Linking the Malawian Diaspora to the Development of Malawi”
Malawi
Malawi (/məˈlɔːwi,məˈlɑːwi/; Chichewa pronunciation:[maláβi]; Tumbuka: Malaŵi), officially the Republic of Malawi and formerly known as Nyasaland, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south and southwest. Malawi spans over 118,484 km2 (45,747 sq mi) and has an estimated population of 19,431,566 (as of January 2021). Malawi’s capital and largest city is Lilongwe. Its second-largest is Blantyre, its third-largest is Mzuzu and its fourth-largest is its former capital, Zomba.
A museum in Virginia is showcasing the work of costume designer Ruth E. Carter, the first African American to win an Oscar for Best Costume Design in 2019.
The exhibition entitled “Afrofuturism in Costume Design” spans nearly four decades of collaborations with directors such as Spike Lee and Steven Spielberg., amongst others.
Ruth E. Carter is currently working on the set of “Black Panther 2” after the death of actor Chadwick Boseman in 2020.
“It’s a very sensitive story to tell this in the sequel since we lost our dear Chadwick Boseman. And so we all approached it very carefully from the rewriting of the script between Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole, to how we deal with our own grief”, said Ruth E. Carter, US costume designer and Oscar winner.
The costume designer feels that her Oscar is a step towards more inclusiveness in the movie industry.
“I see that there is a bigger influence that I can bring to people based on the fact that I did win an Oscar and I, you know, I’m the hometown girl make good. So if that is inspiring to young people who were like me and sat in their room, drawing and sewing, I want to be that, I want to be more of that for people, I want to be that light for them” admitted the Oscar winner.
The artist admits that the fight is not over as there are still many challenges ahead to make Hollywood more inclusive.
“To say that, you know, ‘Oscars not so white anymore,’ when it was built on a foundation of exclusion… and we didn’t see ourselves in front of the camera, or people of color in front of the camera, winning awards, for many years; that this is not something that can be erased overnight. That’s what that exhibition communicates, that you can dream, you can be an artist and you can eventually win an Oscar”, concluded Ruth E. Carter.
The costumes will be on display at the Taubman Museum of Art until the 3rd of April.
The Maravi Posthas over one billion views since its inception in December of 2009. Viewed in over 100 countriesFollow US: Twitter @maravipost
Facebook Page : maravipost Instagram: maravipost
Many people may probably think, why should this even be news?
But in reality, especially in Ghana, it’s very difficult to see or find such a beautiful and gorgeous young lady in such a field and does it with a passion too.
Many beautiful young ladies have such talents but rather focus on slaying for money because of their beauty but this social media influencer who is also a barber has shown her worth.
Dallas Barber as many people refers to her on social media as a Black American young lady who is well known on the internet for showcasing her talent of being a barber on her Instagram page.
The young lady has been an inspiration to many young ladies to rather pursue their dreams rather than follow men for money.
Dallas Barber became well known on the internet for her beauty and sizzling photos showing her heavy and well-endowed God-given goods.
Upon all these qualities she has shown that she can be of herself and not depend on someone fully.
This article should serve as a source of motivation to many young ladies out there, especially those celebrity Slay Queens, who claim big on social but earn below R1000. 00 as monthly salary.
With the attainment of multiparty democracy in 1994, Malawi weaned itself from a repressive reign of Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP). Through the Censorship and Control of Entertainment Act, the Kamuzu regime established the Malawi Censorship Board, under whose mandate, art such as music was strictly controlled and artists detained without charge and some exiled (Jack Mapanje as an example).
From the early 1990s, with the end of the one party authoritarian regime, Malawi became open to outside influence and with some Malawians migrating to South Africa and Zimbabwe to work in the mines who secretly smuggled various genres of music back home. As a result, there was an influx of music cassettes and compact discs including Jamaican reggae, South African Kwaito, Black American hip-hope and West African Kwasa Kwasa that changed the music landscape of the country. From these various genres of music combined with Malawian traditional cultures, the country gave birth to its own music which was and still is known as Malawian Local Reggae. The art imbued with Biblical allusions and lyrics of resistance and also a longing for independence and democracy, it became hugely popular which was now an instrument for opposition against government atrocities and oppression.
Malawian artists used music to satirise current affairs and local events, it acted as a mirror on socio-political happenings such as inadequate healthcare, the gap between the bourgeoisie and proletariat, food insecurity and of course government corruption. As some scholars stipulates, Malawian music was blended with religion this was and is because religion is the main matrix of Malawian identity. It is also from this religion; Malawi saw the birth of musicians such as Lucius Banda and Mlaka Maliro of Allelluya Band before branching into their own respective bands. This discussion, therefore, is on Mlaka Maliro’s newly released song titled There is no wine.
In the absence of a strong opposition in parliament, and media platforms largely connected to or owned by politicians, Mlaka Maliro for example has for so many years used music to provide expression for political resistance against government oppression.
With various sporadic arrests of political activists and whistle-blowers, it can be said that despite Malawi claiming to be a democratic republic, Malawians are afraid to freely express about political and developmental issues.
There has been rumours for example that social media is monitored by government spies to watch those who are vocal against the government (MCP led government) and no wonder some Facebook political activists have been arrested several times based on what they posted on their walls.
Nevertheless, Mlaka Maliro can be said to be a spokesperson, arbiter of public opinion and intermediary for grievances of the poor people to those in power. In the song, the persona takes us into a church and him or her as a preacher.
The congregants of the church need to be appreciated by watching the video of the song; the congregants come from various works of life: lawyers, security officers, engineers and students who cheer to the sermon by the persona but there is a fracas in the church when someone enters the church with an empty bucket and they are told that there is no wine (Vinyo watha).
The sermon starts with a Biblical allusion of the Wedding at Cana in Galilee in the Book of John. The words say Jesus and his mother were invited to a wedding in Cana. At the wedding, Jesus revealed his true divine while saving the host’s reputation (John 2: 1-12) by performing his first miracle of turning water into wine when the host run short of wine for the guests. However, the story in the song changes its direction when the persona says asala ndi masanje usapusisike palibe chilipo. One wonders if the persona is still talking about miracle at Cana or maybe its cryptic to mean something else. The mist is cleared in the next lines as the persona continues
Usakomedwe ndi sweet talk don’t be coaxed by butter up language
Mwana wanga chonde please my son
Anthuwa vinyo watha there is no wine
The persona advises his son (Malawians) to be careful with flowery language and mere promises by of course political leaders during campaign time. Coincidentally, on 8th March, the Catholic Bishops issued a Pastoral Letter in their celebration of Lent, commemorating the 30th anniversary of Living Our Faith, a pastoral letter that was authored in 1992 which criticised the Banda regime. Similarily, the current letter reminded the current regime (MCP/Tonse Alliance) about the democratic principle and corruption and also warning political leaders about mere campaign promises without taking steps to fulfil them.
In the same vein, the line anthuwa vinyo watha can be speculatively assumed that the leaders have run out of ideas or solutions to problems bolting the country such as high prices of goods and corruption.
The persona then wonders that amid all these problems but the leaders swagger around with flags hovering on their cars but without any plan to help curb the problems as in the lines akuyenda mwa mdidi, mbendera petupetu. This also comes at a point when there have been a public outcry about the president’s internal and external trips including those he would have attended virtually.
The persona goes on to regret his choice for voting for those in power for mere promises. On this, the persona also alludes to the Biblical story about the Israelites who were rescued from Egypt to Canaan.
Moreover, the persona was also promised that he will be eating thrice in a day but it is not happening as he fails to eat even once a day and he even cry for those days he was able to eat a single meal in a day as in ndikanasala konkuja kumaphula njerwa kumadya kamodzi.
The persona also talks about nepotism by the leaders in the line Kenani munkanena munkanena uja anali wapachibale. It is no hidden fact that the current regime has been in a number of instances criticised for appointing relatives including the president’s daughter and son in law in lucrative public positions but as the persona vinyo watha the leader has turned a deaf eye calling the claims mere political gimmick.
In the line kulalika zikutheka, kunenera molapitsa komatu vinyo watha, Mzimu oyera ukamochoka, umachoka mwa ulemu poti siwusazika, akusatira zozizwa poti uko kulikulu osaziwa vinyo watha, the persona leaves the listener to wonder what he really mean as the listener is left in the dark.
However, some people speculate that the musician who was also an ordained Pastor of Bushiri’s Enlightened Christian Gathering Chirch (ECG) is at loggerhead with the ECG leader. This is because the musician cum pastor made a shocking announcement that he has resigned from the church few seconds to the release of his song There is no Wine (Vinyo Watha) but insisted that he has only dumped ECG claiming he wants to revive his music career and be with his family and coincidentally he releases the song Vinyo Watha. But he claims he is still a pastor.
Before his resignation, he served as a pastor in several branches of the church in South Africa and rose up to the ladder of the overseer of the ECG main branch in Swaziland (Eswatin).
Currently, the ECG leader boasts to attract huge crowds across the globe with his prophecies and miracles, rides in fancy cars and enjoys local media coverage, claims to have international and local investments amid charges of fraud, money laundering and promiscuity levelled against him by for example the South African government and also for several times he has been accused of making false prophecies and fake miracles.
From this, should we say the persona is talking about the musician relationship with ECG? Is the persona accusing the ECG leader, the musician former boss for nepotism? What about Roland Barthes’s Death of the Author Theory that holds that the author’s intentions and background (including their politics and religion) should have no weight in determining the interpretation of their work as after the release of the work the author enters his or her own death.
We should be ashamed as literary critics to bring in the experiences of the author in the interpretation of the song. The enjoyment of the song needs not to be mixed with the musician life experiences and the song needs to be reviewed on its own right as a piece of art. That said, it has to be noted that Malawian popular art is well known for its camouflage but one can deduce that the lines tries to ridicule Malawian politicians who are customarily religious people but they do not walk the words of what their religions preach because they are easily corrupted by their positions.
In conclusion, the song There is no wine, with its Biblical allusions, is one of those Malawian popular songs which act as a voice for the voiceless to criticise political arrogance, acceleration of public corruption, deteriorating medical standards, low educational standards, the widen gap between the poor and the rich and exorbitant prices of basic things. For one to appreciate the artistry of the song, watching the video is a must to appreciate the nature and the faces of the congregants the persona preaches to.
A war in Europe was unimaginable two weeks ago. There’s been widespread shock around the world over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s merciless and unprovoked attack on Ukraine, and among many in his own homeland.
It is at times like these that we look to our own leaders to express how we feel and to respond accordingly. Britain’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has risen to the occasion enough for many to forget — for now at least — about lockdown parties that led to calls for his resignation.
The Queen has been lying low at Windsor Castle as she continues to recover from COVID-19. She has been well enough to do paperwork and host virtual audiences but little else (more on that later). We learned on Thursday, though, that she was so moved by events in Ukraine she had privately made a “generous” donation to the humanitarian appeal from the Disasters Emergency Committee — a group of 15 leading U.K. aid charities. Buckingham Palace confirmed the Queen’s donation but would not comment further, telling us it was a “private matter.”
Other members of her family have stepped up in her absence, as is the form these days.
From California, on the day Russia launched its invasion, Prince Harry and Meghan expressed their solidarity with the people of Ukraine “against this breach of international and humanitarian law” and urged “the global community and its leaders to do the same.”
On Tuesday, Prince Charles went further, speaking of “democracy” and “an open society” coming under attack in Ukraine “in the most unconscionable way.” He went on: “We are in solidarity with all those who are resisting brutal aggression.”
If the U.K. were ever to try to rebuild bridges with Putin, these comments will hang over Charles. That’s why, as a rule, royals don’t cast judgment on foreign heads of state. They’re in it for life, unlike transient politicians. Putin, however, has crossed the line on this one for Charles, as he has for most of the Western world.
But it was perhaps his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, who best expressed the nation’s shock without words, during the couple’s visit to a Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in London on Wednesday.
The pair went to the Cathedral of the Holy Family — which has become a rallying point for the British Ukrainian community — where they met the Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.K., Vadym Prystaiko, and his wife, Inna Prystaiko, as well as Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski.
On arrival, the royals met children from an associated Ukrainian school and received a traditional offering of bread and salt. The couple also lit a candle and laid sunflowers, Ukraine’s national flower, at the altar.
Addressing members of the Ukrainian community working to support relief efforts, Charles praised the group for their courage in the face of wanton aggression. He said: “My wife and I have been deeply moved by everything we’ve heard today during our visit and, above all, by the extraordinary bravery, generosity and fortitude of the Ukrainian community in the face of such truly terrible aggression. So, if I may say so, our thoughts and prayers, however inadequate they may be, are with all of you at this most critical time.”
During the visit, a camera picked up tears in Camilla’s eyes and a journalist from the Royal Rota covering the event reported the duchess “wept frequently during the engagement and comforted the ambassador’s wife, who was also crying.”
NEWS OF THE WEEK
The Queen seems to be on the mend after contracting coronavirus nearly two weeks ago, undertaking a number of video calls this week.
On Thursday, she held two virtual audiences from Windsor with the new ambassadors for Trinidad and Tobago and Malawi. Earlier this week, she also welcomed incoming envoys to the U.K. from Andorra and Chad in video meetings.
The palace has been reluctant to give a daily health update but clearly the monarch is feeling well enough to return to virtual engagements. It is understood she will continue with other duties and has some private engagements in her diary.
One event that was taken off the books was a diplomatic reception that was due to take place at Windsor Castle on Wednesday. Buckingham Palace said over the weekend the Queen had “accepted the Foreign Secretary’s advice” to postpone the event. Rather than being related to her health, it’s likely UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss made the suggestion in the light of the ongoing crisis facing Ukraine.
The next major events the Queen is hoping to attend are the annual Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 14 and a service of thanksgiving for her late husband, Prince Philip, at the same venue on March 29.
WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING?
Charles celebrates success of Black Britons.
The Prince of Wales brought together some of the most influential Black Britons when he hosted a reception for supporters of the Powerlist at Clarence House on Tuesday. The Powerlist is an annual celebration of 100 of the most influential people of African, African-Caribbean and African-American heritage. “These communities have made and continue to make an incredibly positive difference to society as a whole and, in doing so, have built a real community spirit and cohesion,” Charles said. The heir to the throne added it was “particularly pleasing to see the diversity of talent” recognized by the initiative, from the arts to business, the environment and technology, among other sectors. Charles said the Powerlist — now in its 16th year — has helped identify “expertise and leadership” that will aid the UK in meeting the challenges it continues to face across society.
William and Kate mark St. David’s Day in Wales.
The Cambridges took a trip to Wales to celebrate St. David’s Day, where they were greeted by throngs of well-wishers. The trip was focused on the importance of the agricultural industry, with their engagements centered around how community groups are supporting young people, while also celebrating the region’s history. In Abergavenny, they stopped at a goat farm that has supplied milk to local cheesemakers for almost two decades. Meanwhile, in Blaenavon, the pair rolled up their sleeves in the kitchen of a local youth center, where they baked Welsh cakes before playing a game of pool.
DID YOU KNOW?
Meghan praises historic Supreme Court nomination.
The Duchess of Sussex weighed in on Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic Supreme Court nomination to become the first Black woman to sit on the highest court in the United States. Meghan spoke to Anita Hill, an American lawyer who became a household name in 1991 when she testified about sexual harassment she allegedly endured from then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, for URL Media. Reflecting on Jackson’s nomination, Hill wrote in an op-ed that she wanted to seek the thoughts of others who had “entered arenas once thought to be inaccessible,” so she reached out to Meghan. The duchess praised President Joe Biden’s pick, telling her “the civil rights history of tomorrow is being written today.” Meghan added that Jackson’s nomination “opened new ground for women’s representation at the highest level of a judicial system that for too long has tilted against the very community she hails from.” Read Hill’s op-ed here.
DON’T MISS
New Diana portrait goes on display.
An exhibition opening Friday at London’s Kensington Palace will debut a portrait of Princess Diana that’s never been seen by the public. Taken by fashion photographer David Bailey in 1988, the image was originally commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery but has remained in Bailey’s archive until now. The black-and-white image shows an elegant 27-year-old Diana gazing into the distance, wearing a satin off-the-shoulder gown and a pair of teardrop earrings.
Bailey, who has photographed multiple cultural legends, including Andy Warhol, Twiggy and the Beatles, was selected by Diana for his high-contrast lighting and minimalist style. Her choice “reflected her desire to establish a new photographic identity for herself,” distinct from the more established forms of royal portraiture, according to a news release from Historic Royal Palaces, the British charity tasked with running six of the UK’s palaces. Revealed now after 34 years, the image further solidifies her public reputation as one of the most fashion-forward members of the British royal family. Read more on CNN Style.
FEATURED PHOTOS
In addition to the Diana portrait, the exhibition, titled “A Life Through A Royal Lens,” will showcase a range of works exploring the relationship between photography and the monarchy.
It includes photos snapped on royal tours and portraits of heads of state, as well as off-duty moments away from the public eye. Also on show for the first time is a selection of images taken by members of the royal family themselves.
Nearly 1,000 images were submitted from people around the world who were keen to share their encounters with royals, with photographs ranging from royal walkabouts in the 1950s to the traditional Christmas Day service at Sandringham, the Queen’s private residence in Norfolk.
The Duchess of Cornwall has a busy week ahead, with two major engagements on her calendar.
Tuesday, March 8: In her role as president of WOW – Women of the World Festival, Camilla will host a reception to mark International Women’s Day at Clarence House in London.
Thursday, March 10: She’ll open the new Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) headquarters in Battersea, south London. The duchess has been vice-patron of the RAD since 2020.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Prince Charles and Camilla unveiled an eco-friendly pier train named in honor of murdered British politician David Amess, during a visit to Southend, east of London on March 1. Amess, a veteran Conservative lawmaker, was stabbed to death in his constituency in October.
One of my favorite things about my university’s library is its generosity. As it is excruciatingly old, from time to time it decides to rid itself of its multitude of outdated material. Every once in a while, when you walk in to crank out a paper, you might pass by a cart stacked from bottom to top with books, primarily related to the parenting, ministry or both. However, sometimes the free book cart contains other material. Today on my journey into distraction, I found that the library was giving away some illustrated children’s books. Per usual, I decided my backpack had enough room. I found some fun copies of fairy tales, books teaching children about the world and, of course, some illustrated Bible stories. As I excitedly opened the “Children’s Old and New Testaments,” I physically winced at the bright white skin I saw on the faces of Adam and Eve. In almost a morbid curiosity, I flipped farther ahead, and my suspicions were confirmed. There, before my very eyes, was a white-skinned, red-haired Jesus Christ.
What’s wrong with “white Jesus,” you might ask? Christianity is a global religion! Is it not best expressed in an artistic sense through a multicultural lens? In fact, if you were to step into the office of John Brown University’s intercultural studies professor, you might see on her walls art representing Bible stories in a Picasso-esque style with a Chinese flair. This is the work of He Qi, a Chinese artist and theologian who has sought to combine his culture with his training and understanding of Scripture. For generations, as formerly colonized countries have come forth in claiming Christianity as their very own, their artists have similarly taken ownership of Biblical narratives by portraying them as appropriate to their cultural contexts. As early as the 1970s, Christian artistry has arisen from Malawi, Puerto Rico, native New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, portraying the Madonna and Child, Nativity scenes, Adoration of the Magi and more.
As Christianity spread through Europe and retained its claim for generations, a wealth of Eurocentric Christian art has been produced. This fits within the pattern of cultural claims to Christianity. As the faith spreads, depictions of Scripture and Christ Himself are made to resemble the culture which it now bears. If this is all true, then why negate the existence of “white Jesus”? Is his existence not an extension of the European claim to the Christian faith?
If there is one characteristic that Christ was certain to take on in his human form, it was lowliness. “For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45, NRSV). Jesus walked on this earth as a humble servant and poor teacher who was inevitably put to death by the political powers of the time. Even his ethnic identity as a Jew put him at a lower social rung than most in his ancient Roman context. Jesus Christ was not associated with social or earthly power. He possessed none of it whatsoever. However, his modern-day followers of European descent, especially in the United States, do possess said power. America was founded upon a race-based hierarchy, with Black, brown and Indigenous people at the bottom, topped off with none other than white people. After years of oppression, slavery and outright genocide, with a multitude of legislation attempting to make up for what had been stolen, to this day a power distance remains.
Generational wealth has been gained by white Americans, extending back even to times when many of their ancestors were slaveholders. Black Americans are unabashedly behind, often confined to a lower-class status due to their lack of a head start. Native Americans, having been ripped from their ancestral land, live on pathetic reservations which are far from comfortable or quality living. The cultural consciousness of the average American favors whiteness and looks down on or feels threatened by Black, brown, and Indigenous citizens. To me, it is undeniably clear that in the United States, whiteness is power. It is privilege. As Americans look upon this lover of us all, Jesus Christ, through the lens of whiteness, we are sorting him into our own social structure. He receives the benefit of white power and privilege and is placed at a distance from his followers of color. For Americans to truly understand the character of Jesus Christ, we must see him through our social cultural context. He was not white. He was Indigenous. He was Black. He was downtrodden, oppressed and impoverished.
To love this image of Jesus is to love the weary and downcast of our world, and to truly wear the desires of his own heart. “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40, NRSV).
