Words by Justin Turford
Sometimes all it takes is the most rudimentary of artistic forms to reveal the essence of humanity. From the barest of bones, the Malawian duo Madalitso Band have carved out a reputation for ecstatic live performances that have exhilarated and inspired audiences across the globe. Simple riffs, simple rhythms and joyous voices is all it has taken for Yosefe Kalekeni and Yobu Maligwa to become one of their country’s favourite international exports, although they remain under the radar at home. A friend of mine who rarely shares similar taste in music told me that they were, by far, the best band he saw at the great Shambala Festival in the UK (which they are again performing at this summer), their joyful, hypnotic minimalism universally understood and embraced.
Of course, it has taken much more than their musical talents to get to where they are now. This may be their third album and they may have graced WOMAD, Rosskilde and Glastonbury festivals with their songs but the journey to this point has been tough.
One of the world’s poorest countries, Malawi is a narrow country located in south-eastern Africa and is surrounded on all sides by Zambia, Mozambique and Tanzania. Gaining full independence from the British in 1964, the nation formerly known as Nyasaland has suffered from corrupt leadership and weak economic development since with HIV being the current leading cause of death. Grim information that doesn’t tell the better, more human stories of this beautiful country that has Lake Malawi taking up a fifth of its otherwise landlocked land.
Madalitso Band (Photo by Ahmed Abadu White Jr.)
A severe famine in 2002 forced the then teenage boys to leave their villages to the capital Lilongwe. A physically depleted Yosefe was spotted by Yobu carrying his guitar, an instrument that Yobu had yearned to play all of his life but was never able to afford. Yosefe remembers that Yobu simply asked “Why don’t we join forces and start a band?”. And so they began busking and hustling on the streets of Lilongwe, their two voices and Yosefe’s guitar becoming their only chance at survival. In time and despite their struggles to earn enough to live on, Yobu learned to play the guitar, eventually building himself his signature instrument, the brilliant looking Malawian one-stringed slide bass called the babatone.
The band was originally called Tiyese, meaning "Let's try," because that’s what they felt they were doing – just trying. But one day a woman prayed for them, and urged them to change their name to Madalitso, meaning “blessings” in Chichewa. According to Yobu, it was in this moment that their fate began to change.“While walking God would give us revelations through the songs” says Yobu. One day, he had a vision of performing on a grand stage far away, surrounded by an audience of all races, dancing and filled with joy thanks to their music.
(This video is from The Banjo Boys - a documentary feature coming out this year that follows Madalitso Band on their journey from playing on the streets of Malawi to Global Stages. Film directed by Johan Nayar)
Tenacity, talent and their faith eventually paid off when they were spotted by a local producer who, through his international contacts, helped release them from their street hustle and onto a wider, global stage. There is a forthcoming documentary about the duo’s journey called ‘The Banjo Boys’ which I can’t wait to watch but in the meantime, let us look at the music on this, their third album for the brilliant Swiss label Bongo Joe.
Without losing their signature unfussy sound, they have sensitively developed on this record. There’s a little extra layering and even some guests along for the ride but everything remains distinctively them. In fact, the party-starting first single from the album, ‘Anafera Chiboda’, was written many years ago but sounds as alive and essential as if it were born today. Known as a dancing band first and foremost, the song is a compulsive mix of thumping foot drum, a looping rhythm guitar riff and the bouncy bass and lead line played on the babatone. It takes a full minute before Yobu’s thrilling voice cuts across the groove but I imagine that this gets stretched out with even more anticipatory tension when performed live. Produced with punch and space, this could easily fit into a DJ set with its relentless pulse and audience-baiting sliding bass breakdowns. When the song is in full flow with Yobu and Yosefe trading fast-paced vocals, ‘Anafera Chiboda’ is unbridled joy.
The 4/4 punch from Yobu’s cowhide foot drum shares that universal heartbeat that a lot of traditional South African music (and of course, most electronic dance music) has, at points the similarities between some of Madalitso’s songs with (the more layered) mbaqanga and mgqashiyo anthems of the 70s and 80s are remarkably vivid. The love song ‘Princess Wanga’ is one such number. With Yobu’s layered babatone resonating like a Moroccan guembri (the key instrument in gnawa music), and the young guest Patrick Thima Sam doubling up the melodic resonance on his nsansi mbira, the gorgeous three part vocals shine as though they were a mzansi township trio.
The album title track ‘Ma Gitala’ takes the tempo down to a striding speed, and features the combined voices of the three children of the band’s manager Neil Nayar in a sweet and happy singalong that glows with campfire energy.
“Why do you eat only the relish (ndiwo) and not the nsima (carbs)?”
‘Chemwa’ answers this motherly question with beautifully sung vocals, Yosefe’s metronomic guitar and Yobu’s outrageous and brilliantly funky babatone bottom end lines. Playful and inescapably danceable, they sound like they’re having a ball!
There is such a welcoming feeling on all of the band’s songs and ‘Mwadala’ is another of their high tempo dancers that demands communion, Yobu’s skybursting lead vocal and Yosefe’s folky guitar both provoking heightened goosebump moments.
The stripped back ‘La Bwino’ harks back to the sound of their early busking days, one guitar and one voice (Yosefe’s?) proclaiming ‘it’s Good’ in the Nyanja language. As catchy as it is elegantly simple, praise appears to be the main ingredient in the song and it is really bloody lovely.
Surely a festival singalong hit in the making, ‘Zili Komweko’ is another fabulous dancer with great call-and-answer vocals and their typically unstoppable groove. “Ah-We-We-Wo” will be undoubtedly sung by thousands of revellers throughout their summer tour!
This lovely, life-affirming record ends with the anthemic slow-groover ‘Po Lankhula’. Guest saxophonist Rick Deja brings a whole new tone and texture to the duo’s usual palette and works beautifully as both an extra ‘voice’ in the chorus and as a soloist. I would personally love to hear more in this vein as it works so well.
So there you have it, another absolute joy of an album from Madalitso Band. Their trials may have scarred them but their positivity, faith and talent continues to inspire them to create wonderful music that enthralls all who are lucky enough to discover their all-embracing songs. 10/10.
They are touring across Europe and the UK this summer, seek them out!
BUY HERE! https://madalitsoband.bandcamp.com/album/ma-gitala