We pay tribute to Maria Chidzanja Nkhoma who passed from Covid-19. She was a veteran broadcaster who worked for Malawi Broadcasting Corporation Programmes Department and served in various capacities as an anchor, announcer and producer.
She was often referred to as the crème de la crème of her industry and also worked for Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) until her unfortunate death and was an inspiration to young broadcasters that wished to follow in her footsteps. Maria was known as a beacon of knowledge and encouragement in broadcasting and will always be remembered for her contribution to the craft as well as her motherly presence for young female journalists.
To many she was a legendary musician with an artistic life that extended into poetry and a career as an actress with a robust interest in children and women’s matters. Fans have described her voice as golden as it provided her listeners with a feeling of rich tradition due to her ability to convey a message through her music in the Chichewa language. In an era that hailed R&B, her taste for pop music skyrocketed her into an iconic position of presenter of Sunday’s people’s choice: The 1:20 Show. Additionally Maria was featured as a lead singer on a number of songs including, but not limited to, Mwana wa Nzako and Sungani Mwambo.
She was referred to as Malawi’s last original diva as she was known for her amazing fashion sense, she has been described as classy with a traditional spin on the term. She was a socialite who was always on the lookout for fun throughout her years.
The media fraternity will surely never be the same and our condolences go out to the Chidzanja Nkhoma family and ZBS. The lovely legend left us with a quote, “If you are doing something, doing it with a passion and if you are happy about it, everything falls into place”. May her beautiful soul rest in peace.
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