Lucius Banda invades Nottingham for family Independence Day get-together on Sunday
Malawi’s greatest music royalty, singer, songwriter Lucius Banda, who is popularly known as Soldier in the music echelons and currently in the UK on a tour of duty, will this Sunday dish out his best compositions in the park in Nottingham for an Independence family sundowner.
The family get-together shindig, dubbed, ‘Malawians celebrating in the Park,’ will be held on Sunday, July 16, 2023, from midday at the Midlands African Hideout within the precincts of the Nottingham Unity Casual Cricket Club to mark Malawi’s 59th Independence Anniversary.
The show host and proprietor of the Midlands African Hideout, Richard Tapomwa Makeke in an interview Wednesday said he is honoured and humbled to host at his premises one of Africa’s greatest music icons.
Said Makeke: “We are very honoured to have Mr. Lucius Banda at our place this Sunday. It is an honour for us to have this great son of the soil and we are calling people from all nations to come and celebrate with Malawians in the park as commemorate their 59 years of Independence from the colonialists.
“This is a family day out and we have lined up activities befitting the occasion. We have a big yard for children to play games, run around and about. There will be jumping castles, African foods, and everything African and Malawian to celebrate the day in style.”
Makeke said admission to the gig is £20 per head for adults and half the price for teenagers while children aged 12 and below will go in free of charge.
In an interview Lucius Banda said he is happy to perform in Nottingham again after two years promising that on the day, he will give his all saying that he owes it to the UK diaspora Malawians for the unflinching support over the years.
“Malawians living in the UK have supported me since my early days and I am always grateful for the love they have shown me through over the past three decades that I have been in the game. It is their support and that of those from Malawi and the rest of the world that have kept me going,” said the Mabala hit singer and composer.
Banda added: “This show is special for me because I will also be performing for Malawian children born and growing up in the UK. For me this is distinctive. I love to perform for these special people because the mark I will live with them after I perform for them will be indelible in their lives for a lifetime.
“Playing music for the for the future leaders is special. Above all else, we must always embrace these children and teach them everything Malawian so they can be proud of who they really are and about where they come from.”
Lucius Banda, who arrived in Britain last week to perform at UK – Malawi’s 59th Independence main event in Essex, said he chose to perform his second show in Nottingham to give an opportunity who did not make it to last Saturday’s show.
He said: “We chose Nottingham because it is centrally positioned and thought that would allow as many to come and celebrate with us.
“We had a very good time in Essex and I performed so many songs and the atmosphere was great and so was the audience and I hope it will be the same in Nottingham. We promise nothing but a good time.”
