Faith mussa returns

In the early 2000s there used to be a family gospel singing group. The band was popular with a hymn Pokumbukira Mtandawo. It was called Mussa Family.

But one main attraction to the music video that earned a permanent place on Television Malawi then was a young boy who used to play a guitar twice his stature.

While the Mussa Family has disappeared, that boy continues to bring back memories of the lost melodies. Faith Mussa is his name.

Since dropping his first album, Desperate in 2013, Faith has risen to be among the young successful musicians in the country.

Three years later, he dropped a single that arguably forms the main fabric of what the artist represents.

The single Mdidi clearly defined Mussa as an artist.

Transposed in a traditional manganje beat, a dance synonymous with Malawians mostly of Yao descent, the irresistible song in short says ‘it’s trendy to be walking in the light of Jesus Christ’.

Even today, it is one of the hits that find their way on the dance floors of drinking joints.

Now, the song has metamorphosed into other creations forming an album that is set for release in summer.

“My album is coming out in September and another single will be out this June together with a video. However, the title will be communicated soon. The album will have 12 songs and with a mix of languages, predominantly Chichewa, with a blend of English, Yao, Sena, Tumbuka and Igbo,” said Mussa in an interview.

Initially, the album was supposed to be launched in 2017. However, a tight schedule that saw the artist touring Europe, among other activities, resulted in him putting everything on hold.

“A lot of things happened last year. I had several international tours; in UK, Norway and South Africa.

“On top of that, I got a job to write an album for Zathu Band and it took away most of my time,” said Mussa.

Apart from these two time-consuming activities, the artist also got signed to a UK label, Beating Heart. He has since recorded an album in the UK which was finalised last month, ready for launch this October.

In the upcoming album, the artist brings with him a mixture of hands stretching across continents through the involvement of both local and international producers.

“I have recorded it here in Malawi with Sam Mjura Mkandawire, Dali Beats, Janta, Foxxy, and in Nigeria with a guy called Push and also in the UK with my Beating Heart producer, Nico,” said Mussa.

After a successful first album, most artists struggle to maintain their grip. At times, the sound is synonymous with a specific old song and not necessarily a reflection of the direction of the whole album.

How different is this album going to be from Desperate?

“Desperate was my first album. I was trying to find my way and direction. I found it. The next album will have the sound I want to be identified with. I have toured with my new sound and the response has been amazing. I am happy to bring this sound home.

“The new album as you can see has so many hands in it. Desperate was recorded in a room with NP records, Lawi and Peter Mawanga. But I did not give them enough time. This time I took my time with everyone,” said Mussa.

What promotional plans do you have for the album?

We have partnered with the UK label Beating Heart management team to look into the promotion of both albums. We will do it differently and strategically considering that our audience has now diversified; home and abroad.

“The launch will be on September 1. We are not working alone. We have planned to work with professionals in different fields. So people should expect a great launch.

“We have booked at Bingu International Convention Centre [Bicc].

The album has a number of highlights one of which is I have collaborated with talented ‘kids’ from all over Malawi. So during the launch, my sets will have all the collaborators 90% of whom people will not have seen before.

“The Mussa Family Band will perform on the night. I want to take people through my music journey and share an idea of where I am going.

As one of the producers, Mjura ascertains that the album represents quality worthy being featured on the international stage.

“I’ve worked with him on about six songs. His music can do well on the international market as he’s managed to fuse some elements of Malawian traditional music with different styles of music” said Mussa. na