It was a thrilling night on Saturday when the afro R&B superstar Maskal took music lovers down memory lane at Mibawa Multipurpose Hall in Blantyre.It was Maskal’s last gig before he returns to his current USA base.
Raising the curtains were his compatriots, two reggae dancehall icons Malinga and Trumel, all under the banner of Chitoliro Concert.
Malinga set the pace as he opened the concert with hits such as “Aras”, “Levels” and “Biya” among others.
Trumel came after Malinga, taking the audience down memory lane with hits such as “Reggae is my veins”, “Higher”, “Tsalani” and a rendition of Wisdom Chitedze’s “Misonzi”.
The Mighty Mibawa Band proved it is another force to reckon with as they mesmerized the audience with renditions of Grammy award winning reggae family, Morgan Heritage, paying tribute to Peter Morgan who died late last month.
The stage was now set for US based singer and songwriter, Maskal who mesmerized the audience with hits such as “Udalire” and “Zili ndiwe” among others.
“It feels good to be back. These are songs that we enjoyed back in the days and we are still enjoying them today. Thank you for coming. Thank you for your support,” he said.
The audience in the Mibawa Multipurpose Hall could be heard singing along to almost each and every song from all the performances.
One member of the audience, Cynthia Chimaliro from Chigumula hailed the concert, saying, “I missed Maskal. I love his music. It’s good to see that he still has it. I am looking forward to his new music. This show was awesome.”
The concert was also aired live on Mibawa Television and online. It was hosted by multi-talented television host Super DT.
This is the first of a series of concerts from Chitoliro Productionz, a relatively new creative industries outfit in Malawi.
The show brought in many value additions to the music industry as it is also a farewell celebration of Maskal.
It was Maskal’s last performance in Malawi before he returns to USA. He left Malawi in early 2016.
Maskal arrived in Malawi on 1st February, 2024.
Since his arrival, he has performed at Illusions in Lilongwe, Club 247, Blues and RSVP and Mibawa Multipurpose Hall in Blantyre.
Commenting on new music, Maskal says, “I’m in the studio right now. People should expect the same Maskal but more mature. I’m grown up, and my music has to follow.”
The Chitoliro Concert was also designed as an effort to elevate reggae dancehall genre in Malawi by bringing two of its special talents namely Malinga and Trumel.
Trumel comments, “I feel honored to perform at this concert. It was a show that brought together different audiences from different backgrounds. It was special.”
Malinga says, “It was a wonderful experience. I hope people who attended and those who watched the show on TV and online enjoyed themselves.”
