Lawi Group, an entertainment promotion company, is set to host America’s R&B music guru Brian McKnight at Game Haven in Bvumbwe, Thyolo District tomorrow. Through the concert, the company will hope to recover f rom the disappointment suffered two years ago when soukous star Awilo Longomba failed to show up at the eleventh hour. Our News Analyst BRIAN ITAI caught up with Lawi Group director Lawi, rewal name Francis Phiri, to hear his thoughts about the upcoming Sunset in the WArm Heart Concert. Excerpts:
critical. | Courtesy of Lawi
Q. For the first time we could have a top American artist performing in Malawi, what is in your mind as the countdown continues?
A. This is groundbreaking. For the first time, we can agree that the Malawian arts industry is going to come in touch with Hollywood or what is regarded as the biggest industry in the world. We have been working and thinking and putting ideas on paper, but ideas can only remain ideas when you don’t have the support of real financial partners. And the coming in of several partners means our ideas can no longer just remain ideas, but we can convert them into money and we can begin to move. Real conversations begin to happen at that point because people have started to make investments, and we want to say a big thank you to all our partners for coming onto the platform because as creatives, investors, young people who are only trying to develop the Malawian arts industry, we can only do so much. But with their
help, we can do a lot.
Q. Given the previous experience with Awilo Longomba, there is still some scepticism within some quarters; Is Brian McKnight really coming to Malawi?
A. So you see, there are so many levels for preparation for events like this. The first bit is the contractual part, where a company in Malawi reaches out to another company in a different country and requests the service of a performer or a creative. In that way, I want to emphasise that it has to be formal; it has to go through those channels, so what we have done this time around is to make sure that our company reached out to Brian’s management. These two companies drew a c o n t r a c t to ensure that their performer shows up in Malawi at the right time and e v e r y t h i n g goes as planned. The second bit is that we as creatives and when we don’t get the full support of Malawians and Malawian businesses, then failure is easy to achieve. Previously, we were not able to do this because we didn’t get the right kind of support. But this time around, we have
the right support and this is what we need. If we are really considering developing the arts sector in Malawi, then partnerships are very critical.
Q. What should people expect from organisational structure and the performances at the event?
A. I would like to assure Malawians that this is going to be a great experience, excellent perhaps to start with, because a lot of the work is not only being
done by ourselves; it is also being done by the team from the US. They have been in touch with our team on the ground, checking that all the technical requirements and specifications are met, and we have also had to outsource some of the equipment from South Africa and Kenya. All this is coming together just to ensure that we have put up an excellent performance for Brian McKnight. That is unnegotiable for people like him. We cannot miss it. We cannot fail to deliver on that. Also contractually, so we needed to make sure we deliver on our part.
Q. If we look at the cover charges on the event’s rate card, do you feel the show is affordable to Malawians?
A. Absolutely! The idea was that we curate an experience that suits a specific kind of clientele. The people that know and have adored Brian McKnight come from a certain timeline and for them to understand that Brian McKnight is playing in Malawi, they would not want to be anywhere else but be there to watch their favourite performer play live. In terms of affordability, it’s the cheapest international show that has ever occurred in Malawi. We have tailored prices for the ultimate Brian McKnight experience. The cost of a standard ticket is K150 000, suitable for a world class concert and considering that for some this may be a once in a lifetime opportunity
