Strings from the street

Not only does the magnificent, elegant and mighty seven-storey Chayamba Building dwarf most buildings within its vicinity, it also shadows great talent lying on its arcade.

If the glamour of the building or the large swarm of beggars that horde the arcade do not take away your attention, you are most likely to notice a blind man playing one of the rarest musical instruments in Malawi, an auto-harp, locally known as the zeze.

Through the alley beneath the building comes some well woven music and as you follow it, it leads to one blind man, Peterson Sumburelo who is wrongfully confused, and cartegorised, as a beggar.

One thing separates him from the others around him—he does not believe in free money, he sings for it.

Sumburelo was born in 1986 but a measles attack at the age of two claimed his sight.

The street musician, who is schooled up to Form Four, failed to sit for his exams due to lack of fees as his parents had just divorced.

He said he learnt to play a box guitar during his primary school days at Lulwe School for the Blind.

“When I finished school I had nothing to do, I did not have any means of finding money so I started begging but it was very embarrassing for me,” he tells On the Arts.

Sumburelo’s life turned around when he met Jannet Stanford who gave him an auto-harp.

Knowinh he could not play the instrument, he sought the expertise of respected music tutor Wyndham Chechamba.

Aftermastering the stringed instrument, Sumburelo went back to secure a good spot at Chayamba Building, from where he has been playing for the past six years.

Sumbulero said he has been able to support his family of three children and a wife who stays in Zomba through the money he has been getting from music.

“I can’t say life has been all rosy but I manage to find food in a decent way and however little, I am very happy because I feel I had to do something for it. On a good day I can make up to K2 000 [about $5],” said Sumbulero.

He further added that he has been able to purchase two maize gardens on which he grows maize and a domestic land where he built a house in Nasawa in Zomba.

The harpist cited the fact that beggars also use the same spot, a factor that makes it difficult for people to appreciate his music as they get lost in the crowd.

“I am not a beggar and I refuse to be classified as such. If my instrument develops a fault, I stay home until I fix it,” said the auto-harp player in fluent English.

Sumbulero says in 2011, he recorded two songs at Gomonda Studios from the money he made during his street performances, but says he failed to record more songs due to a lack of financial resources.

He said he only needs a sponsor for him to make it into the mainstream market as he is already receiving positive feedback from people who have listened to his music.

“I will be very happy if I find a sponsor, and I will never disappoint them because I know music and I already have songs ready,” said Sumburelo.

Sumbulero says his music compositions are pieces which have messages that are aimed at strengthening the oppressed and the broken hearted.

When he plays his songs, one can feel the sincerity in his delivery that he is not singing about something he does not know.

Although gospel music is his choice of genre, his lyrics focus on the hardships and misery on earth and how faith in Jesus can help one conquer.