Two Weeks Before Heading Off To Malawi
It’s two weeks before I head off to Malawi and I am buzzing. I am currently trying to read everything ever written about HIV/AIDS in preparation and the reading list just seems to be getting longer and longer. I am definitely “hooked” on this subject.
I recently got a CD of Peter Mawanga’s “Zanga Zo zama,” the primary musician who I plan to collaborate with in Malawi. Peter’s music is hard to get in the states and he actually arranged an inter-continental rendez-vous between myself and a mutual friend who gave me his CD. I closed my eyes yesterday and listening to the whole thing from start to finish and was left salivating at this guy’s breadth of musical knowledge. He rocks.
This friend of Peter’s also gave me an awesome CD “Vingoma NA Visekese,” a unicef-sponsored project orchestrated by Peter. It is really worth checking out for anyone reading this blog. Call unicef if you have to! All of this has got the musical gears turning..I immediately went to my computer after listening to Zanga Zo Zama and started working on some riffs and compositions that I can maybe throw at Peter when we finally meet in person in a few months. I think Peter and I have some pretty stellar jam sessions to look forward to. I mentioned I played violin awhile back and he got so excited “what?! Andrew, do you know how hard it is to find a violin player here?” If he wants to jam with a violin player I can already tell we’re going to get along.
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Up to four awards will be available to pursue projects around an aspect of international contemporary or popular music as a cultural force for expression. Preference will be given to creative projects that are conveyed in a dynamic fashion and are accompanied by a feasible plan. In addition to presenting unique projects on music as a global force for mutual understanding. Deadline to apply is March 1, 2012.