Born Afrikan holds on to his ‘roots’
South African-based Malawian reggae artist Born Afrikan represents a rare case in terms of the connections he enjoys with top reggae artists from Jamaica and others of the same origin, but based in the United States of America. Born Afrikan is one of the few African artists that have shared the studio with global reggae icons such as Morgan Heritage, Sizzla Kalonji, Capleton, Luciano, among others. The artist has his record label Nubian House Productions which is responsible for managing his brand. Our Staff Reporter BRIAN ITAI, caught with Born Afrikan where he reflected on his career. Excerpts.
Q
: Who is Born Afrikan the artist?
A
: I was born Nelson Shaba in Malawi. I am a reggae artist who trades under the name Born Afrikan and I am also a business man based in South Africa.
Q
: How was your journey into music?
A
: I started playing music at an early age of five or six at the Sunday School church. The other influence was my uncle who had a band in our village, Elangeni in Mzimba district. The band never used electric equipment at the time. We made guitars out of gallons and drums and percussions were made out of cow skins and bottle tops. That time I had gone to live in the village. When I returned to Blantyre around 1985 I attended a lot of music shows and I realised my passion for music had grown. I participated in ragga competitions at the then popular spot called Jazz Cafe.
Q
: How would you describe your career at this stage?
A
: Not as I wish it would have been.
Q
: Why is the case like that? Any challenges?
A
: Yeah! I don’t get booked for shows that much and that’s where an artist can make money than just relying on record sales. I think is that where I stay reggae music is looked at as a sub-genre and treated as such. I am not the only reggae artist suffering from this problem, but many others are struggling to get bookings as well.
Q
:What are the latest projects that you have worked on?
A
: I just dropped a new album about five months ago titled The Journey.
Q
: How is it doing on the market?
A
: Well, I can say so far so good, especially in the Eastern European countries. Even here within the continent it is doing well.
Q
: What are some of the songs that feature on the album?
A
: New Day features Sizzla Kalonji, Mama Africa features Morgan Heritage, What You Do Features Capleton, I’m a Warrior and Give Thanks & Praise which features Luciano.
Q
:How are these collaborations helping you build your profile?
A
: I think they have helped me in broadening my followership globally and the sales of the project and new ideas.
Q
: How much of a Malawian artist do you consider yourself?
A
: In the same way I consider my citizenship. It doesn’t matter where I am. I remain a Malawian. So anything I do, be it music or any type of achievement, I raise the flag of my country Malawi.
Q
: Have you ever recorded a song in Malawi or featured a fellow Malawian artist?
A
: I recorded some demos back then. Recently I have recorded with Blasto a song which I am hoping will be on my next album.
Q
: How accessible is your music back home?
A
: I don’t print CDs just like most of the modern artists. However, my music is available on all the online stores. You can find it on Spotify, iTunes and almost on all the digital stores.
Q
: Are you satisfied with the inroads your music has made here at home?
A
: It can be better. I am definitely not satisfied.
Q
: You are also known for being an event promoter, how is with that part of your career?
A
: I put that on hold to promote myself Born Afrikan the artist. It is another area of the music industry musicians or anyone interested in making some business should try out. Bearing in mind every business has its challenges.
