Corruption, tribalism and democracy: coded messages in Wambali Mkandawire's popular songs in Malawi

Critical Arts, July, 2009 by Reuben Chirambo

The post-Banda regimes since 1994 (when Malawi shifted towards democracy, ending the thirty years of single-party dictatorship of Banda and the MCP) have been more subtle in their censorship. Their methods include not playing songs which are critical of the party and government on the only national public radio station, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), and Television Malawi (TVM). The MBC and TVM, both of which are heavily controlled by government and the ruling party, shelve away songs they deem too critical of the country's political leadership, just as they keep other oppositional voices out of public radio and television. The United Democratic Front (UDF), under President Bakili Muluzi (that assumed power from the MCP in 1994 to 2005) had, on occasion, tried to censor popular musicians and their songs when they became too critical of the regime. Sometimes party or government authorities approached the offending musicians with specific requests to tone down their criticism of the government. If this did not work, they would issue threats of unspecified consequences. In extreme cases, they would arrest individuals. A case in point is Evason Matafale, a reggae musician who, apart from his critical lyrics, also wrote an open letter criticising President Muluzi's regime in 2001. He was arrested and died within hours of being taken into custody. Therefore, coding critical messages in metaphors (especially those directed at the political leadership) remains a viable way of speaking out on such issues as corruption and tribalism, even under a democratic dispensation. Wambali's continued coding of his criticism of society in metaphors is not just a stylistic device, it is intended to camouflage his criticism.

Wambali Mkandawire's popular songs constitute a counter-discourse of the common sense propagated by successive political regimes in Malawi. Mkandawire, whose musical career dates back to the 1970s, is a gospel singer and popular musician who could also be described as a traditionalist for not only singing in his vernacular Tumbuka, but also for his musical style and technique. He draws on the rich oral heritage of his country--particularly traditional music and folklore from Chitumbuka, as well as the historical experiences of Malawi --for metaphors to comment on contemporary issues such as corruption and tribalism. Despite composing and performing his songs predominantly in his mother tongue, Chitumbuka, instead of the national language, Chichewa, Wambali enjoys popular support across the country. This is partly because his career, which started in Malawi, has seen him perform and record his songs in South Africa and Scotland, where he has won music awards which have enhanced his profile locally and internationally, thereby legitimising his voice. When it comes to politics, Wambali's subject matter in his songs, which are predominantly gospel, transcends tribal or regional boundaries. He sings about issues that affect the entire nation, such as the killing of four politicians in 1983 (alluded to below), who came from a region not his own. And, as this article demonstrates, Wambali's use of metaphor gives his songs a poetic quality that raises them above the propagandist political statements which are characteristic of most popular songs in Malawi. Also, the use of traditional instruments such as the drum and horn, combined with whistling (in some of the songs) adds a familiar traditional flavour that makes his songs relevant and interesting for the local audience in Malawi. Yet the percussion, synthesiser and guitar provide Wambali's songs with added sophistication, and placed him on the international stage (see also Magalasi 2007): Wambali received the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Award for Creativity in 2002 and a Southern African Traditional Music Award (SAMA) in 2003. He was nominated for a KORA Music Award in 2002, and for a Music of Black Origins (MOBO) award in 2007. To date, Wambali has released six albums.