Funding remains a challenge to efforts to preserve Malawi’s creative history, which includes work and contributions of musicians and other creatives. Against this background, Ubuntu Music People (UMP) has announced the establishment of UMP Music Heritage Fund to support heritage-related efforts beyond its annual awards.
Our Staff Reporter WANTWA MWAMLIMA caught up with UMP media and communications officer Edgar M’baluku to discuss the fund. Excerpts: Q. What prompted UMP to establish the Music Heritage Fund at this point?
A. The fund had been created as a permanent initiative to mobilise resources for the recognition, documentation and preservation of Malawi’s musical heritage. Ubuntu Music People (UMP) has announced the establishment of the fund to complement its efforts in the creative industry.
Q. What specific projects or activities will the fund support?
A. The UMP fund will be crucial in supporting heritage related research, storytelling, exhibitions, recordings and publications as well as helping in building of memorial tombstones for some fallen legends and other memorabilias. The fund complements, but is separate from, the UMP National Music Heritage Award we recently introduced. While the award recognises pioneering musicians whose work has made a lasting contribution to Malawi’s musical identity, the fund extends that commitment through sustained heritage initiatives beyond the annual awards ceremony.
Q. How will UMP ensure that the fund benefits both established and up-and-coming musicians?
A. As of now we have planned to support only our legends particularly those who were there in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s and to ensure that we are setting up a team that will oversee day to day operations of this fund. For instance to honour some of these creatives this year, the first time UMP will honour fallen musician Michael Yekha, Daniel Kachamba and Allan Namoko through the UMP National Music Heritage Award, recognising their enduring contributions to Malawi’s musical heritage.
While this is different from the fund, these are some of the initiatives it will complement.
Q. How will the fund be managed to ensure transparency and accountability?
A. All funds will be kept in a dedicated bank account with records. Spending will require documented approval and committee oversight.
In addition, the fund will be overseen by the UMP Music Heritage Fund Committee, whose membership will be unveiled at the official launch, with appropriate financial accountability and reporting mechanisms in place.
Q. What role do you expect the public, corporates and other partners to play in sustaining the fund?
A. To sustain the fund, both public and corporate support will be key, with resources to be raised via individual donations, corporate contributions, grants, crowdfunding, philanthropic support and strategic partnerships.
However, UMP will also channel a portion of proceeds from selected UMP activities to the fund.
Q. What long-term impact does UMP hope the fund will have on Malawi’s musical heritage?
A. The long-term ambition is to build a credible and sustainable national mechanism for safeguarding Malawi’s musical heritage. The fund seeks to move music heritage from occasional recognition to sustained action, preserving the stories, works and contributions that have shaped Malawi’s musical identity while creating a legacy for generations to come.
