Malawi Mouse Boys
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lifestyle THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2014 Music & Movies Nelson Muligo, member of the ‘Malawi Mouse Boys’, plays guitar as he stands Nelson Muligo, stands on the road as he sells mouse kebabs to motorists in the Malawi Mouse Boys band leader Nelson Muligo sings to his family. by his family’s maize storage in the village of Njunga in the district of Ntcheu, village of Njunga. in Malawi. — AFP photos Malawi Mouse Boys seek to sing their way out of poverty he four young men scrape a living hawking bar- the legendary Tuareg desert blues band Tinariwen, bottle musically with these ... young men was the tiny becued mice on the side of a Malawi highway, told AFP. The Malawi Mouse Boys’ music has been spiders that kept crawling into the hard drive and Tbut that is just a day job for the Malawi Mouse compared to the 20th-century American gospel crashing the mobile system,” Brennan said. In July last Boys-who could soon be singing their way out of music of the likes of Sister Rosetta Tharpe and African- year the four mouse-sellers travelled out of the coun- poverty. They hunt field mice-a delicacy in Malawi-to American a cappella ensemble the Fisk Jubilee try for the first time, performing twice at Britain’s pop- grill and sell as kebab snacks to motorists on the busy Singers. ular WOMAD (World of Music Arts and Dance) festival. north-south highway connecting the largest cities of One of the band’s vocalists, Zondiwe Kachingwe, is Their earnings so far have been “modest by the Blantyre and Lilongwe. But when business is slow, “a world-class powerhouse, soulful singer... and standards of more industrialized countries but signifi- they bring out their instruments-a rudimentary guitar Alfred’s ethereal tenor is their secret weapon with the cant in comparison to their usual income,” Brennan crafted from scrap metal and crude homemade per- harmonies,” Brennan said. Jack McBrams, a music pro- said. For now they are back selling mouse kebabs, cussion rattles-to play home-grown gospel tunes. ducer, critic and entertainment editor at one of earning roughly two dollars a day each, but hope that It was by the side of the road that Grammy-win- Malawi’s leading dailies, The Nation, describes their royalties and new opportunities will extricate them ning American producer Ian Brennan discovered the music as “quite rare”.Most poverty-stricken villagers from the cycle of poverty. Malawi Mouse Boys two years ago. Brennan stumbled would use music to complain about their welfare “I believe that one day our lives will change and upon them after two weeks of driving for more than instead of singing celebratory gospel tunes, he we will be able to make money and stop selling mice 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) criss-crossing the small said.”They come from a very remote village and they and become musicians that can make money from southern African country on bumpy, dusty roads haven’t had any influence apart from themselves.”So music,” Nelson Muligo, 30, told AFP. “For now we still scouting for musical talent. this music comes from within... they’re really a dia- sell mice because of poverty. But someday we will “When Alfred (Gavanda) sang for me by the road- mond in the rough,” McBrams said. stop selling mice and focus our energy on music side and the local kids joined in on the chorus-the sun because that is what will really improve our lives for- Members of the Malawi was going down-it was about as musical a moment as ‘My future looks bright’ ever,” he added. While few Malawians have heard of Mouse Boys’ first performance before hundreds of Mouse Boys lead vocalist, I’ve had in my life,” Brennan recalled. Guitar and vocals In the two years since they were discovered, the the Malawi Mouse Boys, vocalist Kachingwe, 24, is “white” people at the WOMAD festival in Charlton Zondiwe Kachingwe (left), are backed by a rhythmic pulse of percussion shaken Malawi Mouse Boys have released two albums. Their proud that “I have taken my country, a poor country, Park, near the southwestern British city of Bristol, as a Nelson Muligo (second from aluminium soda cans or plastic bottles filled with debut “He Is #1”, believed to be the first album to be and put it on the world map. “life-changing experience”. — AFP from left), Alfred Gavana dried grains of corn. released internationally in the local Chichewa lan- “My future looks bright now that we are popular.” (second from right) and Living in grass-thatched huts with no electricity or guage, was ranked in Amazon’s top 75 albums of Their earnings so far have helped pay for fertilizer and backing vocalist Joseph flush toilets, the childhood friends grew up singing 2012. It was recorded in Brennan’s mobile studio on seeds and to prepare their subsistence farms for the Nekwankwa (right) per- songs of faith to entertain villagers for free. “Few har- the beaten earth outside the hut of one of the musi- past season.”I used to plough the field on my own, form during an interview in monize quite like those that have learned to sing cians. now I employ people to work in my field,” said band the village of Njunga. together as kids,” Brennan, famed for his discovery of “The only real obstacle to catching lightning-in-a- member Alfred Gavanda, 22.He described the Malawi Bedingfield, Daughtry, McCoy among VH1’s ‘Make a Band Famous’ judges, mentors H1 has named the judges, mentors and Famous” will stream continuously and uncen- Kerry Washington special guests for yesterday’s live sored starting June 11 at 8 pm ET from Vstreamed, 24-hour event, “Make a Band Brooklyn, NY. Washington, Thicke join Famous.” TheWrap can exclusively reveal that Over the 24 hours, 24 unsigned bands will the judges, who will provide critiques and compete in several challenges, including learn- commentary for each challenge during the ing a cover song in an hour, re-imagining a 2014 BET Awards lineup 24-hour competition, will be pop star and classic hit with toy instruments and busking Grammy Award-nominee Natasha for money and fans in Williamsburg. The win- he slate at the 2014 BET Awards just miere internationally on BET’s international Bedingfield; Adam Blackstone, musical direc- ning band will get a recording deal with got a little more star power, as Kerry network on July 1 at 8 pm GMT. BET revealed tor to Justin Timberlake, Pharrell and Maroon Republic Records. Viewers will be able to TWashington and Robin Thicke have the awards nominees in May, which include 5; Kurt Hugo Schneider, a YouTube singer and watch the competition live and uncensored at been added to the lineup. Thicke will per- Beyonce, Tamar Braxton, Chris Brown, John producer with over 4.2 million subscribers; MakeABandFamous.VH1.com and in the VH1 form a new single. Joining the pop star will Legend, Daft Punk, Macklemore & Ryan and Rooney lead singer Robert Schwartzman. app. New York-area fans can watch the finals in be previously announced performers Lewis, Iggy Azalea and Nicki Minaj. The “Make a Band Famous” mentors, who Red Hook, Brooklyn on Thursday, July 12 by Pharrell Williams, Usher, Jennifer Hudson, Lil Stephen G. Hill, network president of will act as guides and coaches to the compet- visiting 1iota.com. Aside from footage that will Wayne, Trey Songz and Lionel Richie. Kevin music programming and specials, and Lynne ing bands, will be Gym Class Heroes lead be aired on VH1 in support of the program, Hart is set to appear at the show, as was Harris Taylor, vice president of specials, will singer and rapper Travie McCoy, Grammy- “Make a Band Famous” is VH1’s first original Tracy Morgan, which seems unlikely follow- serve as executive producers, along with nominated Daughtry frontman Chris digital program that isn’t attached to a pro- ing last week’s tragic accident that left the Jesse Collins. He’s the chief executive officer Daughtry and prolific songwriter-singer gram on the channel. — Reuters comedian in critical condition and killed fel- of Jesse Collins Entertainment. Along with Bonnie McKee, who co-wrote Katy Perry’s low comedian James “Jimmy Mack” McNair. the awards show, the BET Experience at LA “California Gurls,” “Teenage Dream,” and “Roar.” Chris Rock will host the show, which airs Live will take place from June 27-29, and will Additionally, Benji and Joel Madden, Ed live on Sunday, June 29 at 8 pm ET on BET be headlined by Outkast. — Reuters Sheeran, Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump and from the Nokia Theatre LA Live in Los Pete Wentz, and Colbie Caillat will make spe- Angeles, Calif. The “BET Awards” will pre- cial appearances. Hosted by All-American Rejects frontman Tyson Ritter, “Make a Band Natasha Bedingfield Review Lovely visuals, smart writing in ‘Dragon’ Regional turmoil puts Abu ou thought it was tricky to train a dragon? whom he befriended in the first movie, with sweetly gruff Gerard Butler), who wants Hiccup to Dhabi in filmmaker spotlight It’s even trickier to take a much-admired ani- momentous ramifications for human-dragon rela- take up new responsibilities. But Hiccup doesn’t Ymated film and make a sequel that feels sat- tions. Five years have passed, and now Berk is a vir- feel leadership is really his thing. That’s what he nlike previous installments of the Founded in 2008, the media hub pro- isfying and worthwhile. And it’s harder still to bal- tual playground for dragons and Vikings alike.