Sad news for the Grammy Awards nominated band from Zomba Prison because it is not going to be at the awards gala in the United States because the prisoners’ legal cases make international travel impossible.
The 2016 Grammys take place in Los Angeles, in the United States on 15 February.
The Zomba Prison band which is made up of inmates from one of Malawi’s most congested prisons, Zomba prison secured Malawi’s first Grammy with their album ‘I have no everything here’.
According to American music producer Ian Brennan who worked with the Band to produce their album from the highly secured cells said the group will not be part of the audience when the results are announced at America’s biggest music awards, shortlisted for Best World Music Album.
The Zomba prisoners’ band will compete at the star-studded Gala with world music giants like Anoushka Shankar’s Home, Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s Music From Inala, Angelique Kidjo’s Sings and Gilberto Gil’s Gilbertos Samba Ao Vivo.
The band is made up of some murder convicts, however, laws of Malawi do not allow them to get out of the cells unless when faced with serious health problems.
Some of the songs in the album which was released in 2013 include “I have No Everything Here”, “Don’t Hate Me”, “Prison of Sinners”, “I See the Whole World Dying of AIDS” and “Please, Don’t Kill My Child”.
Although the little known band has received good media coverage Brennan who visited the band members in Zomba last week said it did not necessarily result in more sales for the Zomba Prison Project music.
“International recordings that are not in English or Spanish sell very little, but hopefully a win could generate some additional sales,” he said
“People around the globe have been very moved and captivated by Malawi and the prisoners’ story—BBC, Rolling Stone, Associated Press, Business Insider, The Guardian and New York Daily News, among others,” he said
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