Author and arts enthusiast Wonderful Mkhutche has embarked on a project to document music from Chileka in Blantyre in a book form to preserve the contributions for posterity.
In an interview on Tuesday, he said the objective is to uplift culture, specifically music through documentation of music history.
Mkhutche said Chileka has graced the Malawi music scene with different artists whose stories go beyond their music.
“There is more to our artists and the book will cover untold stories. We cannot talk about music in Malawi without mentioning Chileka. It has been the focal point of Malawi’s music for decades and its rich history needs to be documented for posterity sake,” he said.
He is undertaking the project in collaboration with musician Anthony Makondetsa, who is also a product of the Chileka music lineage. He said the documentary will later be converted into a film.
Chileka is home to the country’s music greats such as the late Dr Daniel Kachamba, Robert Fumulani, Evison Matafale, Gift Fumulani and the Black Missionaries Band.
Oh his part, Makondetsa, a solo musician, said it was important for both Malawians and non-Malawians to know the roots of the country’s music such as Chileka whose footpaths began by legends such as Robert Fumulani.
“A country without roots is a lost country. So, this project is will help to trace and record the history of Chileka music. It will form part of the country’s well-documented heritage,” he said.
Veteran music promoter Jai Banda said it was important to preserve the country’s music heritage which has a strong track record of impressive contributions.
“This is a welcome move. It is important to preserve the history to know how it started and how it has developed over the years. It is specifically important for the young generation to know how the music heritage has evolved over the years,”he said.
Banda warned that unless Malawians take a step to document the country’s music heritage such as that of Chileka, the country’s cultural heritage is at risk of being lost.
Mkhutche is credited for having written autobiographies for two of the country’s renowned musicians, Billy Kaunda and Lucius Banda.
The Copyright Fund has funded the Chileka documentary project to the tune of K6.9 million.
