Malawi’s music scene is no stranger to antics by some artists who copy foreign genres and fuse into local music.
In the past two or so years, there has been an increase in South Africa’s amapiano beats and afro-beat sounds which has influenced homogenisation of sound that even the trailblazers were not immune to the seduction of trends.
However, some artists dared to create beyond the familiar tropes. For instance, Eli Njuchi demonstrated the power of storytelling with his hit song Tempolale while Amidu Ellani’s Udikirebe brought to the fore his art of unique perspectives.
This year, will artists prioritise uniqueness over trends and commercial success? Or, will the clichés continue to dominate?
Industry players are calling for a return to artistic integrity.
Seasoned music producer Tapps Bandawe said he expects Malawians to tell the Malawian story from the artistic perspective.
He said: “We have to give amapiano our unique twists and tell our own stories. Unless we do that, our music will only be circulating within Malawi. We have to believe in our sound. Malawi has some of the most genres in Africa such as malipenga and mangolongondo yet we have never incorporated that in our music.
“We think if we copy South African or Nigerian music, we will hit. Yes, it works here, but we cannot export South African music back to South Africa or Nigerian music back to Nigeria. It is important that we do something unique and take it on board.”
Bandawe added that local artists should seek to collaborate with international artists using Malawians sounds.
“It is imperative to hit outside Malawi. We have to give that Malawian vibe to the international sound. When we collaborate with international artists, they should collaborate using our Malawian sounds,” he added.
Hip-hop artist-cum-analyst Evanz Musik expressed his perspective, saying artists should familiarise with critical issues happening across the globe.
“Amapiano and afro beats are like fast food. The genres don’t do well in the long run. Artists should work on developing more knowledge to help their concepts have long-lasting relevance,” he said.
On his part, rhythm house studio producer Macia said artists should seek to go beyond their ability to come up with something great.
But renowned musician Praise Umali highlighted the motivation behind current trends.
He said: “Some artists craft music to make money. So, they make music that will get them to be booked for shows. This year, we might see more of the same.
“Even artists who are just starting the trade try to do something that will grab people’s attention as people listen to almost similar sounds. We are having less and less people who are willing to do something unique as it takes longer to grab people’s attention than trends.”
Umali added that Malawian industry has not achieved a breakthrough with its own unique sounds.
“What most people do is taking different genres from different countries because we are looking for a breakthrough. If we collaborate with international artists, the point is to have a breakthrough. Then we will be able to do something of our own,” he said.
