Research findings have shown that music can play a significant role in promoting the country’s cultural heritage and creating tourism opportunities by exposing the country’s traditions, languages, stories and identity to audiences beyond its borders.
Titled ‘The role of music in furthering cultural ideologies’, the study further shows that culturally centred music can help preserve Malawi’s identity while creating interest in the country’s cultural heritage among potential tourists.
The research, was conducted by local researcher Richard Chilango who used music by Tay Grin, Giddes Chalamanda and Allan Namoko as case studies.
He presented the findings to Tay Grin, also known as Nyau King, during a meet-and-greet in Blantyre last week.
Chilango said Malawi could capitalise on this by deliberately packaging its cultural assets into experiences that visitors can discover and participate in.
He said the creative economy should be viewed as an ecosystem in which artists, venues, businesses and audiences support one another.
“Supporting culture isn’t charity. It is investment in identity, tourism, jobs and the creative economy,” said Chilango.
Reads the study findings in part: “There is need for greater documentation of Malawi’s cultural expressions, such as songs, dances, fashion, oral traditions and other creative works contain valuable cultural knowledge that can contribute to the country’s tourism offering.”
In an interview, Tay Grin said Malawi needed to move beyond simply preserving cultural traditions and start developing them into attractive and commercially viable experiences.
“I want us to build cultural experiences that Malawians are proud to attend and the rest of the world is curious enough to travel here to experience,” he said.
Tay Grin said contemporary music could provide a platform for carrying Malawi’s cultural identity to younger audiences and the international market.
