In many ways, Malawi’s Madilitso Band are an enigma; a prime example is that they remain far better known in Europe than in their own country. Whilst an upcoming documentary recounting the Madalitso’s story, entitled The Banjo Boys, might garner greater domestic recognition, the release of Ma Gitala is destined to further expand their ever-growing reputation with Western audiences.
However, the success of Yobu Maligwa and Yosefe Kelekeni, the two musicians who make up the band, has not been achieved overnight, as a basic outline of their history reveals. Yobu, born in a small rural village, eschewed the football played by his peers, engrossing himself in one thing only: music. Yosefe had the same sole interest, wetted after seeing a local playing a basic guitar, “I picked it up and started playing”, he recalls. “People would comment that I was mad. I would climb a tree, sit on a branch and play the guitar all day without tiring.”
As teenagers, during a time of famine, they left their respective villages to seek a better life, undertaking long journeys on foot to Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital city. This was in 2002, and, as the documentary reveals, the first of several life-changing moments in their story occurred when Yobu came across Yosefe walking in the street with his guitar and stopped him, and, as the latter recalls, “He said ‘why don’t we join forces and start a band?’”
Initially, they began busking on the streets with one guitar and two voices before Yobu also learnt to play the guitar and built a babatone, a Malawian one-string slide bass. Life was hard; they barely made enough to live on. They were mocked and even insulted, but they had faith. “My life has been a rollercoaster. [It] has been full of ups and downs and unfortunately the downs outweighed the ups,” says Yobu.
The duo originally went by the name of Tiyese, which translates from Chichewa, a Bantu language spoken in Malawi, as “Let’s try”. A further serendipitous event occurred when a woman prayed for them and exhorted them to change their name to Madalitso, meaning “blessings”. As Yobu recalls, it was from this moment that seismic changes in their fortunes occurred. “While walking, God would give us revelations through the songs”, he says.
Years of busking on Lilongwe’s streets ensued before they were discovered outside a shopping centre in 2009 by Emmanuel Kamwenje, a local producer who worked with traditional musicians. He introduced them to Neil Nayar, a British singer-songwriter based in Malawi, who became their “accidental manager”. It took until 2017, however, for them to have their first performance outside Malawi, when their triumphant performance at Sauti Za Busara in Zanzibar, one of Africa’s most important festivals, captured the attention of influential figures. Within a few months, they were off on their first tour of Europe.
Since then, the Madalitso Band has graced many renowned stages and studios, including Glastonbury, Roskilde, WOMAD and Maida Vale. Reunited, once again, with their Swiss label, Bongo Joe Records, the release of Ma Gitala, their third for the label, is truly “A celebration of journey, triumph, and faith”.
Whilst retaining their signature energy and style, this album nevertheless sees the duo following a new direction. Their two previous albums, Wasalala and Musakayike, the latter reviewed in KLOF here, captured the essence of their live performances. This latest release explores the opportunities afforded by utilising top-notch studio and recording facilities.
Thus, akin to an artist discovering new shades and hues, their sound palette is expanded to include layered vocals, intriguing percussion sounds, spirited, lively textures and new-found melodic revelations, all achieved without compromising the intense, raw essence of their unique music. The welcoming of guest musicians is a new departure, as is the revealing of more personal, intimate aspects of their world, told through a narrative approach within the lyrics.
Despite these musical developments, the essence of their sound continues to be the outlandishly large handmade babatone of Yobu, the guitars and cowskin foot drum thumped with the heel of Yosefe and their interwoven vocals. The music, which is so clearly rooted in tradition whilst simultaneously sounding innovative and contemporary, can be characterised as a blend of African folk, banjo music, gospel and kwela South African street music.
Kicking off proceedings is Anafela Chiboda, the debut single, ostensibly about love, wealth and connections. One of Madalitso Band’s earliest compositions is revisited and gets a makeover, recorded live in the studio and freshly mixed with a different approach than on previous albums. The inspiration for the song came from a Malawian proverb, “She died because of chicken feet”, meaning “all that glitters is not gold”, and is a humorous yet cautionary tale about rushing into choices. Imbued with the duo’s raw energy, the music is hypnotic. The twangy metallic-sounding notes of the babatone join the looping guitar phases, and the pulsating energy reaches a crescendo with Yobu’s trademark vocals. Beneath this celebratory-sounding energy, however, there lies a profound message in the tale. The young woman turns down poor suitors in her quest for a wealthy man, only to witness him fall for someone else, as symbolised by the ‘chicken feet’. The moral message is clear: It’s not wealth and fortune that make a marriage; it is humility, love, and mutual understanding.
They also explore new musical paths on the following track, Princess Wanga. Here, the musical dynamics are much more mellow. Yosefe’s guitar is absent on this track, with Yobu providing extra babatone layers and his lead vocals accompanied by soft, tender harmonies. The guest appearance of Patrick Pietison Sam, a rapper, singer, and thumb-pianist, also known by his stage name Thima, is also a new venture for the duo. In addition to providing backing vocals and home-made shell shakers, also woven throughout the track are the alluring notes of his nsansi, the Malawian version of the mbira or kalimba, thumb-piano, which adds further textures to this gentle love song. One of the few young musicians in Malawi keeping the rare, traditional instrument’s shimmering sound alive, this collaboration is a celebration of local roots and young and old working together.
This cross-generational theme continues in the title track, Ma Gital, a family affair featuring the voices of Yobu’s, Yosefe’s, and Neil Nayar’s children, Hana, Shamimu and Kiran. Upbeat, with more than a nod to reggae rhythms, replete with a catchy chorus, the translated joyful message is simple:
These are the Madalitso
Proudly playing Guitars
Put down on analogue tape in Lausanne, Chemwa is the only song recorded separately. Light-hearted and playful, with an infectious, toe-tapping, kwela groove, the song delivers its humorous yet cutting message in three repeated lines
Why are you eating the relish
But not the nsima (a staple maise porridge in Malawi)?”
My sister
In a jocular jibe, the metaphor is transparent: someone is enjoying the rewards without putting in the work.
On Mwadala, another moral message is told through everyday moments in which the protagonist, Tiyese, a man from a poor background, uses the talents he has been given to the full, and through hard work and prayer, he is blessed and wealthy. Characterised by repetitive, meandering riffs underscored by propulsive rhythms, the joyful energy is palpable. Referencing the duo’s original name, I assume this is autobiographical, given their success has brought enough wealth for them each to purchase land.
The simplicity and charm of Madalitso’s music is perfectly encapsulated in the sparse La bwino. To the accompaniment of strummed guitar, a single vocal line and the faintest of percussive beats, the lyrics present a celebration of, and homage to, Malawi,
Timakonda kwambiri dziko lathu
Dziko lathu la Malawi lokongola, la mtendere
(We are happy with our country
Our country Malawi; beautiful, peaceful)
The groove-heavy Zili Komwekai is contagious in the extreme. Spontaneity is the order of the day, with the driving pulse of the four-string guitar, layered vocals, babatone twang and earthy thump of the heel-drum combining to produce an irresistible acoustic trance. As for the lyrics, as Yobu puts it, you don’t always have to understand the words of a song to get its message. “Songs can change people’s lives,” he says. “That is the miracle of music” echoes Yosefe. “It can shake the core of a human being, stirring one up from their slumber.”
The album’s closing track, Polakhula, a song in which the lyrics urge “when you want to speak don’t look down on others”, also features a guest musician, Rick Deja, a multi-instrumentalist, composer and currently a senior lecturer in ethnomusicology and African music at the University of Cape Town. His saxophone adds a further dimension to the duo’s music and possibly lays down a marker for future collaborations and explorations.
The Madalitso Band see their music as a divine calling, as well as a means of expression, and they maintain a deep belief in the power of music; with Ma Gitala, they have produced an album that exudes vibrant, joyous sounds and will compel you to reconsider any preconceived ideas about African music and instrumentation.
Ma Gitala (June 13th, 2025) Bongo Joe Records
Order via Bandcamp (Digital/CD/Vinyl + Ltd Ed): https://madalitsoband.bandcamp.com/album/ma-gitala
