Salif Keitta comes to Malawi
Malawians will have a chance of sampling the works of Malian afro-pop singer and songwriter Salif Keitta who will perform at the Blantyre Arts Festival (BAF) in October.
Organisers of the festival confirmed in an interview during the week that Keitta will be coming to Malawi, describing it as an opportunity for local musicians to learn from him.
“Yes, he is definitely coming here in October and the festival will take place from the 5th to 7th,†said Thomas Chibambo, director of Blantyre Arts Festival.
He said everything had been finalised and the “golden voice of Africa†will be on Malawi soil in the month he is also scheduled to tour Zambia.
BAF benefits people in terms of workshops and performances which are open to the public and scouts from abroad.
“Everyone benefits from these art festivals. We don’t just target the artists. The whole idea behind the festival is to expose different art sectors that are not widely exposed,†chipped in festival coordinator McArthur Matukuta, who also heads Solomonic Peacocks theatre group.
The arts feast also aims to expose Malawi arts and culture, with 80 percent of the participants being locals.
Matukuta said it is worthless for Malawian artists to copy what others are doing internationally.
“As artists, we must work hard at having productions that are our own. That way, we can sell Malawi arts and culture internationally,†he said.
BAF was founded in 2009 with a mission to unify and promote Malawian arts and culture through interactive capacity building events that lead to artistic liberation and socio-economic empowerment.
