The Banjo Boys is a feature documentary charting the rise of Madalitso Band, a Malawian duo, Yobu Maligwa and Yosefe Kalekeni, who built their own instruments to create a distinctive, high-energy sound. Once dismissed as madmen for busking on the streets of Lilongwe, their fortunes change when they catch the ear of British singer-songwriter Neil Nayar (Sc 94-99), forming an unlikely trio that takes them from busking on the streets to international stages across Africa, Europe and the United States. The film captures both their ascent and the personal struggles behind it, while reflecting director Johan Nayar’s own journey into filmmaking, which began at Tonbridge and continued at film school in 2001 alongside Theo Davies (WH 92-97), director of Wish Man (2019) . 

The film recently received the Selby Minner Award at The Bare Bones International Film Festival. Named after Selby Minner, a champion of grassroots music, the award recognises filmmakers who preserve musical culture. Johan served as director, editor, composer and cinematographer, working closely with Neil Nayar, who was a producer, composer and one of the film’s three central protagonists. The recognition places The Banjo Boys within a tradition of storytelling that celebrates music, community and cultural heritage across borders. Find out more about the film, and its screenings at: johannayar.com/banjo-boys/

Screening will be held in the UK on the following dates:

APRIL 2026

23rd | 6pm — Everyman Cinema X London Breeze (Bristol, UK)

22nd | 8.15pm — Savoy Cinema X London Breeze (Nottingham, UK)

1st-30th | FES Film Festival (South-West, UK)

MAY 2026 

1st | 12pm — Unrestricted View Film Festival, Hen & Chicken Theatre (London, UK)

JUNE 2026

4th  | 7pm — The Madalitso Experience (The Banjo Boys documentary + Madalitso Band), Troubadour (London, UK)

Johan Nayar

Neil Nayar