If, at any time in the past four decades, you visited the township of Ndirange, just outside Malawi’s commercial capital Blantyre, and took a stroll in its large outdoor market, chances are you might have heard the Kasambwe Brothers. Originally formed in 1987, the group perform in the streets and at bars, keeping alive traditional dance rhythms – such as the Vimbuza healing dance of northern Malawi.
This current line-up features a new generation of musicians. Konzani Chikwata – younger brother of the group’s founders – is one of very few young players of the babatone, a banjo-like bass instrument, played on the floor with the player sitting on its frame and plucking the strings. Joseph Msofi is lead singer and acoustic guitarist. Fatsani Kennedy plays a homemade drum kit constructed from collected wood, sticks, old pots and other bric-a-brac. Together, they make infectious dance tunes, mostly up-tempo, driven by intricate guitar picking and an insistent bass drum thump. Other tunes favour a slower beat with a hint of reggae.
