Your Man in Malawi: June 2015

Chongoni Rock Art and Other News

On Sunday, I travelled with some friends to the Chongoni Rock Art Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site about 50km South-West of Lilongwe. The Area stretches across 126 square kilometres and incorporates 127 rock faces and shelters that represent an ancient painting tradition stretching back at least 2000 years. The rock art of Chongoni is divided into two schools. The older school, comprising mostly geometric shapes and patterns painted with red oxide pigments, is attributed to the Akafula hunter-gathers - pygmies who inhabited Malawi for at least 2000 years before the arrival of the Bantu-speaking peoples around 500 years ago. The more modern school - known as 'the late whites' - is associated with the Bantu-speaking Chewa people that inhabit Malawi today. Painted using clay, the late whites typically depict animals - both mythic and real. They are believed to be symbols linked to initiation and rainmaking rituals which are still practised today. Credit to the Bradt guide to Malawi for the information!

The 'late whites'

Detail

Bug

View from the hills around Chongoni

News from the farm

We attended our second Lilongwe Farmers' Market on Saturday morning, where we sold bottles of homemade lemonade, chickens, home-grown and freshly cooked popcorn, and a few vegetables. The homemade lemonade was a roaring success, so we'll be doing that again (my freezer is currently full of lemons). Strawberry is most certainly pregnant again, so we're expecting piglets at the end of August - well done to Roy for all his hard work. And finally, Nepear will shortly be starting an apprenticeship at the Kusamala Institute of Agriculture & Ecology. Kusamala is an educational organisation, located on the outskirts of Lilongwe, which seeks to promote sustainable agricultural practices in Malawi. This is great news for Nepear, who will be working at the centre three days a week and undertaking field trips to their outreach projects a few times a month. Hopefully this will give Nepear the contacts he needs to get back to doing agricultural outreach work. When he's not at the centre, Nepear will still be running Strawberry Farm.

Our pitch

Patience selling lemonade

Other news

Paddy's sister gave birth a month ago, so Paddy has a new nephew called 'Collins', whom I had the chance to meet the other day. The Diplomats Football Club played its second fixture in its series against the institutions of Malawi. This time it was the Parliamentarians who, despite struggling to fit into their football shirts, held us to a 1-1 draw with the help of a friendly linesman. Both Paddy and Nepear made up the numbers, with Paddy setting up our one and only goal.

Diplomats FC, featuring me (back row, third from right), Nepear (back row, fourth from right), and Paddy (front row, second from right)

Malawi Music

I just got back from a gig by a young Malawian musician called George Kalukusha. Born into the World's poorest country, George then suffered further misfortune when his family relocated to Milton Keynes, probably England's ugliest town. I jest of course: Malawi isn't actually the World's poorest country.

I've always enjoyed 'African' music, though most of the African artists that make it in the West are either from the Tuareg tradition (like Ali Farka Toure, or more recently Songhoy Blues) or are bringing R&B and hip-hop from Nigeria and South Africa. In other words, there are rich, untapped seams of African music that we just don't get to hear in the West.

Music is a massive part of Malawian life. People here love to sing, and they love to dance. Malawi has a rich musical past and a thriving current scene. It's annual music festival - Lake of Stars - attracts musicians from across the region, and across the globe. I can't claim to have delved too deeply into Malawi's musical heritage, but I've picked up a few favourites during my time here; for their completely insane music videos if nothing else...

Lawrence Mbenjere - Sin'dziwa

Wambala Mkandawire - Nkhondo Mkhondo

Thocco Katimba - Mwasintha Nyengo Zanga

Neil and the New Vibration - Used to Be (album available for free here)

If you're interested in finding out more about Malawian music, there are a couple of great articles on the 'Music Time in Africa' blog, part of the Voice of America network. The first (from 2008) looks back at Malawi's musical past, while the second (from 2014) focuses on its current crop of promising musicians, including George. The 'Music from Malawi' site is another great resource, containing a directory of Malawian artists, new and old, and an archive of downloadable songs. Check out Robert Fumulani's 'Patricia', which is something really special.

Finally, returning to George, whose soulful music understandably reflects the deprivation and suffering that only those who've been to Milton Keynes can really understand. George is a great guy, with a fantastic voice, who's planning a UK tour in the not too distant future. His tracks are available on iTunes, Spotify and bandcamp, and you can follow his comings and goings on his Facebook page.

Holiday snaps

I just returned from a great two week jaunt round Malawi (and a bit of Zambia) with some of my nearest and dearest who made the trip over from the UK. We went to South Luangwa National Park, over the border in Zambia; travelled north up the lakeshore, on some of the worst roads I've ever driven on, to stay at some incredibly remote and beautiful lodges; and finished off our trip with a visit to the Nyika National Park in Northern Malawi, where we watched Roan, Zebra and Eland roam across the plains.

Here are some of the things we did along the way...

Saw some great wildlife.