Mbewe: a session musician in high demand

LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent | Thursday February 22, 2007 00:00

 

He is fully booked for shows during most of the weekends. Just this weekend, he was backing Clement Jackson at the Lizard Lounge.

At a time when musicians  have adopted new technology, which does not require instruments, drummers have become an endangered species.  Whilst computerised music has become the in-thing, there is still a huge demand for musicians who play real instruments. A band that plays instruments also amazes music lovers. You should see how people always applaud when band members, like drummers, are introduced to the crowd. People want to see that bass guitar and the face behind it, not only the sound of the instrument. 

Unlike vocalists and guitarists who are in the forefront of the band,  drummers are inconspicuous.  They just do their  work quietly in the background and this is why Mbewe is not well known.  But he is one of the most respected drummers in the local music scene.

The versatile drummer can play every type of music and this is why he is in demand with local musicians.

Mbewe is a veteran musician, having started in 1978 in his home country of Malawi.  He played for Malawian groups like the Kalimba Band.

He honed his skills with the Malawi Young Pioneers. After graduating, he joined the Kalimba Band that was performing at hotels in the capital city, Lilongwe.  Initially, Mbewe played the trumpet.  Although he joined the band as a drummer, he learnt to play the trumpet and fell in love with the instrument.  The group's saxophonist was the one who introduced him to the trumpet.

But then one day when they were travelling to Zimbabwe, their drummer played a disappearing act.  The drummer disappeared at the airport when they were just about to leave.  When they were in Zimbabwe, Mbewe was forced to take over the drums and has been stuck with them ever since.  But this was not a bad decision because Mbewe has proved how mean he can be on drums.

When he was with the Kalimba Band, they recorded an album, which was titled 'Sometimes I wonder'. 

Mbewe later moved to the commercial city of Blantyre where he performed with another group, Makasu, which released an album called 'Reggae Magic'. When he left the group, he continued to play with other bands on a freelance basis.

He recalled that in Malawi, they played jazz but not the standard type. Mbewe believes that in order to become a good musician, one must play any type of music.

Mbewe trekked to Botswana in 1992.  By his own account, things were not easy for him when he arrived in the country.

He joined a kwasa kwasa group, which was led by Mike Mmusi.  He played with the group for about three years and later teamed up with veteran muso, Lekofi Sejeso.

By then, Sejeso had his own group, which was known as Just Friends.  They performed at places like the now defunct Dukes restaurant, which was located at the African Mall and at the Santana in Mogoditshane.

It was at this stage that Mbewe's precocious skills started to be noticed. Other established musos, like Socca Moruakgomo and the late Duncan Senyatso, also engaged his services.

Mbewe has also performed with the Norwegian based Banjo Mosele and featured on his album, Badisa.  Mosele also invited Mbewe to Norway to stage shows with him.  They also performed together for the Botswana embassy in London.

Other musicians that Mbewe recorded with include Martin Khupe. He has also worked with the Afro jazz diva Punah Gabasiane. 

Mbewe also worked on Rampholo 'Chamza' Molefhe's forthcoming debut album and has also backed another jazzman, Lister Boleseng.

Mbewe's skills are not only utilised by bands. Individuals and institutions, like the Botswana Defence Force (BDF), have also engaged him to conduct music lessons.

Mbewe has staged quite a number of concerts but his most memorable shows remain the ones that he staged with Just Friends at the Jwaneng beer festival.  During one of the shows, they shared the stage with South African music giants, Stimela.

'I have enjoyed a number of shows,' he said.

Mbewe feels that local music has come of age. He said it was a welcome development that local musicians have been recording. 'I think local music is very good; that it can sell in other countries.'  He said, in the past, only foreign musicians used to draw crowds to a concert but things have changed.  But he believes that local musicians need exposure.

Mbewe feels that the good times are still to roll for local music.