Musicians’ SOS for Paul Banda, Liotcha

A group of artists will hold  a show on May 9 to raise K30 million for two ailing musicians Paul Banda and Isaac Liotcha who need treatment outside the country.

One of the organisers, Charles Sinetre, said Banda needs specialist treatment for heart and kidney problems whereas Liotcha requires treatment for osteoporosis, a bone disease.

He said: “We are looking at having a physical and virtual show at the same time. The venue will be determined by Mikozi Network who recently worked with Joseph Nkasa in an appreciative event.

“Under strict adherence of Covid-19 guidelines, we plan to have 100 patrons to attend the show while the rest will follow it via Mikozi Facebook page.”

Sinetre said it is not clear how much is needed for their treatment as they are waiting to get a breakdown of costs from doctors after assessments.

“However, we have just pegged the costs at K30 million. Due to Covid-19, we also doubt if it will be possible for them to travel to India for the treatment, so we are looking at South Africa,” he said.

So far, Sinetre, Alleluya Band where Banda has spent most of his musical journey and Zembani Band, owned by Banda’s young brother Lucius, have confirmed their performance during the show.

“Everybody who was trained by Paul like Coss Chiwalo and Foster Chimangafisi, among others, will also be there. People call him Sir Paul, but we call him Papa because he is our god father.

“More artists will be added to the list of the performers as we move close to the date. We want to have more artists so that we appeal to more fans,” he said.

Sinetre also said a group called Get Well Soon Club has been set up to run the fundraising activities for the two musicians.

The club’s committee, comprising people from different professions, is asking well-wishers to send their contributions to FDH Bank Account Name: Get Well Soon Club, Account Number 1230000176191, Balaka Branch.

For Airtel and Mpamba, deposits can be made to 0999196912 and 0882236082 respectively.

In a separate interview, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Michael Usi said he is aware of the two musicians’ condition and he will visit them in due course.

“As a minister, I can’t just ignore or leave it to the artists.  Also, the amount of money involved cannot come from one source. As such, we need to work together,” he said.

The two ailing artists,particularly Banda, have been instrumental in developing what is termed as the Balaka rhythm, a classical music synonymous with that district.