Reggae on the rise
Late Evison Matafale was one legendary artist that made Malawian reggae music cool.
He brought hope that Malawian reggae music could once again make it to international charts like Kalimba’s Sometimes I Wonder and Song Worth Singing did in the 80s.
When he died at the peak of his career in 2001, the flicker of hope almost vanished.
But the dream of putting Malawian reggae music on the map did not die with Matafale. There are still artists working hard to keep that dream alive.
Riise is one such artist.
Born in 1981 in Mangochi , Nicholas Tselingas adopted the stage name Riise in 2000 when he started performing hip hop while at Central High School.
It was easy for Tselingas to venture into the art as he was already a passionate poet who turned his poems into songs.
“As a poet back then, I had this dream of becoming a musician. Then I transformed some of my poems into reggae songs. The songs have been refined through the years,”
The artist debuted with a 12-track album Love Packet in 2012 with Zion Is For Real as his first single from the album.
Last year, the artist released Fever, an album whose songs have enjoyed airtime on local radio and television stations.
The artist is already working on a third album True Soul which is due this year.
Meanwhile, Riise has released two promotional songs Matters of the Heart and Through the Night.
The style of the artist rests in between the continuum of lovers’ rock reggae to roots reggae music.
In Matters of The Heart, the artist talks to his lover with poetic romantic verses.
It is a song that screams influence from renowned Jamaican reggae artist Bob Marley.
Riise leads the song with a velvety voice while being backed by a female vocalist—together creating a harmony worth listening to.
In Through the Night the persona expresses his urge to take his lover through the night. Although he spent a whole afternoon with the lover, he still feels the need to be with her throughout the night.
The artist confesses idolizing Sizzla Kalonji for his versatility and ability to switch styles.
“From way back I used to listen to Sizzla’s songs; it was his dexterity that inspired me to do music,” said Riise.
The artist, who says he has seen growth in his career, wants to make it big in the music industry.
“Because of my complexion, people do not believe I am Malawian; they think I am a Jamaican artist.
“But I bring in some Chichewa in some of the songs just to clear that. I want as much as possible to be identified as a Malawian,” said the musician.
