shows. Then came Dr. Namadingo who did the reggaee Mashups of his old music to give it a modern feel.n