I love this Malawian song. It's very emotional, the women are singing complex harmonies.

It's about a woman who has a young baby, but in the night a troublesome cat keeps brushing up against her demanding attention. Gaiyaya, Gaiya, Gaiya, Gaiya, Gaiya, Gaiya.

Gaiya, Gaio, they sing over and over.

Kaya means, I don't know. And it's sung almost. over and it sang almost as a sign of despair and we all resembles the sound of crying.

And weo resembles the sound of crying. The woman can't wait for the sun to come up so she can escape the cat. Here's the twist. The cat is her husband.

The cat is her husband and the song carries an important lesson about finally planning.

This song is one of thousands of songs stored in the archives of Malawi National

Broadcaster NBC.

When them we,

and then we,

Ero Gende, These old recordings provide an incredible snapshot of my country's social and musical history,

but the technology is now old, bulky, vintage root, row tapes.

They can't be played easily and they are in danger of rotting away. a Malawian singer, songwriter and guitarist.

Over the last few years, many of the tapes have been saved and digitized,

and I have had the privilege of listening to some of what's in the archives

and then getting together with other musicians to bring that old music back to life for younger audiences. Over the next hour I would like to share that joyful experience with you with a little

help from my friends people who also care deeply about Malawi's rich, complex musical past and

its future. From the BBC World Service, this is the Malawi Tapes.

And who better to take us to the heart of the Malawi tapes than the man whose mission it has been over the past few years to preserve the tapes.

Please enjoy your tour with one of Malawi's most knowledgeable musical minds.

My name is Walee Makala, I'm chief news editor for Malay Broadcasting Corporation.

I'm also an Ethnologist by profession and inclination.

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