Standard Bank’s Head of Brand Tamanda N’gombe and Kumbali’s General Manager Ian D’heygere at the unveiling of this year’s concert
* ‘Live at Kumbali’ is one of the offerings under Standard Bank’s ‘Joy of the Arts’ platform, designed to grow arts, music and culture industries in Malawi
* Bien will headline the concert, to be supported by a list of popular local artists that include Driemo, Praise Umali and Maggie Kadrum
By Duncan Mlanjira
For this year’s ‘Live at Kumbali’ music concert, Standard Bank has sponsored to bring in Kenyan Grammy Award winner, Bien-Aimé Alusa Baraza, to headline the show supported by a list of popular local artists.
Popularly known as Bien, Alusa Baraza is a member of Sauti Sol, a Kenyan Afropop music band widely celebrated for his raspy, soulful vocals and captivating stage presence.
The ‘Live at Kumbali’ — the Standard Bank-sponsored annual summer music concert under the ‘Joy of the Arts’ — platform returns to the big stage on October 24 with Bien headlining the show, to be supported by a list of popular local artists, that include Driemo, Praise Umali and Maggie Kadrum.
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At the unveiling of the international headline performing artist, Head of Brand & Marketing, Tamanda Ng’ombe stated that the choice of the Grammy-award winner, and the combination of some of the country’s highly-rated musicians “is designed to give patrons to the event an unforgettable experience”.
“The local artist line-up also features heavy hitters that have graced stages across Africa and Europe,” Ng’ombe said, adding that it spices up the concert as it celebrates the fourth season of Standard Bank’s support to the creative industry in Malawi.
“‘Live at Kumbali’ is one of the offerings under our Joy of the Arts platform, designed to grow arts, music and culture industries in Malawi,” Ng’ombe said.
“Now in its fourth season, the concert has earned its place on Malawi’s calendar and provides a bigger stage for local musicians to perform alongside international stars, particularly from across Africa.
“Being the title sponsor for this event reaffirms Standard Bank’s commitment to supporting the creative industry and promoting music.”
Kumbali Castle
The concert will take place at Kumbali Castle, an idyllic countryside venue in Lilongwe featuring a castle-like setting surrounded by lush natural forest.
The private site also includes a cosy hotel that has hosted international celebrities and Hollywood stars.
Event organizer and coordinator, Ian D’heygere said the ‘Live at Kumbali’ is a premium musical experience that focuses on curated live sessions that both showcase Malawian diversity and open Malawi for high-quality international acts.
“We are particularly proud that, over the years, the Kumbali music concert has become a significant platform for celebrating creativity and showcasing authentic Malawian talent — bringing in world-class performances.
“This year, we have added an additional acoustic stage in the Summer House for upcoming Malawian talent — also ensuring we generate a pipeline for artists ready for the main stage,” said D’heygere, who is Kumbali’s general manager.
Driemo
Artist curator and event organiser, George Kalukusha, founder of Pakhonde Sessions, highlighted the diversity of this year’s line-up — making the show an opportunity to discover new music whilst appreciating live experiences from local and international favourites.
“You can expect to experience a world of good sound and curated live sets,” he said. “This is an experience for music lovers and those ready to enjoy music in all its forms.
“We feature ethno music, hip-hop, soul, jazz, Afrobeat and contemporary – as anchor sounds for the event.”
Ticket prices for the concert range from MK85,000 standard, MK95,000 at the door, and MK250,000 for VIP segment and can be purchased digitally though Kwenda.co or by dialling *495#.
The Bank also has a special VVIP section that is invite only for key bank clients.
Bien — a celebrated musician, activist, music executive and former lead vocalist of the award-winning Afropop band Sauti Sol — launched his solo career in 2019 and has since won a Grammy Award for song writing on Burna Boy’s album, ‘Twice As Tall’, which won the best global music album.
In 2025, Bien won a Trace Award for Best Artist in Eastern Africa and is fresh off the stage of Afro Nation Music Festival – the world’s largest annual festival celebrating Afrobeats, Amapiano, and Dancehall music hosted in last July in Portugal.
In 2021, he kicked off his solo path with the EP ‘Bald Men Love Better’, producing the massive East African summer hit ‘Mbwe Mbwe’ — and followed this up with his highly successful debut solo album, ‘Alusa, Why Are You Topless?’.
Bien became the first East African artist to be interviewed on the historic American radio show ‘The Breakfast Club’ while embarking on a sold-out U.S. tour.
Beyond performing, Bien is a co-founder of Sol Generation Records and holds stakes in multiple creative and lifestyle ventures across Nairobi.
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