For emerging musician Monnah Billy Lungu, better known by his stage name MBL, music is not only about love and entertainment, but also reflecting on issues affecting relationships and society.
His latest song, Khalidwe, explores the breakdown of a marriage caused by a husband’s behaviour, including gambling, drinking and spending little time at home.
MBL said the song was inspired by a movie he watched about a newly married man whose gambling and drinking habits strained his relationship with his wife.
“I watched a movie where a newly married guy always gambled, drank and was never home for his wife. But when he was home, he was a really good guy and would do anything for his wife,” he said.
In the story, the wife eventually leaves him without giving him notice, a development that inspired MBL to reflect on how couples deal with problems in their relationships.
The musician stressed that Khalidwe is a fictional story, although he has heard similar real-life experiences involving couples facing different challenges.
According to MBL, the song carries a message that couples should be more open about their problems and seek solutions before deciding to end their relationships.
“We live in a different world and era where people should be more open when there is a problem. There are many situations where people decide to leave their partners without addressing the issues. They should try to find a solution before making the final decision,” he said.
He also urged people to understand their partners well before marriage, saying it is better to identify incompatibilities during courtship than after marriage.
MBL said the title Khalidwe, meaning behaviour, was chosen because the husband’s conduct was at the centre of the marital problems.
“If he had behaved in an acceptable manner, the wife would not have left him,” he said.
The song also marks a shift from MBL’s previous work, which he describes largely as “positive love songs” centred on couples pampering and appreciating each other.
“With Khalidwe, I can say it is negative love. It mixes love and the way of life people live these days, which we see almost every day,” he said.
MBL believes the song speaks to the growing challenges facing marriages and hopes it will encourage couples to address their problems before walking away
