In 2015, an 18-year-old boy from Chirimba Township in Blantyre announced his arrival on the music scene courtesy of a chart-toping single titled Chilawe.
His name is Black Nina and the song was a collaboration with chief lyrist Nepman. The seamless flow of the song and the synergy between them was a marvel.
Away from the quality of the song, a controversy regarding the ownership of the song ensued between Black Nina and Nepman. The former somehow felt his colleague was riding on the song’s success.
That development also meant that the name of Black Nina stayed as part of the conversation longer. Luckily, after a prolonged misunderstanding, a truce was reached between them and Chilawe remains a hit among many music fans.
“I started my flirtations with music in 2000. After years working on my craft, my breakthrough came in 2015 following the release of Chilawe. The success of that song marked the beginning of other successful collaborations,” Black Nina told Chill in an interview on Wednesday.
The artist said his career is inspired by personal experiences and observation while riding on a desire to create meaningful and impactful music.
Along the way, Black Nina has done other notable collaborations with other artists such as Eli Njuchi, Hilco, Sangie and Piksy.
The Blantyre-based artist has also brought to the fore another artistic side. The musician has shown how he is multifaceted by starring in the Usova television drama series, a brainchild of fellow musician Piksy.
The pinnacle of his acting career came in 2023 when he was decorated with the Actor of the Year Award during the Filmmakers Association of Malawi Awards. However, his devotion to acting put his music career in the backburner and Black Nina took a big hit.
He said: “I am grateful that I am blessed with multiple talents. However, dividing my attention between acting and music proved challenging.
“Now I have decided to focus on music as both need time and dedication.”
After the brief hiatus, Black Nina, born Thokozani Masona, announced his was shifting to solo projects to strengthen his brand and showcase his artistic growth.
Following that shift, Black Nina released three singles; Machenje in 2023, followed by Halo in March last year and most recently, the trending hit Anemwe.
The latest release is his first project under his newly established record label Khezeni Movement.
“Over the past 10 years, I have performed at many evets, worked with a lot of talented artists and learnt a lot. Now, I have my own label, a platform I believe will create new and exciting music,” said Black Nina.
His efforts to re-establish his name at the top appear to have met some luck following the growing popularity of his new release Anemwe. The song has reminded music fans of the talent he has. The humour in the narrative and video is equally spellbinding.
He said of the song: “The idea came from a true story. What is surprising is how people are relating to what happened to Anemwe [a slang for brother]. It shows Anemwe’s experience is a common occurrence. It is a valuable lesson that we can all learn from.”
Piksy has had the privilege of working with Black Nina on both fronts as a musician and actor. He has paid tribute to Black Nina’s impressive work ethic.
“He is undeniably talented under both hats. He knows what he wants and I am sure one day he will achieve that goal,” said Piksy.
