Rapper-cum-entrepreneur Hayze Engola looks set to build on his artistic profile after he unveiled a five-piece fragrance collection called Mafioso.
The fragrance brand is in addition to his KNQR fashion cloth line and is comprised of two male and female fragrances and one unisex fragrance.
The Mafioso collection has Black Mink, Blue City, a tribute to Blantyre City, Cosa Nostra, Osivela, a Lhomwe name which means love.
In an interview, Hayze Engola said it is important for artists to create different streams of revenue as times have changed with the music market becoming unpredictable.
“You can’t depend on shows alone. With the Covid-19 situation, performances can be halted anytime and you will have no money coming in. We need to be creative and give our fans more than just sound,” he said.
The singer said the need to have such a product on the Malawian market proved to be his biggest inspiration to introduce Mafioso. He said he is working with a European fragrance house which is providing him with oils that are being mixed in Malawi and manufactured in South Africa.
Hayze Engola said: “KNQR is a lifestyle brand and smelling great is a lifestyle on its own. We want to encourage this lifestyle because of the confidence it brings in people which in turn affects people positively.”
He said apart from Blue City and Osivela which are linked to Malawi, the fragrance collection also contains other Malawian elements in its ingredients such as pine wood and floral scents which are part of the notes they use.
So far the fragrance is available in 15, 30 and 50ml bottles which are available at his KNQR shop in Blantyre. The artist said he will work with different boutiques and shops across the country in marketing the product because they want it to reach the remotest areas.
“The product is currently just being sold in Malawi. The plan is to expand our reach in the near future starting with our neighbouring countries,” he said.
Commenting on the development, coordinator for leading art online platform Mikozi Network Bright ‘Excess’ Chiligo, said the creation is one of his biggest breakthroughs which has underlined his mindset of combining art with business.
He said: “He created KNQR, which is one of the biggest clothing brands in Malawi. I believe with time the fragrance brand will also take over the market.”
