The event which was held at Myasei ground in Lilongwe was attended by judges from the Musicians Union of Malawi (MUM), as well as famous gospel artists such as Favoured Martha, Carlo Kadzuwa, and Kondwani Chirwa.
The competition, which featured over 35 choirs from the constituency, was organized in honor of Francis’s late father, Lingson Belekanyama, who was a patron of many choirs during his tenure as a legislator of the area.
In his speech, Francis emphasized the importance of singing and its positive impact on individuals and communities.
He also noted that the competition would help his constituents discover and promote their talents, and would become a tradition that the Belekanyama family would continue to organize.
“As a family, we decided to come up with the 8choir competition as one way of honoring and respecting our late Lingson Belekanyama. It will be our tradition as we will be continuing organizing choir competitions from different choirs despite their denomination,” said Belekanyama.
As a way of promoting love and unity, which were pillars of his father’s values, Francis vowed to continue supporting local Christian choirs in their activities.
The judges from the Musicians Union of Malawi praised the competition for its role in improving the performance and confidence of the participating choirs.
They also noted that it was encouraging more people to consider singing as a career, rather than just a hobby.
Paulendo Womens Choir emerged as a winner and was awarded a trophy and MK250,000 in prize money.
The total sponsorship for the event amounted to MK4.5 million, with MK1.5 million allocated specifically for Catholic choirs in the constituency.
Overall, the choir competition was a success, with the local choirs showcasing their talent and passion for singing.