I failed to mention yet another truth: Africa is a land full of hopeful and powerful leaders using their gifts to make a difference.
All three of these truths are exemplified in the incredible story of a Malawian musician named Peter Mawanga.
Peter Mawanga was born into a Malawian missionary family, who discovered his amazing musical abilities when he was a very young boy while traveling in Zimbabwe. They arrived in the Hararre airport during a chaotic time during the nation's fight for independence. While everyone was flustered by the hysteria, a young Peter calmed the seas by bursting into a beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace. Onlookers were amazed by his perfect pitch and elegant style. This was just the beginning.
While incorporating his love of singing into his everyday life through his involvement in various choirs, growing up, Peter also cultivated a talent for playing the guitar. He became known across his community for the passion with which he played.
At the end of secondary school, Peter attended university to study a vigorous ciriculum of mechanical engineering.
Despite this, he held onto his musical dreams and recorded what he described as a "playful" album while in school in 2002.
While using a pseudonym, Peter's debut rhythm and blues album experienced extraordinary success.
What appealed to people the most was his penchant for "being a voice to the voiceless" and sharing many truths that were usually brushed under the rug. The album's hit song "Amakhala hu Blantyre" sparked controversy, as it highlighted many of the stark and difficult contrasts between urban and rural life, essentially dismentaling the "city paved with gold" ideal of urban life.
After realizing his power to expose truths through his craft, Peter decided to leave school to pursue music full time.
His next album, "Zanga Zo Zama" represented his return to a musical style that truly reflected his taste: a mix of Afrovibes, traditional African traditional rythms, and modern instrumentals incorporated into the arrangements. This album too garnered much acclaim, as it was hailed as being "inspirational, introspective, spiritiual, and socially conscious"
Peter Mwanga's musical success is not the only thing that makes him a true stand out for Malawi and Africa in general.
This incredible artist felt a yearning to use his gifts to remedy some of the issues plaguing his native land: the tragic effects of the AIDS epidemic.
Malawi has one of the highest AIDS rates in the entire continent, and thus the world. This epidemic not only ravages the human body, but also the human community by leaving many without mothers, fathers, brothers sisters, friends, lovers, neighbors, etc. This disease has managed to seriously threat and in some places destroy the social cohesion of many communities.
Peter was particularly interested in addressing the plight of children, specifically AIDS orphans who in many cases had no other choice but to become street children.
This inspired him to found the organization Talent of the Malawian Child in 2004. This is an innovative organization that mentors orphaned and vulnerable children through education and music workshops.
In his own words, while addressing members of the UNC community last year, Peter described his work, "We have also kids, you know, children that live in the streets. We have orphans who are HIV positive. We want to make sure that children like those are supported. They eat in the streets most of the time, and they're always begging in the streets."
It was this that ispired him to address the suffering he saw around him by deciding to act, "That is the reason I decided to create an organization called Talent of the Malawian Child."
Peter was sure to incorporate his love and passion for music in order to make positive change in his community and share this passion with others, "Bascially what we do is scout the streets for talent, whatever little talent these children have and try to nurture this talent by taking them into training."
He focuses not just on cultivating musical skill, but also academic ones as well, "Also, getting them into primary schools and secondary schools so then can practice their talent while they"re learning...to turn them into role models for other children."
One of Peter Mawanga's most recent projects was the creation of a collabortation album with a past UNC student named Andrew Finn Magill.
Entitled "Mau a Malawi", this ground-breaking album has a strong conceptual element behind it: each song is an expression of the actual stories of individual people affected by the AIDS epidemic in their own deeply personal ways. Through song, Peter and Andrew were able to "write music for the voiceless".
Both wanted to focus on the effects of the stigma sorrounding the disease on everyday people that could be anyone's family member or friend. They wanted to show how this stigma attacked one's self of pride and position in life, "In my country, it's an issue of stigma...when you're HIV positive, it doesn't matter how productive you are...people start to shun you from certain responsibilities. Certain doors will begin to close."Thus, their common interest lead them to a collaboration, "Andrew was looking for a Malawian musician who he could collaborate with."
This collaboration birthed the album "Mau a Malawi", which used personal narratives and turned them into powerful, moving songs. The proceeds went to assist people suffering from the disease and its social effects, "...it's a fundraising album to assist people who are living with HIV/AIDS who have lost their role in the community."
Peter Mawanga's story, one of creativity and compassion, is one of the many examples of Africans celebrating themselves and their culture, while working to make their homelands, their Africa, a better place.
links
http://www.storiesofaids.com/
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