From albinism to superstardom

Our Staff Writer JAMES CHAVULA catches up with The Very Best co-founder Johan Hugo who has signed Lazurus Chigwede to turn the street musician with albinism into a global superstar.

Q

: How did you encounter Lazarus’ work?

A

: A friend of mine, Siphiwe, a Malawian who lives in England, showed me a little video two years ago of Lazarus playing outside a shopping mall in Lilongwe.  There was a little interview that somebody filmed. He played two songs and I really liked the sound of his music. Straightaway, I wanted to come and make a record with him, but I knew it was going to be hard to find money. I also realised very quickly that he is poor as he comes from a crazy background. So, there was a very good story to be told plus I knew very well about the problems that people with albinism are facing in Malawi with the hunting, killing and discrimination. So, I wanted to do a documentary with him. I contacted David and Bryn who have a company in America called Ryots Film.

Q

: Why did you settle for Ryots?

A

: They have won several awards and were nominated for an Oscar two years ago for a documentary about volunteers who were picking bodies during the Ebola crisis in Liberia. I knew they were the right people to do it because they would make a big movie out of it and spread the message all over the world.

Q

: When did you fly in?

A

: We came here two weeks ago to record a full album with Lazarus. We have recorded over 30 tracks. We are going to probably use 10 best ones. We recorded with a choir in Lilongwe. Esau, from The Very Best, has also been helping a lot in mentoring. We will release this record and documentary together and try to make Lazarus a superstar.

Q

:  What makes you believe that Lazarus will become a superstar?

A

: His story is so good. His music is so good. The film is coming so good. The record is so good. Everything is just feeling very right. He is a very likeable guy. But at the end of the day, it comes down to the music. I hope people will really like the record that we are making and the radio and journalists will support it and make a big deal out of it. In America and the UK, the film will help promote him a lot.

Q

: What’s the title of the film and the album?

A

: Stomp on the Devil. Lazarus has a song Timponde Satana in which he stomps like he is crashing the devil. He is very strong. He is a strong metaphor of how we are trying to stamp on the devil fuelling the oppression against people with albinism.

Q

: Where has the journey of recording this documentary taken you?

A

: We have been almost everywhere. We went to Lazarus’ little township [Likuni]. We setup a studio and recorded him outside of his house, playing all the songs with the kids singing along.

Then we recorded with the choir. We have been in some villages doing performances and recording sessions as well. We have been running around the whole time. It’s almost nonstop.

We are doing as much as we can because through his music, Lazarus will probably build a good life for himself. He is making money already because we are making a record and we are setting up a special label just for Lazarus.

Q

:  What will be the name of that label?

A

: Lilongwe Direct. This is just the beginning of this process. We will spend time with Lazarus for the next year or two as we really try to build him up and try to book him big international shows.  The way he performs, he is crazy and people will love him all over the world. The fact that he can play all by himself and still manage to get people nuts is amazing. I have worked with a lot of musicians, but he is very special.

Q

: But this is also about highlighting the suffering of people with albinism in Malawi. How do you want the world to react when the documentary is out?

A

: We are trying to raise awareness because a lot of people outside East Africa don’t even know this is happening. In Tanzania and Malawi, this is a big problem. But the rest of the world needs to know about it and how we feel.

This is important for Lazarus to become a role model and an accepted musician. If this filters down, it will get people to realise that there is nothing magical or crazy about albinism-that he is just a normal guy making music. The more accepted Lazarus is as a human being like any other, the  easier it will be for people with albinism to get integrated in the society. People should appreciate that they can be anything, whether legislators or police officers, lawyers or doctors.

Q

: When do you expect to release the documentary and the album?

A

: Sometime in 2019, but we will start to release the first songs probably by the end of August and then slowly build up. When the documentary comes out, we will definitely try to win some big awards with this. n