Page 38 - 2020 SoM Journal Vol 73 No 1 FINAL_Neat

30 The Society of Malawi Journal

between the Malawian military and the “roles of the Nyau society in warfare,
resistance to foreigners, and continuity of customs” among the Chewa, Malawi’s
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largest ethnic group.
Even as recently as early 2019, Lucius Banda - hardly a year after his
hard-hitting political lyric opposing President Peter Mutharika - again confirmed
his place in the asilikali tradition. But now, with the spoken words of the
President’s memorial address beginning his recorded performance, Lucius
Banda’s tribute to Malawi’s fallen peacekeepers, “Moyo wa Msilikali,” received
wide acclaim. Dedicated “to our soldiers our heroes,” the opening lyrics mention
several of them by name:

November 2017.
He didn’t come back, [name] didn’t come back, didn’t come back
November 2018
He didn’t come back, [name] didn’t come back, didn’t come back
He didn’t come back, didn’t come back, didn’t come back
My brother didn’t come back

Continuing in his inimitable style—yet deviating from the marching cadence
Malawian asilikali favoured when singing of their “troubles,” - Lucius Banda’s
verses nonetheless matched the spirit of previous “Sole” lyrics:

A soldier’s life
A life of bravery
He sacrifices his life
To protect a civilian
He puts his life in danger
To defend that of his colleague
A soldier has love for us
Do you know?
He goes on a journey
Not knowing whether he will come back.
These people die for us

Perhaps only instinctively, Lucius Banda uses almost exactly the same words
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voiced in an asilikali lyrical lament a century before! Then he continues his song
of homage:

35 Birch de Aguilar, Inscribing the Mask, 64; also see Melvin E. Page, “The Great
War and Chewa Society in Malawi,” Journal of Southern African Studies 6(1980):
esp. 176-80.
36 See note 16: “On this journey I did not know
That I could die in this war”