Pisky, Sonye burns down B’ham: Kanda brings back 80s at Malawi Awards UK

From Malawi with love and colour, Malawian artists Piksy and Sonye burned down the stage as they put up brilliant performances at the Malawi Achievers Awards 2016 in Birmingham Saturday evening. [caption id="attachment_107874" align="alignright" width="600"] Sonye performing Tsika Mtsungwana[/caption] [caption id="attachment_107875" align="alignright" width="600"] Dancing antics, Richard Gondwe leads Miss Malawi UK organisers to collect awards[/caption] [caption id="attachment_107876" align="alignright" width="600"] Kondi Bowoyeke Munthali the Miss Malawi UK organiser gets his award[/caption] [caption id="attachment_107878" align="alignright" width="600"] Dumisani Kapanga receives ward on behalf of James Woods Nkhutabasa[/caption] [caption id="attachment_107877" align="alignright" width="600"] Derby Malawi Association gets award[/caption] [caption id="attachment_107873" align="alignright" width="600"] Stebbings Ngolleka aka Wizzy performing[/caption] [caption id="attachment_107865" align="alignright" width="600"] Inde Moni, Kanda Bongo Man performing[/caption] [caption id="attachment_107864" align="alignright" width="600"] Kaz perfomring Amina Kadeya[/caption] Girls screamed, parents returned to their youthfulness when after the equally performance’s by Leicester based Stebbins Ngoleka  warmed up followed by Malawian born but raised in Zimbabwe artist Kaz did a child song Amina Kadeya, reminding the CSN International conference hall, that home and roots are the best. When master of ceremonies Zodiak’s Joab Chakhaza and Peter Makossa called Sonye to the stage, Malawian ladies screamed. The lad did not disappoint, every hit was an anthem, with many trying to get to the stage as the “boy” performance, from microphone play to down dances left many wondering who else would bring down the show. When he finally played his finest hit so far “Tsika nsungwana” the stage was mobbed, the kid gave out his lungs best and his dance best, jumping and coming down. The performance left many breathless and when he was called out, people chanted one more, one more. He literally could have played Tsika all night and the audience seemed it could have not minded. When Piksy dressed in all black, gold chain and red shoes jumped on stage opening with “ndafunafuna nzanga wa chikondi”, literally love and colour filled the hall. Every patron joined the dance craze that ensued. Piksy to proved after Sonye’s performance that Malawi has something to offer and it can match any international act. “I pray one day we will fill the O2 arena, these guys are massive,” Chief Judge and CEO for Music streaming site Mvelani,  Dumisani Kapanga remarked right at the dance floor as he jumped to “Unamatamata.” Again, Pisky as he switched from Unamatata to his Maskal collabo,  ‘Wa CV ya bo’ the stage proved too small for the artist, whose sexy seductive shaking of the torso, saw ladies scream and scream and many jumped on stage. He asked a few to try to voice the song, they included Scotland fun seeker Norah Chiwaula McLintock , but  the results for the fun filled revellers were up the mark until Joab Chakhaza turned up and sang with Pisky, to the encores from the hall. Malawians almost demanded that only their artists should remain and sing all night long. No, the organisers had overdone themselves this time. It was Kanda Bongo Man’s turn. The Congolese took to the stage dressed in all black suit and matching trademark hat, a lady in his band opened with “Nairobi” which the old generation could not resist. He sang Yesu Khristu, Muchana, Inde Monie and he reminded Malawians that he was one of them, when he greeted the audience in Chichewa “muli bwanji”. Places like Lunzu Roadhouse of “manda awiri”, Nanjiri’s “stop over motel”, Namadzi, Kasungu’s and Madisi’s Falklands and of course Lilongwe’s Old Namilombwa all came alive. Kanda Bongo Man called out Salima, Lilongwe, Blantyre and  repeatedly Mangochi all night, when at 3.20am the time  he wanted to bow out, the tired but eager crowd did not want to leave the stage. “This was a marathon of all shows, I would never want to miss anything like this,” party guru Justin Kaunda, known as ‘Ntumbuka-Ntaifa’ remarked sweating after wriggling whole night in competition to his friends Miss Malawi UK organiser Kondi  Bowoyeke Munthali and Richard Gondwe whose rhumba dance attracted audience applause. They were a marvel “We hope next year we can do more and more than this year,” Thom Twee Chiumia, Vice Chair of Malawi Assosication UK the organisers said, as patrons laughed, “you can’t beat this.” Next year, fire engines might be needed to cool off the sweat and burn from Malawians!