On Thursday music lovers braved fuel scarcities that the country is facing to make it to the Sounds of Malawi Acoustic session at Alliance Francaise de Blantyre.
The fuel deficiencies could be seen from the spot at a nearby filling station on the night with lengthy queues of vehicles waiting to refuel.
And for some, waiting to refill meant enjoying the sounds from Alliance Francaise de Blantyre served by Kukana Kuba Kasambwe as curtainraisers and the headliner Papa Mtume and African Mingoli.
The concert delayed to start as the organisers waited for the numbers to improve but eventually it begun 30 minutes later.
Alliance Francaise de Blantyre Director Luc Deschamps admitted that the numbers were low due to dry pumps that had restricted people from travel.
“People are used to the Thursday nights so, we could not cancel. At least some have made it,” Deschamps said.
He admitted that the creative industry has been hit hard by fuel shortages that have led to cancellations and loss of income and prayed for the situation to improve.
On stage, the two acts served their finest with Kukana Kuba Kasambwe opening the showdown with four numbers before host Mercy Chirwa invited Deschamps to introduce two international experts, Elena Constantinou and Guiomar Alonso Cano, who are in the country as Experts on Demand, to conduct a rapid assessment of Malawi’s cultural and creative industries.
The assessment, which is part of the United Nations’ Technical Assistance to the government focuses on the governance structures and the broader ecosystem for the cultural and creative sector, with the aim of understanding value chains and state of digital transformation among others.
“We are excited to be part of Sounds of Malawi and we have been impressed by the sounds from the two groups. Malawi is rich in talent,” Alonso Cano said.
After Kukana Kuba Kasambwe which has played at Sounds of Malawi several times, came Papa Mtume and African Mingoli.
It was also not the first time for Mtume, former Musicians Union of Malawi (Mum) Southern chapter chairperson to star at Sounds of Malawi Acoustic session.
The artist in his traditional regalia won the hearts of the audience with his authentic sounds.
“I call my music Gosho which means good music from home. We always get good support here which motivates us. People should watch the space for more music because we are in the studio,” Mtume said.