Lulu delivers a birthday gift with Machilitso

Local urban musician Lulu, real name Lawrence Khwisa, has stayed true to his tradition of releasing a single on his birthday.

On May 7, the Lilongwe-based guitar maestro turned 33 and capped the moment with the release of  Machilitso, a trend he started a year ago when he released Chilele.

The multifaceted artist, as usual, has gone mellow in Machilitso, a typical African ballad in which he is asking for God’s healing powers to dawn upon all the suffering souls on earth.

Mutsitse machilitso, musatipsele mtima aaah aaah, mbuye mutsitse machilitso… goes the chorus which has seen the Mbambande hit-maker underline his reputation as one of Malawi’s finest lead guitarists.

Lulu said: “Last year, I had something for my fans and this year, I did not want them to feel left out. Growth is a good thing, which needs to be celebrated. I have not only grown as a person but as an artist too. So, a musical gift is the most ideal.”

In an interview, he said the single recorded by himself at Mathumela Studios in Lilongwe, will be part of a project he is currently working on.

“As you know, I last released an album in 2016 and I feel time is ripe to deliver something new for my fans.  Work on the new material is already underway and I have 10 percent to go,” said Lulu.

He said his next album Zaulele will hit the stores before the end of this year.

Chinsisi Kwambiri, who has worked with Lulu for over five years, describes Machilitso as a demonstration of maturity.

“His dedication is amazing. What he has achieved so far is a direct result of hard work. He has worked his way up,” he said. n