THE
BANJO
BOYS

The Banjo Boys is a five-time award-winning African music documentary following Madalitso Band — Malawian musicians Yobu Maligwa and Yosefe Kalekeni — who hand-built their own instruments and busked the streets of Lilongwe to survive.

When British musician Neil Nayar encountered them in Malawi, an unlikely partnership was born that would take them from local street corners to international festival stages across Africa, Europe and the United States.

From Sauti za Busara in Zanzibar to WOMAD in the UK and Joshua Tree in California — a story of resilience, joy, and the transformative power of music. What happens when you change your name from “Tiyese” (we try) to “Madalitso” (blessings).