Chigo Gondwe: Until Africa is free… here’s to life, love and everything in between!

By Tendy Kay

Looking at your background, you have done a lot of creative things like singing and performing but when did you realize poetry was your thing?

God is a poet. At least that’s what I believe… So, there is an inborn poetic talent in each of us though I can’t really say that Poetry is my “thing”. Rather, it is one of the many ways in which I am able to best express myself and stretch my senses – my thoughts and dreams, my fears and hopes, my fantasies and reality, my inspirations and aspirations. I’m not sure when the light bulb came on (bling!) but I started dreaming of one day being a writer and versing my sentiments as well as those writers and poets did in those books. Man, they filled those dull creamed white pages with such colour that made my world come alive. I toyed with my writing ability throughout primary school and secondary/high school and haven’t stopped fiddling with it till now.

You call yourself an ethno-urban-hip hop-soul-poetess; what exactly is this style of poetry?

Ethno-Urban-Hiphop-Soul-Poetess, that’s what I am. It is not a style of poetry but merely an expression of the various creative elements that inspire my writings and spoken word performance. It is not part of slam poetry neither is it beat poetry. Ethno is for the pride I feel towards my African tribal and traditional roots, the essence of my poetry – a stamp that reads “proudly made in Africa”. Urban stands for the places that drive me and make me ‘tick’, the hub from where I draw my inspiration, the place where I experience life as I know it. Hiphop is the musicality associated with my poetic renditions, the rhythm my words dance to when pen meets paper and hand touches mic. Soul is the source of my words and their meanings, the root of my attitudes and beliefs, the home of my values and aspirations. Poetess is for the woman that I am, an epitome of the femininity of poetry.

You are an activist for cultural heritage, tell me about the initiatives you have started or you are part of, in either Malawi or South Africa?

There is so much to tell you about my role in cultural activism. Currently I have a company called Afro Poetics Creations which focuses on arts promotion, public relations and strategic marketing-communications all geared towards entrenching a sense of African identity among the continent’s business fraternity. As a creative agency started in SA, we have produced various TV broadcast events such as the SABC/African Bank Voice of Choice Awards, the launch of SABC Kids News Room – the only children’s television news programme in Africa, radio programming for all SABC 13 black public broadcast radio stations for Youth Day and Heritage Day celebrations, etc. All these projects were rooted in promoting African values and value systems as well as harnessing the wisdom of our indigenous knowledge systems and communicating this to youth across South Africa. It is vital if we are to attain leadership of our nations in the future, we have to know who we are, what we have, how to use our resources and how to preserve such knowledge for future generations. I am also an Executive Director of the African Cultural Link, an NGO co-founded with a colleague in RSA to promote African cultures and arts. I am also the Vice-President of the Afrocentric Club in RSA (a branch will hopefully be registered in Malawi soon), a voluntary association aimed at progressing African values and values systems in the workplace and platform for marketing African companies and products to potential “buyers” around the world. I initiated the I AM Afrika Cultural Tour in 2005 as a vehicle for curbing xenophobia among South African youth – this included a series of business-arts workshops, shooting of a film documentary, live performances, strategic meetings with corporate, creatives and government stakeholders including Chief Mtwalo of Mzimba, visits to heritage sites and lifestyle hubs, etc. Afro Poetics is registered for business here in Malawi too and the Afrocentric Club will soon have a home here too as soon as we hear back from the registrar of companies. I have organised several Africa Day events as well as African Cultural Evenings in SA to promote unity among Africans and they were successful. Maybe I can do them here too – we will see.

With reference to a statement that you made in your book, you said your fight is to end all forms of racism in Africa, do you feel there is racism in Malawi?

There is definitely racism in Malawi, it has always been here – not as blatant as in places like South Africa, the UK or the US but it is here nonetheless. Strangely, I sometimes understand Malawi’s brand of racism, it is more reactionary than anything – people want to preserve what is theirs and what has belonged to their fore-parents for centuries and sometimes the way privileges are awarded to non-Malawians as compared to what Malawians are often afforded in their own country is enough to drive a sane woman like me crazy. I may develop a resentment towards Indians, for example, simply because they have been allowed to buy up almost if not all of Limbe town whereas I would never be afforded that same privilege if I went to India. I can’t go to India and build a Church complete with swinging bell and a psalmist in the middle of an Indian city but here they do that with no regard for whether or nor they do it in Christian communities. It is absurd. White people have been allowed to purchase land (even islands) along some of the best lake shores in the country but Malawians are struggling to get the same privilege in our country or even in Europe and the USA. Makes you think, wonder and slander! These, I think, are some of the issues that breed racism – land issues, obliteration of a natural people’s way f life and spirituality in favour of one that is alien to both the land and its people. One thing I know for sure, if anyone dares to get racist on me in my motherland, the mere sound of my words will send them to the border fast with a one way ticket in hand never to return. I can’t tolerate such things and have no patience for it either. I hate racism, tribalism, xenophobia and all these things but I know that they are real issues that we grapple with as a global society and the only solution is to breed more love – love of self and ultimately love of others. Change is happening and I hope that soon Malawians will be treated with respect by the foreigners that visit our country, with the same sense of dignity that we pride ourselves in having.

Young Kay

Who is Young Kay, Hyphan or Broken Knowledge?

Your favorite rappers favorite rapper.....Nah...Maybe!! Well, a complicated kid for starters. Yeah, I sometimes believe kuti I have the whole multiple personality thing going on. Like all those names I use have different personalities, if you pay them that much mind. Quiet, shy, rather listen than talk...at least I think so. Crazy when I need to be!! But yeah that’s jus me man....complicated in the simplest way possible.

How does it feel to be voted one of Malawi’s finest lyricist?

It’s nice...no lie...I remember when I just started, a couple of people that are Malawian "famous" were talking behind my back like esh is this kid really serious!! There are a couple of people who i say kuti koma maniwa ali bo. So to be put above some of those is cool man...i think my sistaz n my brotha love that more kuti they say they related to young kay and it means a lil something...but whatever!!

Knowing the controversy that followed the vote is “Get it straight” a response to it?

Yeah, somehow in some way...I think people just generally love to talk about other people with a motive of boosting up their own ego or whatever and me being a quiet dude i usually let all that slip but sometimes zimatopesa. When you just starting umafunika kuti upange prove kuti you can hold your own after that people start to listen to what you have to say n i think i did that. I know there are more people listening than those that are bad mouthing the boy....it’s all love though!

Do think that Malawi has the potential of having its own “West and East side”
American situation “Tchuka ndiwe”?

What you mean L's and BT?? I dont know bout that....Malawi is too small to have such divisions. Besides we need to have people working together coz there are too many "I’m better than so and so" situations going on. If people think they better than the next man, stop talking and do a song. Prove kuti as much as the next man is getting respect for their word game; you deserve to be right there with them. What a lot of us are lacking is the follow up after that...yeah you nice...so what. We have worked hard for the skill to be where we are and now i think its time to make the skills work for us.

"The Call” what role do you think hip hop has on social problems when most hip hop artists perceived players?

Well it could maybe play a bigger role if people (rappers) got serious and made music that everyone will be able to listen to instead of nyimbo zokuti anthu akamwa amangoti koma "ma yo matama".... we could get there but there are a few things we doing thinking kuti its pushing this hip hop thing forward when its actually moving us back. I think radio stations are a problem. Every Tom, Dick and Harry can have their track played on radio as long as they know a couple of Deejay’s regardless whether the song is nice or not. Again those are steps backwards. They need to filter that stuff. If i have a track that’s not nice i dont want people to play that coz in the end we dont really know who is listening. We rappers do need to carry ourselves in a more respectful manner like for real for real. They say self respect permeates every aspect of your life. People don’t respect people who dont respect themselves. Osangopanga nyimbo however, just talking about whatever just because mwayi waku studio wapezeka....

Why did you choose to use Chichewa and English on Exhale?

Pali zinthu zina zimavuta kuzilongosola mu chizungu chokha chokha. It’s just something I’m comfortable with... plus, if done right, it sounds nice

On an emotional tip, Exhale had loving on it; do consider yourself a Gangsta Romeo?

Gangsta??? Not me!! Romeo, I’m not that either but every body needs love... i just happen to have a lot of it sometimes that i gotta share it. Let me know if you need some too!!

Exhale blew up on the Malawi hip hop market; can we hope to see you at some international awards?

With enough support I guess. If it happens it happens basi. I’m not in a hurry for that though. Being well established where you come from is really important... I need people to leave here and talk about young kay to them out there. Koma paja Malawi is not like that, we embrace things from out the country most of which we dont understand... go figure! Koma yeah... one step at a time i guess.

On Dezert Eagle and Yung starting their own Rocafella Records?

We already are that!! Ha ha!!!

We hear there is a new album coming “1st Impressions” what’s the inspiration behind it?

Well from the exhale which was my first ever project i kinda found out what my strong and weak points are so this next album is basically me show casing what I’m good at and most importantly what i feel. I’m inspired by new sounds...so i had to work with a couple of new people. Producers i have never hooked up with before and a couple of fresh voices that you might or might not know....its one hell of an album if i say so myself!

Any fresh collaborations heads should be waiting on?

The usual rush records familia. Plus a couple of other people i have respect for in "the game" but if we didn’t do a track limodzi it dont mean i dont respect you but i can only do so many tracks! Next time around if there's one.

If aspiring hip hop heads aren’t at Rush Records what are they missing?

I have no idea what these other people are up to nde i can’t say we doing something they not. i have a couple of people coming to me talkin bout they wanna join Rush but they dont even know what exactly that is. We still working on building ourselves up so we just happy to be recognized!

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Afrocentric, Proud To Be!!!

Afrocentric?

Khuma Zondi

“To me being afrocentric is all about how I present myself to my peers, I mean you just can’t exist on this earth u gotta live a little! Embracing those happy moments, Learning from my mistakes and being proud to be African! I know my history so I definitely know where I am going. I come from a continent that has a rich history, from slavery to the beats of the African Drum. Wow I love being me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nimbi Chiko

“The afrocentric discourse attempts to shift, construct, critique and challenge the way of knowing or discerning knowledge from an epistemology endangered within a European cultural mind set to an African one, whites think blacks are of no value and it makes me sad that’s why I would rather embrace where I come from. The term afrocentric makes me feel safe and accepted in society.

Maya Banda
“Afrocentric, I have never thought of such, always referred to myself as African coz I was born here, never felt the need to question it, in a simple sense the fact that my roots are inbuilt in this continent, the fact that my family is from here and grandparents and all that. Afrocentric! It has a nice jingle to it”

Ramphela Mosima
"What makes me an afrocentric South African? That would be the color of my skin, the texture of my hair, my beautiful sexy African behind. It has to be my curvaceous curves, my smile, and my beautiful brown eyes. It also has to be the people I hang around with. I love my neighbors who come and ask for sugar in a cup to replace it at the month’s end. The food that I eat is a fantastic aspect of my being afrocentric. Food such as mala mogodu, morogo, maotwana, godu, dinawa and many more I can’t live without. Being me makes me afrocentric... Ubuntu!"