The capital city Lilongwe came alive on Saturday night as music lovers filled Kumbali Castle for the Live at Kumbali concert which was headlined by South African songstress Shekhinah.
The annual event, organised by Standard Bank plc in partnership with Kumbali and PaKhonde, is part of the bank’s Joy of the Arts (JOA) initiative, which seeks to celebrate and promote the growth of the local creative industry.
The doors to the venue opened in good time and by sunset, the lush lawns of Kumbali Castle were already filled with excited fans ready for a night of good music.
Car parks were full and the atmosphere was electric as fans interacted while waiting for the performances.
Sage Poet opened the night with spoken word performance that set the tone for the night. His poetry,, punctuated by music warmed up the stage for what was to come.
He was followed by a musician Rei, who brought a smooth, Afro-soul feel to the stage. His vocals and the delivery had the crowd swaying and singing along. Rei effortlessly connected with the audience as they enjoyed his set.
Next on stage was Theresa Phondo and the energy instantly shifted as the crowd gave loud cheers.
She performed her popular hits, including those from her new extended playlist (EP) such as Nditayenda Nanu in which she featured Namadingo, Yewo and Daily.
The momentum continued with Eli Njuchi, who was also on the line-up of a similar event last year.
Njuchi electrified the crowd with his one hour stage presence as he performed his hit songs.
The crowd enjoyed songs such as Gu Gu Gu, Duwa, Ma Ine, True Love, Lemme love you.
Another highlight during the Duwa hitmaker set was when he was joined by Praise Umali on stage as they performed Love me now, a song they worked on together in 2023.
After an hour of Eli’s set, it was time for fans to be served the main meal on the menu and closing the night was a performance by Shekhinah.
Her voice and energy brought an international touch to the event and left the audience spellbound.
Fans enjoyed their favourites such as Suited, Different, Please Mr, Let You Know, Whipped and Questions.
Shekhinah dropped the mic minutes after midnight and fans left the venue with others saying they had enjoyed the night.
“This event always lives up to its standards and tonight was amazing. The artists were on fire tonight,” a fan said to another as they left the venue.
Speaking after the concert, Standard Bank plc head of brand and marketing Tamanda Ng’ombe said the bank’s investment in events such as Live at Kumbali is part of Joy of the Arts initiative and seeks to support local artists and help build a thriving creative economy in Malawi.
“We at Standard Bank believe in the power of the arts to inspire, connect and drive economic growth. Through Joy of the Arts, we want to create platforms that empower artists and celebrate creativity,” she said.
