CHE MATAKA ENTERTAINMENT CORNER

  King Charles III  got some advice from Lionel Richie after missing out on Thursday's star-studded gala for the New York City expansion of The King's Trust. While His Majesty returned to public duties Tuesday, he could not be there for the debut of the charity's new name. Originally titled The Prince's Trust, the foundation changed names to match Charles' new title. "I told him, ‘Stand still. Just recover,’" Richie shared with the attendees. "We've got many more of these galas to do in the future." The Prince’s Trust was founded in 1976 when then-Prince Charles used his severance pay from the Royal Navy to launch the nonprofit dedicated to helping unemployed young people in the United Kingdom get trained for jobs. Since then, the charity has expanded its education and employment initiatives into 25 countries. "Ladies and gentlemen, the trust will continue to help young people around the world to build those key skills to support...

  Legendary heavyweight boxer,  Mike Tyson , is slated to make his highly anticipated return to the ring later this year.  The July 20 bout  against YouTube star-turned-boxer Jake Paul, inside AT&T Stadium in suburban Dallas, will mark Tyson's first fight in almost four years. As the fight draws closer, fans and analysts are sharing their predictions on the bout's outcome.  Former world champion and current boxing analyst Timothy Bradley is confident that Tyson will ultimately prevail. Bradley pointed to Tyson's considerable power and years of experience when she shared his knockout prediction. He also suggested that the format of the fight will work to the heavyweight champion's advantage. "Mike Tyson, knock his a-- out, baby! It can happen. Two minutes is going to favor Mike Tyson… banging him to the body, hitting him with power shots," Bradley said. "He has the potential to knock this man out. The power is the last thing to leave you. Two min...

The arty domain has more to offer this weekend with several activities lined up by organisers including a giants memorial show spearheaded by Nyamithambo Arts Palace Friday at Bangula Trading Centre in Nsanje. The memorial show is a warm-up to the Khulubvi Arts and Cultural Festival, now in its third edition, to be held at Nsanje Prison Ground in June this year. Nyamithambo Arts Palace proprietor Eric Trinta, who is also an arts activist, said on Wednesday that the giants memorial show is aimed at honouring fallen Shire Valley giants for immense contributions they made to the music industry in the country. "We have the Khulubvi Arts and Cultural Festival coming up but, then, we thought we should warm up with a memorial show to celebrate the lives of our fallen artists, who have contributed immensely to the growth of the creative sector in the country as well as the festival," Trinta said. He said since they started the festival, they have benefited a lot from the talents of t...

Musicians Lulu and Theresa Phondo are set to grace the stage at the upcoming 10th installment of the Art in the Park event, slated to take place at Four Seasons in Lilongwe from May 9 to 12, 2024. The Wildlife Environmental Society of Malawi (WESM) spearheads this festival alongside other partners, with the primary goal of showcasing visual arts. Speaking on Thursday, WESM Chairperson Nick Hall expressed excitement about featuring Phondo and Lulu, citing their remarkable talent and popularity in the industry. He emphasized the importance of encouraging more Malawians to attend the festival and appreciate the thriving visual arts scene. "We've seen significant growth since our inception, continually enhancing the quality of each edition. Our past events featured renowned artists such as Lawi, Maggie Kadrum, and Madalitso Band. This time, we're thrilled to have Lulu and Phondo onboard," Hall stated. He underscored the magnetic appeal of Lulu and Phondo's music, high...

  American rapper, Gunna also joined Tyla in the motherland for the shoot and of course, the two being in town created quite the stir. Tyla  released her self-titled album in March and it has been well received by her fans at home and around the world. The fun for Tyla and Gunna did not stop on the streets of Johannesburg where they shot the visuals, they also went to popular lifestyle venue Konka in Soweto. While at Konka the rapper gave an exclusive performance of his most current hit song ‘Fukumean. The American rapper  is no stranger to the world of amapiano and afrobeats, he has been featured on Sarz's ‘Happiness’ featuring Asake, which has achieved international success. Tyla at the 18th  Metro FM Music Award  was honoured with the Global Icon Award but was not present at the ceremony in Mbombela Stadium, Mpumalanga. In a short selfie video, Tyla thanked her fans and Metro FM for the recognition. In April, Tyla was in the country for the first ...

 😵😴💪💢 Bruce's family revealed news of his dementia diagnosis in early 2023. They said in a statement at the time: "As a family, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for the outpouring of love and compassion for Bruce over the past ten months. Your generosity of spirit has been overwhelming, and we are tremendously grateful for it. For your kindness, and because we know you love Bruce as much as we do, we wanted to give you an update. "Since we announced Bruce’s diagnosis of aphasia in spring 2022, Bruce’s condition has progressed and we now have a more specific diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia (known as FTD). “Unfortunately, challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease Bruce faces. While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis."  

 😍😧😧😒😰😭😭😐 Veteran sound system selector  Ricky Trooper  has recounted details of the night in the 1990s when the late Reggae singer  Garnett Silk  influenced his Manchester compatriot  Luciano , who was embracing Christianity at the time, to become a Rastafarian. According to Trooper, at that time, he was the lead selector at Kilimanjaro, to which Garnet Silk was connected. He said he had been trying to orchestrate a dubplate special collaboration featuring Garnet Silk and  Capleton , who was aligned to the African Star sound, but, despite his best efforts, he was unable to get the two men in the studio together due to scheduling conflicts until one fateful Friday. “Suh me, Capleton, two yute weh forward wid Capleton, Luciano, mi bredrin name Muggy and Keith weh used to play Jaro wid wi…  di whole a wi guh up a Garnett house.  An when Garnett start preach bout Selassie I, Luciano – dem man deh a bible man, dem man deh believe inna...

  Grammy award-winning artiste Sean Paul and Soca superstar Kes collaborated on the anthem for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, titled ‘Out of this World’. Thirty days out from the tournament, the release of the official anthem sets the tone and excitement for T20I cricket’s biggest extravaganza, which will feature 20 teams across 55 matches, ICC said in a release on Thursday. Produced by Michael “Tano” Montano, the anthem was launched alongside its music video, featuring appearances by some of the biggest names in sports, including eight-time Olympic gold-medalist Usain Bolt, West Indies cricket icons Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Stafanie Taylor, and USA bowler Ali Khan, among other Caribbean personalities. The track and music video is also available on digital streaming music platforms Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, SoundCloud, JioSaavn, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and others. Fans can also get into the spirit of the tournament by creating their own dan...

  Malawi’s new gospel artist, Prince Nebert has released his first ever gospel song this week titled ‘M’mandikonda’ which has been produced by Apostle G. Winga. According to Prince, the track highlights his personal life experience. His mother passed away when he was young and life was very hard for him. He never had support for upbringing, for example school fees for his education, clothes and other basic needs were a great challenge. He has ever gone to school without shoes at primary level, and without taking break fast. My mother passed away when I was young and life was hard for me. I never had support for upbringing, for example I struggled to get school fees for my education, clothes and other basic needs. Have ever gone to school without shoes at primary level, and without taking break fast,” he said. His message encourages people to believe in God, no matter the degree of challenges in life. God is there to help every believer and He is willing to help those who have fai...

  Celebrated gospel sensation, Steve “Wazisomo” Muliya, will be on the road for what is promised to be an electrifying album re-launch show in Lilongwe this coming Sunday at the prestigious Sheafer Ica Marque. The ‘Zisomo’ re-launch show comes four months after the official launch of the album received a great reception at Robins Park in Blantyre. In an interview with Malawi24, Muliya said that preparations for this weekend’s enticing re-launch show are at an advanced stage. Muliya, who was voted the 2023 Best Male Gospel Artist at the MBC Entertainers of the Year Awards, said the re-launch has been organized to appreciate the love and support which he is personally receiving from people in the central region and Malawi at large. The “Ndizotheka” hitmaker has since promised soul-stirring melodies and powerful performances from artists set to feature at the album re-launch concert. “We are almost done with preparations for the re-launch in Lilongwe. This is a thank you con...

 Malawian Afro-pop sensation Pop Young is embarking on a new chapter in his musical journey with the upcoming release of his debut solo single, "Patricia," signaling a fresh start following his departure from record label Akometsi amid controversy. In a bold move, Pop Young decided to part ways with Akometsi, prompting the label to remove all of his top-charting songs from their YouTube channel in a surprising turn of events. Undeterred by the setback, the 20-year-old star is set to premiere "Patricia" on MBC Radio 2's "Made on Monday" show, hosted by celebrated presenter Joy Nathu, next Monday. Affectionately known as 'Popizo' among his fan base, the artist revealed that "Patricia," produced by Chawabeats, is an Afrobeat ballad expressing a man's heartfelt affection for his fiancée, symbolizing happiness and contentment in their relationship. Confident in the song's potential, Pop Young expressed gratitude for his fans' u...

In an exclusive interview with MIJ 24/7, the vibrant musician, who has been the opening singer for the group for the past 15 years, said it's truly an honour to fill his uncle's shoes, as Peetah has left an indelible mark in the hearts of many fans globally. "I'm gonna jump in a size 12," he joked. "But duty calls and when one is called upon, we have to do the mission, especially if it's to carry on the legacy of our family. I love music; it's a passion of mine. We do this like it's not a job [because] it's really not a job to we yuh nuh, especially as a family. It's a mission; it's our purpose to heal people through our music and our consciousness," said Jemere, who is son of Gramps Morgan. Jemere shared that while touring with the group for years, he has also been performing as a soloist. "I've just started touring back by myself now on my solo career [during which] I've toured with international artistes such as Ja...

 Reggae luminary Chronixx has raised a poignant issue within the music industry, accusing Spotify of lax security measures that allowed unauthorized music to be uploaded to his account. The renowned streaming platform has been grappling with a trend of scam artists tagging prominent names in songs, falsely appearing as collaborations, and gaining visibility on artists' accounts. 😖 Chronixx recently fell victim to this scam, with two unauthorized tracks, "A Nuhb Long Talk" and the explicit "Manuva," uploaded to his Spotify account under the label "Brahma." Venting his frustration on Instagram Stories over the weekend, the "Smile Jamaica" singer denounced Spotify's lack of safeguards for artists' accounts, emphasizing that his account was not hacked but rather compromised due to the platform's permissive policies. Despite Spotify's protocol allowing artists to report unauthorized music, Chronixx highlighted the inefficiency of ...

It's time to take a next step - Kung Fu Panda 4   This spring, for the first time in almost a decade, comedy icon Jack Black returns to his role as Po, the world’s most unlikely Kung Fu master, with a hilarious, butt-kicking new chapter in DreamWorks Animation’s beloved action-comedy franchise: Kung Fu Panda 4. After three death-defying adventures defeating world-class villains with his unmatched courage and mad martial arts skills, Po, the Dragon Warrior (Jack Black), is called upon by destiny to … give it a rest already. More specifically, he’s tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace. That poses a couple of obvious problems. First, Po knows nothing about spiritual leadership, and second, he needs to quickly find and train a new Dragon Warrior before he can assume his new lofty position. Even worse, there’s been a recent sighting of a wicked, powerful sorceress, Chameleon (Oscar winner Viola Davis), a tiny lizard who can shapeshift into any creatu...

    The Illusionz Beach Festival, spanning three days from August 30th to September 1st in Salima, is set to dazzle attendees with electrifying performances from Amapiano sensations Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa, among other top-tier artists. Martin Nyirenda, Managing Director of Illusionz, unveiled plans for a dynamic musical lineup featuring renowned South African artists, promising an unforgettable experience. Six international acts will complement over ten talented Malawian performers, ensuring a diverse showcase of talent. Alinane Njolomole, Marketing Executive for Illusionz, emphasized the festival's role in boosting tourism in Salima. From the Chilembwe cruise ship experience on Lake Malawi to lively pool parties and an array of beachside activities such as water sports, volleyball, and beach races, the festival offers something for everyone. Njolomole extended an invitation to corporate sponsors to join Illusionz in supporting the inaugural event, which is slat...

      Gospel musician Miriam Kuseni is set to hold what she dubs Easter Gospel Bash on April 1 2024 at Sheaffer ICA Marquee in Lilongwe. Kuseni said that the Easter Gospel Bash is part of her work of ministering the word of God through music. The singer also said that through the Easter Gospel Bash, she will launch her fourth album titled Zonse Nzainu Yehova. “It has been sometime since I connected with people on a big stage and now I am on back to launch my fourth album,” the Lilongwe-based gospel musician said. She said that Easter is an important occasion for every Christian hence taking time to organise the Easter Gospel Bash. “People will enjoy gospel vibes and at the same connect with each other,” Kuseni, who goes by the moniker Sister Miriam Kuseni, said. Apart from Kuseni as the headliner, the Easter Gospel Bash will feature other gospel acts such as Ndirande Anglican Voices, Kamuzu Barracks Gospel Singers, Shammah Vocalz, King James Phiri, The Mar...

  The 48-year-old was given a life sentence in 2014 for the killing of Clive "Lizard" Williams on the Caribbean island. His successful appeal, heard by the Privy Council in London, argued that a juror accused of trying to bribe others should have been thrown off his trial. Authorities in Jamaica will decide whether the case should be retried. The musician, real name Adidja Palmer, is one of the country's most popular artists and has collaborated with performers such as Jay-Z and Rihanna.   His 64-day trial was one of the longest in Jamaican history, and ended with Kartel being ordered to serve a minimum of 35 years in jail. This was later reduced to 32-and-a-half years. The trial heard that victim Clive Williams and another man, Lamar Chow, were given two unlicensed firearms belonging to Kartel for safekeeping. When they failed to return them at an agreed time, prosecutors said, they were summoned to Kartel's house in August 2011. Chow told the trial they were attacke...

Nyago (left), Ndamera and Keturah at the studio   Musicians affiliated with the Sounds of Malawi record label endeavor, spearheaded by American producer Harlan Steinberger, have expressed their appreciation for the project, emphasizing its potential to create abundant opportunities for them. Harlan, renowned for his work on musician Keturah’s eponymous album in the USA, has commenced recording sessions for the album at Jacaranda Studios in Chigumula, Blantyre. As of yesterday, the roster of artists recorded by Harlan included Eunice Kadzuwa Mhango, Nyago, Ben Mankhamba, Agorosso, Keturah, Lucky Stars Band under the leadership of Boniface Ndamera, Snowden Ibbu, Waliko Makhala, Goma Nyondo, and Kukana Kuba Kasambwe Band. Recording sessions are ongoing, with artists such as Giddes Chalamanda and Chigo Nyasulu lined up for today. “This initiative is monumental for our creative sector. Following my collaboration with Harlan on my Keturah album, I am thrilled to embark on another s...