Kukana Kuba Kasambwe Brothers Band left the country on Monday through Chileka International Airport in Blantyre for United States of America (USA).
From Ndirande Township in Blantyre, where they have grown their music, performing in the streets and marketplaces to earn a living, the ‘Check Your Sitepe’ stars now have a chance to perform to audiences in USA.
Kukana Kuba Kasambwe Brothers Band, accompanied by Jacaranda Cultural Centre (JCC) Director Deschamps, is set to stay in USA for close to a month, when they will hold a session at
It was all singing and dancing from Ndirande to Chileka Airport by the group’s family members, who included their landlord, ahead of their departure.
“Since we started music, we have never had the chance to board a plane, let alone going outside the country. It is our first time to fly to America and the first time for us to go outside the country,” lead vocalist Joseph Banda, who also plays the acoustic guitar, said.
Konzani Chikwata, who plays the banjo, hailed Luc Deschamps and partners for the opportunity.
“We never knew that music would take us to America,” Chikwata said.
Fatsani Kennedy, who plays drums, said the tour of America would also motivate them to do a school as well as stage a live show before going into the studio to record an album.
Their USA tour has come courtesy of Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass Moca) in partnership with Grammy award nominee producer Harlan Steinberger and Jacaranda Foundation through Sounds of Malawi Acoustic Session, which is held every Thursday at JCC in Blantyre.
Deschamps, who is also French Honorary Consul to Malawi, said Kukana Kuba Kasambwe would perform at a school on November 14 2024, then hold a show on November 16.
He said from November 18 to 23 2024, the band would get into the studio to record a new album with Steinberger at Mass Moca Studio.
Steinberger describes Kukana Kuba Kasambwe Brothers Band as a gifted group that Malawi needs to treasure.
This is not the first time Steinberger has offered an opportunity to Malawian artists as he also teamed up with Deschamps and Marie Da Silva to bring to USA Keturah, popularly known as Local Girl, to record her self-titled album.
“There is so much talent in Malawi and we hope we can manage to bring it out and get it known to the world,” he said.
Apart from the upcoming album project for Kasambwe, Steinberger has recorded songs of several Malawian acts, which will also be put out on the market soon.
