No Malawi music in clubs
Time in most Malawian clubs brings out one sad reality: It is no zone for Malawian music.
Hours on end, spinners kill the night shifting from DJ Cleo through Professor to Orga Family before turning to America for the latest club hits.
DJs, patrons and musicians agree that the trend is worrying, and is contributing to the stunted growth of the Malawi music industry.
DJ Scarper, who mixes and fixes at the Lilongwe hot spot Zanzi, said much as he plays Malawi numbers on radio, it is difficult to play Malawian songs in clubs.
“The biggest problem is that Malawian music is often laden with lamentations. Unless Malawian musicians introduce more club music and dancing tunes with love stories…Stop lamentations,” said the DJ.
Zambian Orga Family’s Orga Kent said Malawian musicians must make their music more enjoyable. According to him, music that is danceable and positive grows in popularity on CD, music videos and club dancefloor.
“It doesn’t matter what language you are singing, but if you make people forget their worries, you can make it into clubs,” said Orga Kent in an interview during a MultiChoice gig dubbed Malawi versus Zambia.
DJ Scarpper picked out a few names whose songs he plays at Zanzi: Maskal, Piksy and Armstrong at the Lilongwe discotheque.
Kennedy Nkombezi, aka DJ Professori, who rolls the vibes in clubs and radio, agrees with Scarpper on Malawian artists who can make it in clubs. He adds Dan Lu, Young Kay, Lucius Banda and Tay Grin to the list.
But, he differs on why Malawian music is not on the club DJ’s list.
“The biggest problem is hatred and jealousy. A fellow Malawian would rather play foreign songs just because they know that if they play and retake your music, they will make you popular,” he said.
Musician Dan Lu said although the trend has been that eight of 10 songs played in a Malawian club are foreign, things are now changing.
“The situation is improving now. For a long time, it has been disheartening that fellow Malawian DJs were shunning our music. I can’t recall when, for one, I got into a club incognito and hear my song being played. It only happened once. Most of the times, when the DJ knows you are in the house, they play one or two of your numbers,” said Dan Lu.
According to him, if the trend continues, Malawian musicians cannot flood the international market.
“In other countries, you can’t play more foreign songs than local ones. You feel that at our weddings, clubs and other places of entertainment,” he said.
