Students of Andiamo Education Institutions (AEI) sampled the new songs of Alleluya Band’s forthcoming album,Dzuka Iwe during the 36th wedding anniversary of Aldo and Rose on sunday 22nd April 2012 in the Umodzi Cafeteria.
Alleluya Band showcasing one of the traditional dances. In front Jackomino Murowa
Coming on stage, in traditional attire, Gertrude Naluso mesmerized the students with the title track itself,Dzuka Iwe. At first the hall was quiet, as many people did not know the song apart from the intro that start like one of the old Kamuzu Mbumba’s song.
Andrew Galeta (far right) and Patrick Bwanali presenting their gifts to Aldo and Rose during the anniversary celebration
Paul Subili was also in his usual mood. He dished out one of his popular wedding songs. He also played Nwa Baby aka Sawasawa which students sang along with him.
Little by little, students began to stand on the pews. No one blamed them. Who could miss the new dancing techniques that were being showcased for the first time? Not even workers of Andiamo Youth Cooperative Trust could resist the temptation to watch Gertrude and company twisting their bodies as if they had no bones.
When everybody thought this was enough, Coss Chiwalo came on stage with another new hit, Ndinyadira Malawi. To everybody’s surprise, Jackomino Murowa was among the dancers. With a serious face, perhaps shy because he was performing in the presence of his fellow students, Jacko showed both the students and the teaching staff that perhaps AEI is grooming some future Michael Jackson.
Alleluya Band leaves for Italy on 23rd May where they will have more than 40 shows. These shows are normally misunderstood as is evidenced by comments some people make on social networks. Alleluya has had yearly shows in Italy to raise money for Andiamo Youth Cooperative Trust which is a non-profit making entity. Friends of Andiamo from Italy in cooperation with Andiamo Malawi, do all the logistics, which include accommodation, transport costs, organizing shows.
The fruits of these shows are too many to mention and only the community around Andiamo can testify.
Aldo, a retired soldier, is one of the volunteers from Italy who almost yearly come to Balaka, Malawi mainly to help with the maintenance of boreholes. He, together with other families from Italy helps six students of Andiamo Secondary School who are on bursary by paying fees for them.