17/08/2026
๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ ๐
๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ญ - ๐๐จ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐
๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ข, ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ซ๐๐ก ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฒ
Born in Zomba in 1948, Robert Fumulani emerged from a musical family. Together with his brothers Sailesi and Arnold Fumulani, he formed the Likhubula River Jazz Band/Likhubula River Dance Band.
He created Afroma โ Afro-Malawi โ developing popular music with a distinctly Malawian identity by blending local traditions with contemporary influences.
Fumulani also helped fashion and popularise Khunju reggae, fusing rhythms of the traditional Khunju dance with reggae.
By the 1980s, Fumulani was a household name, winning MBC Entertainer of the Year three times.
His notable works include โMulomo,โ โMoyo Wathu ndi Ovutaโ and โApongozi Ndadabwa.โ Some of his compositions were later revisited by younger musicians.
Fumulani was also a creative entrepreneur. He invested his music earnings in businesses, including the Likhubula Entertainment Centre. In 1993, he established Aircraft Cabin Handling Services at Chileka International Airport.
His greatest legacy may be his musical dynasty. In 1996, he bought his children a small keyboard, which his sons Musamude, Anjiru and Chizondi Fumulani began playing.
The three brothers became the bedrock of the Black Missionaries, founded by their relative Evison Matafale after his return from Zimbabwe. Following Matafaleโs death, Musamude and later Anjiru took up leadership of the band.
Sadly, Robert Fumulani died in 1998 aged just 49 years. May his Legacy endure.
