Malawi mourns musician Wambali Mkandawire

According to local media, Mkandawire died of COVID-19 complications at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe.

“The passing of Wambali Mkandawire has left a huge void in Malawi music,” arts commentator Wonderful Mkhutche told Music In Africa. “He was a musician who was unique and took our country to the international stage, especially with his Zani Muwone album in 2002."

He added: “Wambali Mkandawire was also instrumental in the fight for multi-party democracy in Malawi during the early 1990s. Most people never saw it coming and as someone who follows arts in Malawi, Wambali Mkandawire is someone we will never replace.”

Local singer Tuno said: “I grew up listening to Wambali, My family are Wambali fans and his death has shocked us all. But his name and music will remain in our hearts. May his soul rest in peace.”

R&B and soul singer Namadingo wrote on Facebook: “My late father Symon Namadingo was not a musician. When I was only nine and not a musician either, my late father said to me while listening to Wambali's music: ‘Son this is what we call good music.’ If my father was alive, I would have told him that he was right. Wambali Mkandawire was the good music. Now that I am a musician, I will tell my children of what my own father told me about this man’s music. It is good music. Rest well legend Wambali Mkandawire.”

Local singer Wakisa James also wrote: “Listening to his music as I was growing up made me realise that apart from Chichewa, Malawi can also compete on the international platform with Tumbuka music. It was my dream to do a song with him. Rest in power North King. We celebrate your life and thanks for being an inspiration to me and many others.”

Born in 1952 in the Congo to Malawian parents from the village of Mlowe, Mkandawire dropped out of school in the 1970s to pursue a career in music. He was introduced to Congolese music by his Malawian grandparents and South African music by the South African miners who worked in Malawi’s north. He was the lead singer of the Blantyre-based Sounds Pentagon band, which became known for playing Western pop songs.

In 1984, Mkandawire experienced a religious awakening that led him to pursue training at various Christian missions. This saw him join the Youth for Christ’s New Song band as a singer. The group toured churches and schools in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. In 1986, Mkandawire moved to South Africa where he worked in the Alexandra and Soweto townships with Youth for Christ clubs. In 1989, he left Malawi for the UK to study biblical cross-cultural musicology.

Some of his well-known albums include Moto (2007), Liberty (2011) and Calabrash Breath (2015).