A ninety-two-year-old singer achieves fame on Tik Tok

The 92-year-old Malawian artist, Gidis Chalamanda, does not have a mobile phone and does not know the “Tik Tok” platform, on which short videos are published that spread at lightning speed around the world, but he has become a singing star on it, and a video clip of him singing in it has been seen, more than 80 million Once.

According to a report by "Deutsche Welle", Chalamanda recorded his song "Lenny Ho" in late 2020 and it has become a phenomenon that extends from South Africa to the Philippines.

"Young men and women are showing me videos on their phones but I have no idea how it works," Chalamanda told AFP from his home surrounded by macadamia trees, some 20 kilometers from Blantyre, Malawi's economic capital.

The old, thin, white-haired artist maintained the youthful enthusiasm.

"I like people to have fun and hear what I'm doing," he adds.

His grandson Stepson Austin, 16, who launched into the world of hip-hop and is dazzled by his grandfather's 70-year music career, considers it "surprising that his grandfather lived so long to witness his global success."

Geddes Chalamanda was born in Chiradzulu, in southern Malawi, and became famous with his guitar all over the country.

His song "Buffalo Soldier", in which he tells his dream of going to the United States, is well known by everyone.

He currently sings in concerts and has played alongside new generations of musicians in the last decade.

In 2021, he decided to record a "reggae" version of some songs with a local artist in her thirties called Patience Namadingo.

The video went viral, with over seven million views on YouTube.

At the end of 2021, the video clip reached the “Tik Tok” platform and spread around the world.

"When people hear this song, everyone starts dancing," says artist Davis Ngupvu. "It's a hit."

Although the lyrics are in the local Chihua language, the old man sings with such passion that it affects anyone who listens, says Joe Macingora, a producer and owner of a production company based in South Africa. .

“In the past, the lyrics were so deep that they still resonate today,” says Tami Mbendera of Malawi's Institute of Festivals, while TikTok created great opportunities for artists.

However, Geddes Chalamanda, who has given birth to 14 children, seven of whom are still alive, is still waiting for the wide spread of his song to pay off.

"It surprises me that despite the popularity of the song, I don't earn anything," he says. "I'm happy to make people dance all over the world, but it should be of use to me. I need this money."

According to his manager, Pemferu Mvandi, the process of obtaining royalties for his song, which was spread on "Tik Tok", is continuing, and the Malawi Property Rights Association has announced its willingness to help him.

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news