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Music and politics seem to be careers that cannot mix so easily but the two trades appear to be two sides of the same coin. They are both demanding and are associated with dirt.
And while politics is associated with crookedness and corruption, music on the other hand has been linked to immorality, drug abuse, gangsterism and others, as is the trend internationally.
But of late, two of the country’s top musicians — Lucius Banda and Billy Kaunda — announced their interest to join politics, a move some people said would jeopardise one of the careers as one cannot serve two masters at time. The feeling is that since both careers involve running up and down, it will be hard to balance the two.
More interesting is the fact that both musicians have for a longtime been hitting at politicians left, right and centre for being corrupt, immoral and contributing to the dwindling of the country’s economy.
Perhaps, some of the questions people are asking are: when the two go to Parliament will they still pursue music? Will they change their tunes to suit their interests or will they still sing against corruption, immorality and other evils?
In an interview with Nation Online this week, Banda, who recently won primaries on UDF ticket, said he would still continue to sing if voted into power during the forthcoming general elections because the two careers serve the interests of the people.
“I am not going to stop playing music...I am going into politics not as a musician but as a youth of Malawi. I have noted that young people [in the country] are not well represented in Parliament. Thus, I want to speak on behalf of my fellow youths... All I need at this stage is time management,” said the Balaka-based musician.
The heavily-built star said because he preaches on the evils of corruption in his songs, he will live up to his word as an MP.
“I can’t be corrupt because I have become a politician. I am a man of morals and principles. Corruption is just a matter of greed. I would rather walk 800 kilometres to beg K100,000 than walk five metres to steal K1 million,” said Banda, adding that he is not going into a politics a poor man, claiming he has all he wants in life.
Banda said it doesn’t make sense for people to worry over musicians going into politics when other professionals such as lawyers, doctors, architects, builders, journalists do the same.
“It is just a matter of choice. Musicians, just like anybody else, need to help in the nation building exercise....We need to be given a chance [to help] as citizens of this country,” he said.
Kaunda of the controversial Mwataya Chipangano fame said in another interview he will not shelve his music career if elected as an MP in the May 18 polls because music is his life.
“I am a musician and I will be a musician forever. I can’t quit music because of politics. I sing because God gave me the talent so stopping singing would mean despising God the creator,” he said.
And while some think politics is a dirty game, Kaunda thinks otherwise.
“It is only that many people in this country look at politics at a wrong angle. Most of them [politicians] join politics to enrich themselves. I am only interested in serving the people and not making money. I already make good money in music,” said Kaunda, who won primaries for the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Blantyre.
Kaunda, who has been attacked by UDF’s Young Democrats for a number of times after declaring his interest to join politics, said he does not hold any grudges against his opponents or anyone for that matter.
“I have forgiven all who did not like my choice to stand for NDA in Blantyre. I have no grudges against anyone neither do I think I am an enemy to any politician and political party,” he said, adding that musicians need to put into practice what they sing.
But veteran musician Rodger Nkhwazi, who is also an MP for Mzuzu City centre and an uncle to Malawi’s renowned gospel artist Wambali Mkandawire, said politics and music careers cannot be combined as they are equally involving.
“Politics is too involving to be combined with music because people expect a lot from you and on the other hand, music is so demanding that it requires much concentration. But music is a passion and once in a while you yawn to play,” said Nkhwazi, who has been dormant in his music career since he assumed a parliamentary seat five years ago.
Veteran musician and also a reputable broadcaster, Maria Chidzanja-Nkhoma, who brushed aside rumours that she wants to stand as an MP in Lilongwe, said she sees nothing wrong in musicians turning into politics because music plays a pivotal role in political struggle across the globe.
“For example, musicians like Mirriam Makeba and Harry Belafonte contributed greatly to the political struggle in South Africa. Music is important in everything. In times of happiness, sorrow, grief, horror or shock, music consolidates and why not in politics?” said Chidzanja-Nkhoma.
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