UMP to honour Vic Marley, Black Life
Urban Music Party (UMP) will hand fallen dancehall hitmaker Vic Marley his first posthumous award for popularising urban music in the country.
The Hii Hoo star will receive the Life Time Achiever along with other movers and shakers during UMP festival slated for July 27 at Blantyre Arts Centre (formerly French Cultural Centre)
“Until his tragic death on 24th May 2005, Marley was arguably the first local urban artist to have crossover appeal in Malawi,” UMP says in a press statement issued this week.
Marley’s music—from the album Mau Anga to collaborations with self-styled dancehall king Anne Matumbi—was popular across the country, thanks to his Hii Hooo signature. However, the genre has been in free-fall as his brother Star Marley struggles to reprocess the style.
Also up for the honours is Black Life, a collection of rap groups from Kanjedza, Blantyre, which started in the early 1990s. Its membership included Black 4 Boyz, Young Black Niggas, FOQ and Trio Niggas. Previous winners include Dynamike (Michael Munthali) and former Miss Malawi Faith Chibale.
Apart from miniature trophies, the awardees will go away with prizes from Airtel Money and UMP Festival. Other sponsors include GOtv and Star Radio.
