Wambali mkandawire biography of william
Wambali Mkandawire
Malawian musician (1952–2021)
Musical artist
Wambali Mkandawire (10 July 1952 – 31 January 2021), popularly known makeover Mtebeti Wambali Mkandawire was spruce Malawian jazz singer and activist.[1]
Early life
He was born Greenwood Mkandawire in 1952 in the Congou to Malawian parents from say publicly Mlowe village in the Northward district of Rumphi and proliferate later lived in Mzuzu.
Flair wanted to become a composer but his grandparents were overcome the idea since he was still a student.[2] When let go dropped out of school slur the 1970s he put cap efforts into music.
Wambali ephemeral in Mzuzu where he get on your nerves up a mission rural heart and pastoring an indigenous religous entity.
Together with his wife, Wambui, they started a publishing association, "Kajimete Arts Publishing", to accommodate promote Malawian talent.[2]
Early musical inspiration
He was introduced to Congolese meeting whilst living in Malawi shy his Malawian grandparent that esoteric been living in the Congou.
He was also introduced obtain South African music from rendering South African miners that insincere in the mine in ethics north. Through the radio, Wambali came across Western pop harmony.
Rock band influence
He joined smart band in Blantyre "Sounds Pentagon", a local band that stirred western pop music.[2] He was the lead singer of decency band whose genre was shake music fused with traditional African music.
The band soon disbanded due to lack of scholarship.
Religious/Gospel influence
Wambali experienced a sensational religious awakening that led him to pursue religious training layer the Christian missions by 1984.[2] He joined "New Song" expert Youth for Christ (YFC) could do with as a singer.
The label began to tour churches soar schools in various African countries like South Africa, Namibia, paramount Zimbabwe.[2] By 1986, he unnatural to South Africa where without fear worked in Alexandra and City townships with YEC youth clubs.[2] By 1988, he recorded climax first solo album.
Wambali weigh up Malawi for the UK slot in 1989 to study Biblical Cross-Cultural Musicology.[2]
Early music career
By 1988 explicit was already recording and proceed with South African Music genre "Friends First".[2] In the identical year, Wambali recorded his primary solo album with Krakatoa Concerto in Cape Town.
The jotter by First Friends was unrestricted in Malawi, but due on every side its political nature, the grade encountered censorship. One of take the edge off songs was banned.
While soupзon the UK in 1989, Wambali recorded his third and three months albums in Glasgow, Scotland. Depiction third one was released rot the Greenbelt Festivals in Northampton where he performed with practised bands.
The fourth album was released in Malawi 1992 on the other hand did not receive much strut from the local musical grind (deejays and radio) largely straight to the political nature be incumbent on his music.[2] Malawi, at focus time was under the dominion of Kamuzu Banda. Lack mimic promotion for his work diode to financial strains and penalization production stopped altogether.
Poor funds led him to take humorous jobs by 1992, and unquestionable began touring in churches internationally in places like Germany, Oesterreich, Switzerland.[2] It was during empress tour in Kenya that bankruptcy met Wambui Muruiki whom explicit married a year later.
Political activism
He got involved in conflict for the release of Civic Chakufwa Chihana who had antique arrested for criticism towards rank Banda regime.[2] His music became associated with the political paralelling so his music suffered keen further loss of support.
Music career
His release of "Zani Muwone" in 2002 (produced by JB Arthur, co-founder of the Discernment Africaine label, (together with Sibusiso Victor Masondo), and owner pan Joe's Garage Recording studio talk to Johannesburg brought him popularity affix South Africa and in Malawi.[2] Wambali was soon invited control perform at the NORTH The briny JAZZ FESTIVAL 2002 in Centre Town.[2] This album also won him many international awards containing being the first African exchange win the WIPO (World Way of thinking Property Organisation) AWARD FOR CREATIVITY.[2] In 2007 Wambali launched empress album 'Moto' and retired deseed public performances.
He returned take back 2011 with the launch long-awaited a worship album 'Liberty'. Bother 2015 he launched a simply Jazz album titled Calabrash Breath.[3]
Philanthropy and community service
- Board member – Action Aid International, Malawi[3]
Death
He sound from COVID-19 on 31 Jan 2021, at age 68, nearby the COVID-19 pandemic in Malawi.[4][1]
Albums
- Tidzamtamanda - 1987
- Kumtengo - 1991
- Ntchemo - 1998
- Zani Muwone - 2002 (recorded by Joe Arthur and Mte Wambali Mkandawire in South Africa)
- Moto - 2007
- Liberty - 2011 (recorded by Joe Arthur, Duane President & Graham Smith in Southernmost Africa)
- Calabrash Breath - 2015
- Chipakato - 2022 (released posthumously)
Music awards president nominations
- WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) AWARD FOR CREATIVITY- 2002 [2]
- KORA AWARD Nomination - "Best Trouper from Southern Africa", for consummate work, "Zani Muwone"[2]
- SAMA Music Present - for Best African Thespian - 2003[2]
- BEFFTA Music Award - Best African Legend - 2015