I am a rare gem—‘Soldier’

Recently, Lucius ‘Soldier’ Banda stunned the music lovers when he announced that his 20th album Love And Hate will be his last. After an astonishing career, Banda is finally stepping aside. On Saturday, he will unveil his final album at Lilongwe Golf Club. Our Staff Reporter BRIAN ITAI caught up with him and he shared more on his career and upcoming album. Excerpts.

Q: What is behind the title track?

A: Love and Hate is about how I am fascinated about the thin line between love and hate. It is very easy for a person to be in love with something, but within a few seconds something small can happen and the person can hate all those things. So, we are trying to explore things that people love and then end up hating. People may love a political party during the campaign time. Five months before elections, they could be so much in love with a political outfit, but after elections they would actually hate that party. They would hate each and everything they did for it.

Q: There is always an anti-government song in your album, should people expect the same in this forthcoming album?

A: Well, people have called those songs different names. Some have said anti-government like you are putting it, some political and some revolutionary. I just feel it is people’s words, how people talk in the streets. There will be such a song. Love and Hate is one such song. But there is also Kalata Ya Chisanu which is actually discussing current affairs. People call them different names, but to me it is just highlighting what people are saying in the streets because I’m the people’s voice.

Q: Why is it taking you so long for you to release an album?

A: The culture of albums has been dying slowly. The reason I am actually saying this is my last album is because I don’t see gathering myself five years or two from now to do another album. In the first place, people are so impatient. They want to hear new messages now and again. People are turning music into some sort of a newspaper whereby if anything is happening today, you have to sing about today. I am looking at the whole change and dynamics and asking if I can fit in such a scenario. I am used to sitting down, write my song, think about it, tear it apart and start writing again. I am an artist. I’m not just a musical businessperson.

Q: What has inspired this album?

A: This album is a collection of different dimensions of my career put together. There is the advisory messages, their songs like Bisa Bisa, love songs such as Bwelera, there are also gospel songs and the so-called political ones. The inspiration always comes from the people around you.

Q: What is the highlight of your career?

A: My career has been peculiar. All of it has been a highlight. Music has made me travel around the world. Music has taken me to Parliament. Music has taken me to State House. Whatever I have achieved, it’s been through music. So, music is my highest qualification.

Q: Now that you are ending the recording career, what would be next?

A: I would have used the example of my Lord Jesus Christ when he said let me go so that you will grow. It was true, when he left the world, the church grew rapidly until today 2000 years later. I’m looking at the industry, it is still lacking. It’s lacking seriousness and discipline. The musicians who are now on the ground, are capable of going international. But I think they do not have the people to help them. They do not have the management. Most people that are managing artists here are learning on the job. I think I can make a better manager for a number of artists.

Q: During your career, who has been the best artist you have seen?

A: Artists have come and gone. Some have been very interesting for a short while. Some have been copycats and some original. We keep thinking what if some were still alive. A good example is Paul Chaphuka. He was a classical artist, a very serious musician and he was everything. He was a good singer. He would play almost every instrument. I still wish he was alive. I believe together me and him would have done a lot of things. I love the way Lulu does his things. He doesn’t struggle. Musically he is a good artist. He reminds me of Chaphuka. I also admire the determination in Patience Namadingo. His confidence to do things and to rule the industry.

Q: So you can say the future of Malawian music is safe?

A: The future is safe, but I hope Malawians won’t destroy it. I have seen a worrisome element of comparing artists. You do not support music like football. In football if you are a Manchester United supporter then you are Manchester United, if you are Liverpool, you are Liverpool. In music it doesn’t work like that. You can love Black Missionaries, Lulu, Lucius Banda, all at once.

Q: How have you managed to survive this long in the industry?

A: Allow me to be pompous. I am a rare gem. (Laughs). It is passion. If I came into music to make money, I would have left long time ago. I love doing music. I love singing, recording. I love being in front singing to people and making them happy. I love to see people happy. So music helps me to make people happy.

Q: Did you ever thought of quitting at some point?

A: The worst time was when my music was banned on Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC). It felt so bad. That time social media was not active, so the only channel you would use to promote your music was MBC. So you make a song and think it’s a very good song, you give it to the radio and they can’t play it. That’s very painful. I thought I could just quit and go and stay somewhere. I thank God that time passed and I pray to God that time may never come back.

Q: What is your advice to the artists of the current generation?

A: They need to know that 10 years from now they will need to account for what they have done. I am proud today to say the times I joined the music industry in the 1980s, most musicians that we knew were local artists who would go to a place, put a plate and let people throw coins in the plate as they performed. We were proud and we said we are too smart for that. We created the industry by introducing serious shows and brought in cassettes. The generation before us would just go to MBC, record music and leave it there without even taking a souvenir home. All they wanted was for the music to play on MBC and they made nothing out of it. The current generation has the responsibility to take music from where it is, to the next level.

Q: A word to your fans? A: It would appear like there is a place in their hearts and they created a corner for me. They can enjoy one artist for a year or two and throw him away. Bring in another one and enjoy him too. but I have always been in that corner. I don’t take that for granted. Thank you Malawians for the love you have showed me.