Music Crossroads Malawi has, over the years, earned a reputation as one of the country’s leading talent development hubs and has produced some of the finest artists on the national and international stage.
One cannot talk of talents such as singer Maggie Kadrum, The Daughters Band, Sife Malawi and many other artists without mentioning Music Crossroads Malawi.
From singers and instrumentalists to dancers and other creative performers, the platform has remained consistent in identifying and nurturing raw talent into refined art.
Its impact has been visible across Malawi’s creative landscape, where many of its alumni continue to make strides.
But while the spotlight has often shone on artists from urban centres, a vast pool of talent in rural areas has largely remained untapped.
It is this gap that Music Crossroads is now targeting through a new initiative Rural Voices Amplified, designed to identify and nurture emerging artists from rural areas.
Supported by the Copyright Fund, the initiative will focus on fishing out rural talent in four districts of Machinga, Dowa, Ntchisi and Likoma.
Music Crossroads programmes manager Angela Zulanga said the initiative seeks to address the challenge and ensuring that opportunities are not concentrated in cities only.
She said while talent may be found everywhere, many artists in rural areas do not have access to resources that can help them fully expose their skill.
“The programme is crucial because a lot of people in rural areas have talent but they do not have the platform or facilities to showcase it,” said Zulanga.
She noted that the disparity between rural and urban artists goes beyond talent, saying it extends to knowledge, exposure and access to markets.
“An artist in urban area can easily go to Copyright Society of Malawi [Cosoma] to sell their music and generate income, but someone from a rural area may not have that knowledge, which is what we are planning to provide,” she said.
Through the project, selected participants will be brought to Lilongwe where they will take part in a seven-day intensive residency at the Music Crossroads Academy.
The programme will combine practical training with real industry exposure that will see participants will record music in professional studios and work with experienced producers.
They will also receive mentorship and guidance from industry experts, including critical areas such as copyright, royalties, branding and distribution.
Zulanga said the institution has the capacity to deliver such training and ensure that the participants get the exposure they need to promote their craft.
“We do have the capacity to help these artists become who they should be. The organisation has been in the industry for a long time, so we are professionals in what we do,” she said.
MCM director Matthews Mfune said the initiative is also a reflection of the growing role of structured funding in strengthening the creative industry.
“We applaud the Malawi Government, through the Cosoma, for establishing the Copyright Fund which is supporting many initiatives and helping artists develop their talents,” he said.
Mfune noted that for a long time, artists have struggled to access financial support to bring their ideas to life.
He expressed confidence that the project will have a lasting impact, particularly for young people who are artists in underserved communities.
“We are happy that our project has been selected from among many that applied. We believe this support will not go to waste, but will instead benefit many young people, especially those in rural areas. Most of the times, artists in rural areas lack the same opportunities as those in urban centres,” said Mfune.
Through the initiative, he said, the organisation is deliberately taking opportunities to the people who need them most so that they are supported as artists.
Beyond the immediate benefits, there is optimism that Rural Voices Amplified could trigger wider change within the industry.
“We believe the results from this initiative will attract more sponsorship and funding, as well as inspire new ideas to expand what we are currently doing. We see this not as a one-off project, but as a sustainable initiative that can continue growing,” said Mfune.
Musicians from Machinga, Likoma, Dowa and Ntchisi are currently encouraged to apply for Rural Voices Amplified from now.
