Wambali Mkandawire is a Malawian jazz and Traditional Beat musician. He was born in the Congo to Malawian parents from the Mlowe village in the north and then later lived in Mzuzu. He wanted to become a musician but his grandparents were against the idea since he was still a student. When he dropped out of school in the 1970s he put his efforts into music. Wambali continues to live in Mzuzu where he is setting up a mission rural center and pastoring an indigenous church. Together with his wife, they have started a publishing company, “Kajimete Arts Publishing,” to help promote Malawian talent.
Early musical inspiration
He was introduced to Congolese music whilst living in Malawi by his Malawian grandparent that had been living in the Congo. He was also introduced to South African musicfrom the South African minors that worked in the mine in the north. Through the radio, Wambali came across Western pop music.
Rock band influence
He joined a band in Blantyre “Pentagon,” a local band that played western pop music. He was the lead singer of the band whose genre was rock music fused with traditional Malawian music. The band soon disbanded due to lack of funding.
Religious/Gospel influence
Wambali experienced a dramatic religious awakening that led him to pursue religious training in the Christian missions by 1984. He joined “New Song” a Youth for Christ band as a singer. The group began to tour churched and schools in various African countries like South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. By 1986, he moved to South Africa where he worked in Alexandra and Soweto townships with YEC youth clubs. By 1988, he recorded his first solo album. Wambali left Malawi for the UK in 1989 to study Biblical Cross-Cultural Musicology.
By 1988 he already recording and touring with South African Music group “Friends First", by 1988”. In the same year, Wambali recorded his first solo album with Krakatoa Music in Cape Town. The album by First Friends was released in Malawi, but due to its political nature, the group encountered censorship. One of its songs was banned. While in the UK in 1989 Wambali recorded his third and fourth albums in Glasgow, Scotland. The third one was released at the Greenbelt Festivals in Northampton where he performed with professional bands. The fourth album was released in Malawi 1992 but did not receive much support from the local musical industry largely due to the political nature of his music. Malawi, at that time was under the leadership of Kamuzu Banda. Lack of promotion for his work led to financial strains and music production stopped altogether. Poor finances led him to take odd jobs by 1992, and he began touring in churches internationally in places like Germany, Austria, Switzerland. It was during his tour in Kenya that he met Wambui Muruiki whom he married a year later.
Political activism
He got involved in campaigning for the release of Mr Chakufwa Chihana who had been arrested for criticism towards the Banda regime. His music became associated with the political opposition so his music suffered a further loss of support.
Music career
His release of “Zani Muwone” in 2002 brought him popularity in South Africa and in Malawi. Wambali was soon invited to perform at the NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL 2002 in Cape Town. This album also won him many international awards including being the first African to win the WIPO AWARD FOR CREATIVITY. In 2007 Wambali launched his last album ‘Moto’ and retired from public performances.He returned in 2011 with the launch of a worship album 'Liberty'. In 2015 he launched a purely Jazz album titled Calabrash Breath.
