92-year-old Malawian music legend finds fame on TikTok BLANTYRE, Malawi, Jan 22 ― At 92, Giddes Chalamanda has no idea what TikTok is. He doesn’t even own a smartphone. And yet the Malawian music legend has become a social media star, with his song “Linny Hoo” garnering over 80 million views on the video-sharing platform and spawning mashups and remixes from South Africa to the Philippines. “They come and show me the videos on their phones, but I have no idea how it works,” Chalamanda told AFP at his home on the edge of a macadamia plantation, about 20 kilometres from Malawi’s main city Blantyre. “But I love the fact that people are enjoying themselves and that my talent is getting the right attention,” he said, speaking in Chewa. Despite his grey hair and slight stoop, the nonagenarian singer and guitarist, who has been a constant presence on the Malawian music scene for seven decades, displays a youthful exuberance as he sits chatting with a group of young fans. H

Key Topics in this News Article:

AfricaAmericaarmyByteDanceCopyrightOnline VideoPhilippinesSmartphoneSocial MediaSouth AfricaTikTokUnited StatesUSAYouTube