The three things Mafunyeta was buried together with

Jan 26, 2016 Entertainment 175
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Mafunyeta

Lilongwe, July 2013: One of the prominent dancehall stars in Malawi had an Asthma attack which ended up taking him to the grave. For those who appreciate Malawi dancehall music as an entity of its own, will agree that Mafunyeta, born Patrick Magalasi, was a man who occupied a large space in the genre. He died young, aged only twenty five. But in the few years he was active on the scene he had made distinct marks through his singing style and music videos. There are three things that went with him to his grave. It will be hard for them to happen again. Only Mafunyeta had the power of keeping them alive and relevant.

Mafunyeta
Mafunyeta

First, his inimitable music videos. Mafunyeta had his own kind of video shooting and content. He was not the kind of artist who had a huge budget for them. It was always a simple approach. This can easily be seen from the costumes and the sites in them. He put on usual clothes and not specially made by most urban music videos where artists aim at impressing and improving their image. But it is not that Mafunyeta did not care about his image to his audience. His way of caring was by showing that he never cared. So were his supporting acts in the music videos. They too put on clothes that were not intended to impress. In their simple and usual attires, they simply showed how much ghetto they were with their not-so-professional appearances. But make no mistake, compared to the videos artists feature professional acts, the Mafunyeta videos were much better than them in terms of how he related with the supporting acts. There was a display of happiness and community.

Second, Mafunyeta went away with Area 18. He was a resident of the area and in some of his songs he would mention the neighbourhood. The area is one of the famous neighbourhoods in Lilongwe, for its said beautiful girls. He associated himself with his place of residence and it would easily show that he was proud of where he was coming from. But this was not just in his audio lyrics, but even through his music videos. All of them were shot in Area 18. He was not the kind of artist who would budget for transport to the lake or other far way places just to give his videos a new taste. Area 18 was his universe. He would do anything anywhere, but due to his creativity and involvement of the supporting acts, the videos came out with variety of tastes. Representing his area seemed not to be just for him. He had a following from youths in the area as the one who was carrying their area to the rest of Malawi. If you look at all his music videos, as already said above, the supporting acts in them were acting as a community and rallying behind him. By representing their neighbourhood, he was also representing them. Area 18 was trending in the Malawi urban music scene because of Mafunyeta.

Lastly, Warge, one of the main producers for Mafunyeta, is now the shadow of himself. Of course besides him, DI Sley used to frequently produce for him as well. But it has proved that DJ Sley has moved on and is making his name on the scene even without Mafunyeta. Warge is no longer getting famous and relevant compared to when Mafunyeta was alive. He would always shout the “Warge” name in his lyrics if it was produced by him and it took the man into fame. With due respect, Mafunyeta singlehandedly created the Warge people fell in love with. He was in the habit of recognizing his producers in his songs. Warge benefitted a lot from this gesture. But unfortunately, he took both the name and the habit into his grave.

That was the man Mafunyeta and what he went with. He was a special presence in the Malawian music industry with a distinct singing and dancing style. Two years after his death, the world seems to have moved on and slowly forgetting about this great artist. Thank God for Kwame Bandawe, the deputy Mayor for Lilongwe City. When he was contesting for the ward seat as a Councillor in Area 18 during the May 2014 Malawi general elections, he built a bridge and named it the Mafunyeta Bridge. This is a good development, the best reward Area 18 can give back to one of its greatest men.

May Mafunyeta’s soul continue resting in eternal peace. We miss all what he was to the music industry and his society.

*Wonderful Mkhutche is an author, a political scientist and a manuscript developer and editor. Email [email protected] articles and opinions for publication.

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175 Comments

  1. being tru mAlawi born bway dificult to gud bye malawian mis am not lie no god contacts i could ask why mAfunyeta was not asny carry on evAngelise in with angel ihope they keep paradise brethel warge and malawians miss king shaka maluli rest in peace

  2. being tru mAlawi born bway dificult to gud bye malawian mis am not lie no god contacts i could ask why mAfunyeta was not asny carry on evAngelise in with angel ihope they keep paradise brethel warge and malawians miss king shaka maluli rest in peace

  19. ma nicca shaka was a classic Bwoy,he pick up where Vic left,dats Wat mi a flavour of Malawian dancehall music,nah copy cut nor short cut,always stayed real! continue resting well pupa!!!

  25. koma nyimbo zakezo Mulungu amalemekezekamo? nanga iyeyo anali wotembenuka ntima?..coz palibe ubwino wabwino umene mwakamba koposa zimene ndanenaz zimene munthu aliyense ayenera kukhala padziko pano

  26. Tanx a lot mr Wonderful mkhutche & Malawi 24 in general 4 allowing us 2 learn a few thingz 4rom someone we hardly thought of learning anything positive 4rom,wen he was alive.May his soul rest in perfect peace indeed.

  32. Mafunyeta was my fav musician in Malawi,I am a Zimbabwean I lov that song “chikondi pa facebook wat wat unamudhabhura ndi Getrude lol dnt laugh. I dnt knw how to write yo language”

    1. She called me pon Facecebook
      Ati ndimamudabula ndi Getrude
      Then again, ngati pali wina msungwana
      Yemwe samamudziwa dzina ndimuuziretu

  42. Une mwele mwangali, yakwe yele une ngaikungusa. Jwele jwapite sano sigele une. ndende yangu.

  49. Mutayamika pa luso la zitoliro,zisakasa,kayamabvinidwewo; nanga moyo wa umzimu uli bwanji poti izi zinali kuyamikira za thupi.

  50. Mutayamika pa luso la zitoliro,zisakasa,kayamabvinidwewo; nanga moyo wa umzimu uli bwanji poti izi zinali kuyamikira za thupi.

  51. KING SHAKA R.I.P U WR D FADA OF D MALAWIAN DANCEHALL

  54. Bwanji siudatiimbire ine ya re/timayembekeza kuti tiimve re/kenako tinangomva kuti watsetse re/imfa yaiweyo ine sindingaiwa re x2.Unkati umakonda nyimbo za matafa re/koma udabwera atamwalira vic ma re/unkaimba nyimbo zakuti aliyense asangala re/umaimba ndi apano ngakhalenso a chiyamba ka re/aliyense unkacheza naye ngati m’bale/zakuti ndiwe otchuka sudasama re/koma sindidadziwe za ako madwa re/kufikira atamwalira wako m’bale….anyway thats my tribute to king shaka

  55. @kingshaka..dem tel I seh life gwaaz on..but mi still miss you anyhow ( mish mi had a change fi tel yah how a fanatic mi was fi yah music)..though yah gone but di memories stay…RIP@real tuff shutter!!!!!

  77. Koda nanunso inu a Nyasaland 24 mumangoti #Read_full_story
    kodi zimakuvutani kungolemba nkhani yanuyo pompa?

  82. Nanga moyo wa uzimu unali wotani ? Poti paja Mulungu analamula kuti azigwadilidwa monga mwachilamulo, zimenezi ankapanga ? Izizi ndiye zomuchemelera coz kumene wapita sitikuonako socially may God forgive him all sins he did pachiumunthu and RIP

    7. Bible ngati linaonetsela kuti izi izo ndi izo ndi tchimo pamanso pamulungu,,,zinthuzo zikachitika mwauchimo mommo wina akanena sikuti akuweluza ayi, koma akuzikumbutsa yekha, ndi ena onse amoyo kuti nawo alape nthawi yawo ikadzafika ngati kuli kotheka adzawafikile ali mbali yomwe amaikhumbilayo

    11. wina aliyense amadziwa nthawi yake ya imfa kwinako kuli a kti pa iye nd mulungu wake komwe ali ziri kwa otsalafe kudziwa chochita

    12. Mau amati ,tilape tili moyo in other way tizikonzetsele2 tokha tidakali ndi moyo . . . . .n mau ku psalms mulungu ananena kti amasangalala ndi imfa ya munthu amene wafa muchiyelo chake. Xo i dnt tink God forgives mtembo. . . . .MAU AMenewo sindinawawelengemo mmbible. Xo bout Mafunyetas spiritual life amadziwana iyeyo ndi mulungu, ife its non of our busines ,tipange zaife nw bfore it wl be too late for us.

    13. Mau amati ,tilape tili moyo in other way tizikonzetsele2 tokha tidakali ndi moyo . . . . .n mau ku psalms mulungu ananena kti amasangalala ndi imfa ya munthu amene wafa muchiyelo chake. Xo i dnt tink God forgives mtembo. . . . .MAU AMenewo sindinawawelengemo mmbible. Xo bout Mafunyetas spiritual life amadziwana iyeyo ndi mulungu, ife its non of our busines ,tipange zaife nw bfore it wl be too late for us.

  83. Kodi umatha bwanji kupha mwana osabadwa ndikunena ndi inu atsikana kutaya mimba ndikulakwa tsono iwe vetsera mwana amavuta ali wa ng’ono koma akamakula zimakhala za nomo,kutheka kuzakhala odyetsa njomba ngati Ronaldinio komaso kuzakhala operekera mowa ku casino RIP KING SHAKA

  84. Ndatumiza 4n yanga mukanakhala mlpo madala ndikanakupemphani mutbwelezele kamneko ine james komatso phwiko takusowa mall rest in peace

  105. Mkazi wanga ndiiweyooo. Komanso make Suzen aziwaso kuti ndikumayendaso ndiiweyooo. Ndiye kuyambira2 lero2 ukamakumana ndiinewoo. Ngati wazithira perfume usamandigwire2…… Ayoo… Warge… Ngakhale ndili openga ine… Koma sindimamana. Akazi akhoza kumandigawana….. …. Babie usandikise iwe…..

  111. Anyway its part of life,but remember one thing wheather you are famous or not,you will die one day and your fame will not benefit you in the life of hereafter

  121. The three things Mafunyeta was
    buried together with

    By Wonderful Mkhutche
    Lilongwe, July 2013:

    One of the prominent
    dancehall stars in Malawi had an Asthma attack
    which ended up taking him to the grave. For
    those who appreciate Malawi dancehall music
    as an entity of its own, will agree that
    Mafunyeta, born Patrick Magalasi, was a man
    who occupied a large space in the genre. He
    died young, aged only twenty five. But in the
    few years he was active on the scene he had
    made distinct marks through his singing style
    and music videos. There are three things that
    went with him to his grave. It will be hard for
    them to happen again. Only Mafunyeta had the
    power of keeping them alive and relevant.
    Mafunyeta
    First, his inimitable music videos. Mafunyeta
    had his own kind of video shooting and
    content. He was not the kind of artist who had
    a huge budget for them. It was always a
    simple approach. This can easily be seen from
    the costumes and the sites in them. He put on
    usual clothes and not specially made by most
    urban music videos where artists aim at
    impressing and improving their image. But it is
    not that Mafunyeta did not care about his
    image to his audience. His way of caring was
    by showing that he never cared. So were his
    supporting acts in the music videos. They too
    put on clothes that were not intended to
    impress. In their simple and usual attires, they
    simply showed how much ghetto they were
    with their not-so-professional appearances.
    But make no mistake, compared to the videos
    artists feature professional acts, the Mafunyeta
    videos were much better than them in terms of
    how he related with the supporting acts. There
    was a display of happiness and community.
    Second, Mafunyeta went away with Area 18. He
    was a resident of the area and in some of his
    songs he would mention the neighbourhood.
    The area is one of the famous neighbourhoods
    in Lilongwe, for its said beautiful girls. He
    associated himself with his place of residence
    and it would easily show that he was proud of

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