On February 2, fun lovers flocked to Scallas’ Cafe in Blantyre, formerly Shelter Club off Kwacha Road, to celebrate the 66th birthday of legendary events manager and music promoter ‘Sir’ Jai Banda of Entertainers Promotion.
The popular slogan of “I am not a teacher, I am not a soldier, I am not a lawyer, I am not a manager, I am just an entertainer” echoed during the event to sanction his steadfast legacy which spans over four decades.
Jai became a household name from 1980s to 2000 when he managed music events and musicians in the country. Later, he paved the way for his son, Tonderai, mid 2000 who took over as Entertainers Promotion chief executive officer.
To many people, particularly musicians who have worked with him, Jai, widely known as Mr Entertainer, is an iconic figure who has devoted his life towards shaping the country’s music industry. For four decades, he has been promoting Malawian music through his Entertainers Promotions, a brand he registered in the 1980s.
Jai started showing interest in music at a young age while in Salisbury, present day Harare in Zimbabwe before coming to Malawi to launch his Reggae by Foot Music Festival.
“I grew up in an area surrounded by musicians in Zimbabwe. For example, I was staying few metres from the late Oliver Mtukudzi’s house. This inspired me to develop interest in music. And when I came to Malawi, I had a vision to help build the industry,” he said.
The music promoter said the Reggae by Foot in Malawi idea was hatched to drive Malawi music and fill the gap left by French Cultural Centre (FCC) in Blantyre after it stopped organising music festivals.
He said: “The French Cultural Centre used to organise an annual music festival and when they stopped, I saw an opportunity to launch Reggae by Foot festival to fill the vacuum. We used to have concerts from across the country in venues such as FCC and Lilongwe Community Centre Ground.
“The name Reggae by Foot was inspired by my life experience. I used to stay in Zingwangwa Township in Blantyre and I used to walk to and from French Cultural Centre. So, I referred to this experience as reggae by foot which influenced me to name the music festival Reggae by Foot.”
Apart from rebranding the Makasu Band led by the late Bright ‘Livewire’ Nkhata, Jai worked with other bands such as MBC, Police Orchestra, Kalimba, Pamodzi, Black Angels and Jupiters.
He has also worked with different musicians from Ben Mankhamba, Evison Matafale, Lucius Banda, Billy Kaunda, Phungu Joseph Nkasa, Mlaka Maliro, Sheffa Chimoto, Anthony Makondetsa, Ethel Kamwendo-Banda, including the modern generation of Lulu, Piksy and Tay Grin.
Jai is also behind the creation of nicknames for several musicians such as ‘soldier’ which was given to Lucius Banda, ‘Livewire’ to Bright Nkhata and ‘Mr. Cool’ to Anthony Makondetsa.
Makondetsa was given the nickname ‘Mr. Cool’ when he released Sekuru, one of his hit songs in early 2000.
“I met the late Lucius Banda when he was a boy. By then, he used to mimmick Lucky Dube’s songs. I told him: ‘Young man, you have a bright future in music, keep up the good work’. And boom! Lucius became a household name in music,” said Jai.
He said he was happy to have dedicated his life towards uplifting the country’s music industry.
Black Missionaries Band leader Anjiru Fumulani said this year marks the band’s 25th year working with Jai.
“We celebrate Jai because we have been working together since 2000 alongside Evison Matafale. And our journey and partnership have been amazing,” he said.
He described him as a pillar of the local Malawi music industry, saying he dedicated his life towards shaping the country’s music.
Musician Lawrence Khwisa known as Lulu said Jai is one of the local music titans who has taken the industry from scratch to great heights.
“Uncle Jai has been there for the Malawi music industry using his personal resources to promote local music. He has on many occasions provided artists with equipment for live performances and the big stage to shine. He deserves a pat on the back because he is a guru,” he said.
