In 2020, let us not argue, Malawi was in one of its historic moments drawn from mind grappling legal and political situations. Maybe, older history may tell us otherwise: The referendum of 1993 and so forth, and so forth. But in the years spanning from 2019 until late 2020, agree with me, it was yet another milestone for Malawi somewhat.
Now, it is around those years when legendary musician Limbani Chibwana did a song Tasayina. Not the usual sayinani sayinani lero’ rhythm for cultural event and other rituals.
Apparently, Google searches place the song under the gospel categorization. It may not essentially be a coincidence that the wellbeing of man comes first. It turns out that this is a political song, a religious song, a cultural song, a de-tribal song, a song against segregation, nepotism, hatred and all those strenuous social ills aligned to unwarranted prejudices. I have run out of adjectives.
Was it in real time that Chibwana thought of the unrest of that time or the song still holds relevance even outside this timeframe? Well, we shall see.
The chorus goes:
Kodi mesa munali a modzi inuyo//
Chilengedwe cha Yahweh. Ana a Abraham inuyo.//
Kupembedza kwathu gwero lake ndi limodzi//
Kusangalatsa a Mbuye…..
…..
Dziwa mpingo sudzapulumutsa mwana wa munthu tsiku lomaliza koma mtima ndi ntchito zake..
…
Lekani kumeneyana/// Siyani kuphana//
Tasiyani kulimabana//
Tigwirane manja//
Tiyimbe nyimbo imodzi kuti…
Tasaina, tonse, a Khristu ndi a Silamu pa chibale…
Tasaina –Sainila—. Tasaina—.
This this one chorus, that challenged Malawians to break all restrictive and segregative thoughts and ending all forms of prejudices. It also argued essentially that good will should also be looked outside religious and liturgical zones.
I mean, how do we preach any good will when cases of attacks on people living with albinism continue?
I mean, what justification, is there when we make loud our religious whispers when corruption, nepotism and all those social atrocities dominate our actual works?
How good are we as a nation, when our political ideologies don’t match with even lame expectations? The unwalking the talk of this world.
Wasn’t Chibwana thinking outside the 2020 zone?
Now, when you see Limbani, in your streets, ask him not just for me, but even yourselves on whether we’ve indeed signed to that treaty. And whether we have gone to the extent two years later into abiding by the tenets of this agreement.
Tasayina? !!
Song link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi_ZXfospb0
Joseph Dumbula-Blog 