Tiwonge Hango eyes international

“I want to sing for Malawi, but I must not confine myself to the Malawian audience,” Afro-jazz artist Tiwonge Hango tells Chill of his dream to break into the international music scene.

This has been his driving philosophy ever since he made his debut on the professional music scene in 2002 when Tikhu Vibrations won the Music Crossroads Competition which enabled them the tour Europe.

After releasing his first solo album Chinyengo—produced by none other than his mentor Wambali Mkandawire—Hango has kept his promise with a new video Thyola, released this week ahead of his yet-to-be-named album.

“I want my music to represent Malawi internationally. I am fusing traditional with international elements to give an identity to our music,” he says.

This is evident in Chinyengo, which he released in 2009 after returning from the UK where he had gone to study for a Diploma in Popular Music and Sound Technology.

Chinyengo, mixed and mastered by Gavin Eckhart in South Africa, is predominantly a fusion of gule wamkulu, honala, mbotoska and chilimika with international elements.

Songs such as Mama Africa and Mutuvwa Waka are such good examples.

Hango says Thyola has followed the same philosophy, only that this time he has fused traditional with urban elements to create a danceable Afro-beat, which is different from the Afro-jazz in Chinyengo.

One thing distinguishing this video, shot by Wanangwa Msowoya, is that he has employed some level of ‘seriousness and maturity,’ proving that he is moving towards his goal of representing Malawi on the international scene.

He says he has spent K1 million in the production of the video. It has also taken him six months to complete production.

All this is reflected in the quality of the video. It is set in Mzuzu and Lilongwe, with captivating scenes shot in an aircraft, limousine and other posh cars.

The selection of characters has also added value to his video. It features a model Maggie Mendesi as the main female character.

The dancers are a selection of the best in Mzuzu.

This is the journey Hango, born in 1987, started when he was only six years old.

“On the way from school I used to make music from tin cans I collected from rubbish dumps. I made some progress when a family friend, Gill Hunter (now his executive producer) gave me a keyboard,” he explains.

That was his turning point.

He then formed a group with his mother and his older brother Khumbo (now his manager) called Tikhu Gospel Singers which later evolved into Tikhu Vibrations.

As a lead vocalist with Tikhu, he won Music Crossroads Competition in Southern Africa.

The prize was a tour of Sweden. They later toured England and Scotland.

The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts trained Hango thinks this is his time to break into the African music scene.

“As an artist, I am eyeing an international market. At the same time, I am also widening up my local audience,” he says of his upcoming album.

Hango says he has completed seven songs of his upcoming album which he says will be released by August.

“Most of these songs are a fusion of traditional with urban elements. The idea is to tap into the urban generation while at the same time not leaving out my old fans,” he says.

The album is being produced in Blantyre by Percy ‘Pro Pee’ Manyozo and Tricky Beats.

“I am working with Percy because he is a genius at urban music while I’m good at tradition music. Our combination will help get the kind of music I want,” says Hango, the Musicians Association of Malawi up-and-coming artist of 2013.

Hango says it is important for musicians to move with the times because music is dynamic.

“Music has changed so much that as artists we need to move with it,” he advises.

Thyola is his second promotion video after Chifukwa Cha Iwe which was released last year.