Welcome back Padre!

Fr Mario Pacifici, the founding trustee of Andiamo Youth Cooperative Trust arrived back from Italy on Sunday 5 February.

Coincidentally, 5 February is the day he first arrived in Africa. Fr. Mario arrived in Kenya on 5 February 1977 before proceeding to Malawi where he has stayed ever since.

Fr.Mario Pacifici

Speaking at a dinner organized for his coming, Fr. Mario talked about how special this day was to him because it reminded him of his first days in Africa.

Unlike in 1977 when he did not know really what he would face, this time Fr. Mario knows why he is in Africa and in Malawi particular. His passion for the poor was clearly manifested when he asked about the updates of the new Community Hospital that Andiamo Youth Cooperative Trust has built right close to Andiamo. It is expected that the hospital will serve not only people around Andiamo campus but also the whole district and beyond.

Takulandirani Bambo!

The other side of White Kananji

White Kananji’s talent, was spotted during Alleluya Band show in Balaka. He is only 23 but he has all the skills a dancer would want to have. Those who have watched him think he has no bones because he can hang his legs around the neck and this has led some to think White uses magic.

White Kananji displaying how he do it during one of the functions at Umodzi Hall in Balaka

A Standard 7 dropout, White grew up with his grand parents after his father died when he was a baby and his mother married another man who couldn’t stay with him. He spent much of his childhood with his grand parents.

White Kananji Captured during during Alleluya Band show at Warehouse

White thought that living with her grandparents would be easy and that life would be easy but it wasn’t to be. His grand mother started to drink ‘Kachaso’ (locally distilled beer) excessively, which brought no peace in the house. There was nobody to search and cook food for him and some times he was sleeping with an empty stomach.

White started cultivating in other people’s fields in exchange for food. At the age of 16, he went to Lilongwe where his uncle was doing construction work to search for greener pastures.

“One day I went out with my uncle to a Chinese national residence where he was constructing a house. There I met kids who were doing acrobatics and I had a chance to learn from them. After I was satisfied with the skills I acquired, I started performing in different areas in Lilongwe where I was asking people to pay me so that I could show them how I do it,” White narrates that because life in the city was much difficult for him, he decided to come back home.

Then his lucky day arrived. Alleluya Band was performing at Ostia Primary School. He showed Alleluya Band what he is made up of. He got overwhelming morale from people who came to watch the famous band performing live.

Paul Subili and Cos Chiwalo decided to invite White to show his skills to the patron of the group Fr Mario Pacifici. Fr Mario was impressed. He was approved to be a member of Alleluya Band.

Although life is full of ups and down, White says since he joined the band, his life has improved tremendously.

“I am able to buy clothes, food and other necessities. I don’t need to go around showing my acrobatic tactics to survive as I used to do,” says White.

However, money has not made him forget about education. He has a part time teacher who is helping him in the morning hours.

“I feel starting again from Standard 7 will difficult for me. I just want to improve in how to write and read.” White believes that time for him to go in class was already wasted.

Alleluya Band, Blacks wind up year in style

Article from The Daily Times, Monday, January 2, 2012

Alleluya Band to celebrate Charles Wedding

Alleluya Band will be celebrating a wedding of Charles Mafukeni a keyboardist and also a dancer who is marrying Prisca Mulenga on 31st December, 2011.

The wedding will be officiated at St.Louis Montfort Parish, 8: 30 am and therefore a reception at St. Charles Lwangwa Secondary Hall 1: 30 pm

Charles & Prisca

Alleluya Band December festivals

Alleluya Band Weekend Shows

Who is Clifton Mkwapatira?

Clifton Mkwapatira in Madrid - Spain during this year's World Youth Day

He is flexible. He has all it takes to be a dancer. His name is Clifton Mkwapatira. Together with Alleluya band, he has toured different Europe countries and he has also attended world Youth Day gatherings since 2008. Andiamo Website office finds out who Clifton is.

Who is Clifton Mkwapatira?
I was born on 15th June,1976. I did my primary school in two different schools: Balaka and Mponda Full Primary Schools. Both are in Balaka. I only managed to reach Form one because of financial problems. I am a married man with four sons.

How did you start dancing in Alleluya Band?
It all started in 2005 when leaders of Alleluya Band announced at St. Louis Montfort Catholic Church that they wanted dancers to join the group. That time I was a member of St. Louis Montfort choir and I was dancing in the church during mass. I took this as a chance to join the group so that I can expose my talent to the world.

I was the lucky one to be chosen out of many who came for interviews.

What kind of interview was that?
We were asked to show all our different skills in dancing and we danced different types of genres like Reggae, Rhumba, Kwasakwasa and other traditional dances like Beni and Manganje.

What type of challenges have you faced since you started dancing?
Challenges are many as a lot of people think dancing is not a career for a wise and intelligent person. Some people regard us as useless which is not the true.

Since you started dancing, what have you benefited in this career?
I have managed to build a big house although it is not fully finished. This is one of my biggest achievement in life. I have also managed to setup a small grocery shop which is being run by my wife. This shop helps my wife when I am out of the country. For the six years I have been with Alleluya Band, I have learnt a lot like how to work together with different people and I have also travelled to different countries in Europe.

Who inspired you to have interest in dancing and what type of dancing style are you interested to acquire now?
Kanda Bongo Man from Zaire who was doing Kwasakwasa in those days and Koffi Olomide from Democratic Republic of Congo who was doing Dombolo really inspired me. My wish is to be dancing like Usher Raymond. Now I am still practicing his dancing styles.

What advise can you offer to those who want to be a good dancer like Clifton Mkwapatira?
For those who want to be a good dancer and take dancing as a career, they should forget what people say and focus ahead. Some people have a spirit of pulling others down. They should be doing some body exercises, practice some dancing styles and they have to make sure that their body is physically fit.

Who has been behind Clifton’s success?
Leaders of Alleluya Band and the founding trustee of Andiamo Youth Cooperative Trust, Fr. Mario Pacifici have always been encouraging me to feel that I am part of the group. I really thank them for the encouragement.

My band of the year

Alleluya Band

Towards the end of each year, many radio stations in the country come up with what they call “Entertainers of the Year” programs. In their lists, they have a category called ‘Band of the Year’.

If I were given a chance to vote for my band of the year, I would not hesitate to say it is Alleluya Band! No? Am I biased? I don’t think so.

I am not saying that it is Alleluya Band because it is one of the oldest bands in Malawi. Neither am I saying this because the band has produced big names like Lucius Banda, Paul Banda, Patrick Abig Tung’ande, Rod Valamanja and Enort Mbandambanda. No! If it were for this reason alone then I would ask whoever gives awards to give it to Andiamo Youth Cooperative Trust because since its inception, it has produced many big people in the society.

My band of the year is Alleluya for reasons beyond entertainment. Alleluya band has shown that through music, we can change the world. The band, through many of its international tours, has sung for life and well being of many.

For example, just this year, the band was in Italy not to enjoy the beautiful historic monuments that are in that country. The band had more than forty, yes ’40’ shows in less than two months. Those that play music would know that this is not a mean achievement. These shows they did not for themselves but for the street kids who are being supported under Tigawane Project in Balaka.

You will agree with me that not many bands would have shows just for others later alone forty shows in two months! This is not the only thing that Alleluya Band has done. There are many. Through their many tours with the help of Italian volunteers, the band has come back with many projects that have benefitted the community in Balaka and beyond.

Will I be wrong to say, Alleluya Band is my band of the year? I don’t think so. By the way, this is the only band that has represented Malawi in almost all the World Youth Day Celebrations!

Alleluya Band to Rock Brusaporto tonight!!!

Venue: Oratorio Don Bosco Time: 21:00 pm

Andiamo received the promised tractor

Andiamo Youth Cooperative Trust has received the tractor which they were promised by the Viggiano community during Alleluya Band’s 2010 trip to Italy.

Fr.Mario Pacifici (far right) and Alleluya Band members with the new tractor

Speaking during the arrival of the tractor on Tuesday 21 this month of June, Fr. Mario Pacifici, the founding trustee of Andiamo Youth Cooperative Trust and also a Coordinator of Alleluya Band, thanked the community of Viggiano for fulfilling their promise they made last year.

Fr.Mario added that the tractor will be useful in the agriculture section at Andiamo and farmers in the villages in Balaka will have a chance to use it.

The tractor is one of the fruits of Alleluya Band last year trip to Italy. This year the group will in 40 places in Italy as part of raising fund for Tigawane project.