Malawians in Nottingham hosts ‘Cultural Jamboree’ Saturday
Malawi Association Midlands (MAM) will this Saturday hold a ‘family-affair’ cultural fête in Nottingham to celebrate and to promote the Malawian cultural heritage for diaspora families and other foreign nationals based in the East Midlands region and surrounding areas.
Hordes of diaspora Malawian families and nationals from diverse ethnic groups are expected to be entertained to the brim and enjoy Malawian food rations and cuisines, traditional music and dance, drama, poetry and a fun-fare at the ‘Malawian Cultural Day’ to be held Saturday, 27th April, 2013 at Hyson Green Youth Club near the Forest Recreation grounds just behind Hyson Green Asda store.
Malawi deputy High Commissioner to the United Kingdom John Tembo Jr will grace the occasion as the guest of honour at the cultural afternoon dubbed ‘The Malawi Cultural Day’ which will start from 1:00 pm and run until 7:00 o’clock in the evening.
Apart from Malawian deputy ambassador, the event will also host various notable Malawian professionals and spiritual leaders from various religious denominations among them Pastor Thipa and Pastor Mjojo of Calvary Family Church and Christ Citadel International respectively.
Another notable high profiled Malawian likely expected to be among the distinguished guests at the first-ever Malawian cultural event in the UK will be Malawi’s music legend, Jazz maestro and decorated bassist, Pastor Isaac Mkukupa.
In an interview with Nyasa Times, Malawi Association Midlands chairperson, Boniface Chimpango said the idea behind organising the event is for the patrons to celebrate Malawian culture and to share the sweet memoirs of a rich culture and mores that is of the Malawian people.
“We have organised this event simply to encourage Malawians in the diaspora to continue staying in touch with their cultural values and at the same time to share the Malawian cultural heritage with the rest of the world,” explained Chimpango.
‘Role Models’
Chimpango said the event is also largely aimed at encouraging Malawian families with children born in the UK to take active steps in teaching their offspring to confront and embrace their culture with a high sense of decorum.
He said: “Practically, the whole idea is to showcase our Malawian way of life to the world and at the same time it is about encouraging, motivating and inspiring our children about living a quality life without departing from our social and cultural values.”
“As Malawians, we are best known to the world as peace-loving and warm hearted people; this event is a conduit to showcase the Malawian way of life through food, music and dance as well as our warmth as a people to our children who were either born or came into this country as an infantile, so they can appreciate their cultural heritage and values. If we don’t teach them the positive side of our nation, surely someone will teach them about the negatives,” added Chimpango.
Chimpango further said that it is important for Malawian people in the diaspora across the globe reach out to the Malawian youth and teach them about their cultural values so that they can grow into viable citizens of the world.
“We have to reach out to our young people in the diaspora and teach them the tenets of life according to our cultural values so that they can have viable options in life to become useful citizens not only to their country of abode but to their home country. As Mam we aim through such cultural events to guide Malawian young people – with an emphasis on education and feasible professional careers that will mould them into important people in the society,” said Chimpango, a solicitor and owns a legal firm in the UK.
Chimpango who is also a Pastor urged Malawians in the diaspora especially in the UK to always try and help make young people have an access to Malawian professional role models so the young people can see people who are successful and replicate that.
“We must act as mirrors to our young people. Our country’s future belongs to them,” explained Chimpango.
He said as nationals living in a foreign land, Malawians must always teach their children about the rich cultures of mother Malawi and at the same time be role models so that the Malawian children of Malawian parentage growing outside must not go astray because they lack moral and cultural values.
“It doesn’t matter where one is born or grows up, a Malawian child must be identified with Malawian cultural and traditional values. We must guide them towards a fruitful and positive life to the community in line with our culture. The scriptures say advises parents to teach children good ways whilst they are young so that they must not depart from them. Malawians as God-fearing people are one of the most disciplined people in the world and so we must teach that to our children,” he advised.
‘The After-party’
In a separate interview, Musandide Chinguwo one of the organising committee members of the event but is the Association’s pulse keeper said the event which is pegged at a concession entry fee of £5 per adult and £1 per child, is an opportunity for Malawians to reminisce the memories of their cultural roots as well as exposing the Malawian brood in the UK to principles of Malawian way of life and living.
Chinguwo explained that apart from the free food, drama, poems and traditional dances there will also be a raffle draw in which the patrons are expected to win various exciting prizes.
However, Chinguwo told Nyasa Times that after the cultural jamboree, fun will prolong at Kwacha House, a club run by a Malawian, Ken Umphawi Mjojo, which is situated just a walk-able distance away from the Cultural fete venue.
“After the family affair, it will now be time for the patrons to link up at the after-party at Kwacha House, where more fun will follow till late,” he said.
At Kwacha House according to Chinguwo, it will be a ‘Malawian Dance Night’ with an array of Malawian music hot tunes to be hosted by DJ Josey and DJ Simba who will be spinning on the decks the best of not only Malawian mantras but also Afro beats, reggae, RnB, Ndombolo and hip-life,” said Chinguwo.
He said that the patrons to the day’s Cultural fete’ will be issued with ‘coupons’ to get subsidised drinks of all sorts at the link-up after-party.
“We hope that Malawians from different places within the midlands, wide and far and other nationals will have an opportunity to link up, chill out and get to know each other at the after party at kwacha house where the shindig will continue,” said Chinguwo.
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