Pakhonde means ‘veranda or balcony’
symbolically implying a place where people can sit and share ideas, as done in most African households.
The Pakhonde Ethno Music Camp 2017
took place in the Ntchisi District, Malawi. During six days, from the 27th of March to the 1st of April, over 70 musicians and dancers gathered to attend traditional music workshops.
The Camp was organized by Music Crossroads, with the help of the international participants from the MOVE project, and in partnership with the Search Private School. The participants came from far and wide, including Norway, Brazil, Mozambique, Kenya, and Malawi in order to share their musical traditions and learn something new from other cultures.
Every workshop was dedicated to one specific instrument, including the Nsansi (thumb piano), the Babatoni (one-string bass), local Gulewamkulu drums and many more. Participants were really keen to make fusions and ended up mixing different instruments, genres, and styles what led to very interesting music experiences.
Mr. Chithodwe, an artist very well-known in Malawi, did a great performance with his kaligo. The kaligo an instrument under consideration to be put on special protection by UNESCO as only a few people are able to play and build it.
To conclude on a good note, all the participants worked hard in order to be ready for the final concert at the Search Private School on Saturday 1st of April.
At the end of this rich campus, everyone did get a taste of the Malawian “Nsansi”, “Kaligo” and “Ng’oma” music, the Brazilian “Bayon” genre, the Mozambican “Marrabenta” music style, the Norwegian “Halling” traditional music and the drum and “Nyathithi” music from Kenya.
Together, we have celebrated the diversity and the similarities in our music and emphasized the importance of knowing our own cultural identity, and being open to others. By the campfire, under the stars, we sang songs and felt the importance of the music we carry with us.
