Malawi's music scene got hit with a gut punch. Five members of Eli Njuchi's Hive Band died in a wreck at Senzani in Ntcheu on the M1 road. They were heading to Lilongwe for his show. The dead are drummer Raphael Chitsonga, guitarist MacFarlane Banda, road manager Vincent Mkwinda, pianist Wilfred Kapengule Jnr, and vocalist Elivacy Myaba. These young players were considered some of the best live performers in the country.
The news just wrecked the whole industry. Major artists posted crushed reactions. Singer Eliza Mponya wrote an emotional message asking how they could even cry enough for the guys. Musician Lawi called it a tragic day for Malawian music. Onesimus said the industry lost giants. Fellow bassist Obed Kananji and guitarist Abraham Malinga called the loss heartbreaking and hard to process. Because of this, Eli Njuchi canceled his upcoming Lilongwe show at BICC. Another artist, Lulu, also canceled a Club 24/7 gig tonight, noting separate car trouble from a pothole earlier.
The news just wrecked the whole industry. Major artists posted crushed reactions. Singer Eliza Mponya wrote an emotional message asking how they could even cry enough for the guys. Musician Lawi called it a tragic day for Malawian music. Onesimus said the industry lost giants. Fellow bassist Obed Kananji and guitarist Abraham Malinga called the loss heartbreaking and hard to process. Because of this, Eli Njuchi canceled his upcoming Lilongwe show at BICC. Another artist, Lulu, also canceled a Club 24/7 gig tonight, noting separate car trouble from a pothole earlier.
