Kell Kay billed to perform in UK as Derby hosts 2018 Malawi Independence celebrations
Malawi Derby Association in the United Kingdom will host this year’s Diaspora national independence celebrations.
According to the organisers, the 54th Malawi Independence national celebrations will be held on Saturday July 7th 2018 in Derby City, East Midlands.
Speaking during a planning committee meeting held in Derby City Centre this week Derby Association chairperson Joyce Kantchowa said: “Malawi Derby Association and its partners is planning to have sporting activities such as football with other UK Malawi associations which among others include Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, Leicester, Kent, Birmingham and Scotland.”
Kantchowa said that there are also plans for a select Malawi Diaspora national football team to play an international friendly match on the day with Zimbabwe, Nigeria or Congo, subject to confirmation.
She said: “We want to make this celebration, a family friendly and all-inclusive, multicultural and a memorable event. We want people to have fun and enjoy themselves as they celebrate their independence.”
Malawi UK independence celebrations rotate to various cities in order to give chance to all Malawian Associations across the UK to come together and share Malawi’s cultural heritage with people from other countries.
“This is a national event, multi- cultural and we are encouraging all Malawians and people of other nationalities to come to Derby and celebrate this important event,” Kanchowa said.
Kanchowa emphasized that national events of this nature offer a platform for Malawians in the diaspora to network and build resilience through activities planned for the day.
Doreen Khan an executive member for Malawi Derby Association said: “The event also offers companies and organisations that deal with Malawians and other African countries to showcase their products and service, boost their customer base and improve their profile and implore organisations and businesses to attend the event to promote their goods and services.”
In his remarks business person and owner of Amophi Shipping Company Limited, a Malawian owed logistic company based in Derby Amos Phiri urged other companies to come forward and sponsor the event.
Said Phiri: “This event offers opportunities for company to show Malawians what they do.”
Plans are underway to link up with Malawian UK artists across the UK to participate and showcase their talents during the celebrations.
During the meeting it was discussed to explore how best to bring one of the Malawi’s trending music act from the motherland as a headline act and the award winning silky voiced Afro-pop and RnB singer, Kell Kay of Mr Yesu fame whose real name is Kelly Kambwiri.
“Kell Kay is a fine artist and the right talent to be the headliner for the event and he looks the part,” commented Sakina Munshi during the meeting in support of the Malawian based RnB crooner.
The planning meeting was also attended by among others, former Silver Strikers former footballer, Steve Ng’oma and Leicester Association of Malawi chairperson Steve Ngoleka.
For UK based artists or anyone willing support the event, they are advised to contact the chair of the association Joyce Kantchowa on 07492988573.
Last year’s independence celebrations in Malawi and beyond borders including the UK the event was celebrated on a low-key following the stampede that happened during the official national celebration at Bingu Stadium in Lilongwe where eight lives were lost and several others injured.
In the UK, Malawians organised a special independence worship gathering in Manchester to pray for the nation and those who lost their lives.
Malawi became independent on July 6th 1964 from its colonial masters, the British and became a republic two years later in 1966 with the late Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda becoming the first president of the republic of Malawi.
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