Italy to Host Alleluya Band

Veteran musician and former band lead­er for Alleluya Band, Coss Chiwalo, said all is set for them to give out their best in Italy where they are expected to hold over 40 shows.

Alleluya Band is expected to leave the country on Saturday for the an­nual Italy tour, where they  will hold performances to raise funds for different projects at Andiamo campus in Balaka.

“We have always taken time to prepare for these tours. So, we have had mas­sive rehearsals as every trip is unique in itself,” Chiwalo said.

He said they had ‘concoct­ed’ countless songs.

“We have songs fused with traditional dances such as beni, malipenga and tchopa just to mention a few,” Chi­walo said.

He also said this year the title of the tour is Gadugadu.

“Since we announced that the title for the tour is Ga­dugadu, we have been receiv­ing questions as to what it means. The title actually was selected by the founder Fa­ther Mario Pacifici. I will not pre-empt the meaning but let me say that we have a song which has been written by Father Mario Pacifici and sang by the vice band leader Getrude Naluso,” Chiwalo said.

Chiwalo said, during the trip, they also record new songs but also learn from other artists.

Ahead of the tour, Alleluya Band had a show in Balaka on May 19 2019, when they per­formed during the youth day.

Alleluya Band is expected back home in August.

Formed in 1978 by Father Mario Pacific and Paul Banda, the group recently represented the country in Panama, where they performed at the World Youth Day.