Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) has banned music for the country’s top musician Lucius Banda.

According to an internal memorandum issued to its staff, MBC which has radio one and two said Lucius Banda’s music should not be played on air as music material or programme.

The memo further warned its staff to take the information as a “last warning.”

Lucius is one of the top and successful musicians in the country and last year he performed over five shows in UK.

He recently released his 15th album titled Fifteen Fifteen which he said recounts of his life since he started music.

However, it is this album which has earned him the ban as he has played some songs which attack the government of president Bingu Wa Mutharika.

One of the songs in his 20 track album is 15-15 My Song which talks about the problems the country was facing recently among them the fuel crisis.

When asked why Lucius’ music has been banned, MBC’s Controller of Programmes David Kamkwamba who signed the Memorandum could not shed more light.

And speaking to BBC World Service on Sunday, the musician described his new album as well balanced.

He said he decided to take on several political parties in his new album because that is what his fans wanted.
“There was an outcry as people wanted the Soldier, they were used to, who could fight all battles equally,” said the musician who was once a Member of Parliament.

He said that he was not targeting anyone in his album but was tackling issues.

“In life when a person does not commit any crime, the person becomes very good. But when a person starts messing things up then more things come in,” he said.

The musician described the state broadcaster as failing to read his music and that banning his music was killing people.

The musician has been controversial over the years, speaking for the poor before he earned the name soldier.
This is not his first time for his music to be banned; a few years ago his music was also banned. He is also one of the musicians who took a stand against one party system in 1993.

He has won several awards with some being issued by MBC.

Some of the albums he has released include Freedom, Unity, Cease Fire, Down Babylon, Survivor and Son of the Poorman.