The year 2023 was one of the busiest for the music industry. Malawians saw local musicians record new music, as well as collaborate with fellow Malawians and foreign artists. The year also saw some artists release albums. Sadly, it was also the year that Malawi lost some of her brightest stars such as Atoht Manje, Thomas Chibade and Tremour. Our arts editor EDITH GONDWE sat down with MUM president Vita Chirwa to reflect on the year just ended. Excerpts:
Q
: We have just finished the year 2023. On the music scene, how do you think musicians fared in terms of sales, productions and live performances?
A
: In the year 2023 we saw a number of local musicians making impressive inroads with their compositions, which have been popular not only in Malawi, but also across the region. This is great. Their hard work and seriousness when recording music and executing their performances is paying off and is certainly reassuring us that we are heading in the right direction. When we look at live performances, we can confidently say Malawian musicians have been impressive. I think slowly, local music is coming of age.
Q: This year we have seen some notable musicians releasing albums despite CD sales being a thing of the past. How are musicians managing to get something out of their sweat?
A
: CDs are, indeed, phasing out, but that has not stopped some musicians from releasing their body of work on CDs. I have seen some resorting to selling their music on flash drives signalling moving with technology. However, online music selling is the way to go whether we like it or not and it is refreshing to see that the majority of our musicians are embracing the same.
Q: As we soldier on into the year 2024, what are some of the key things that you as a union would like to happen in the music industry?
A
: We appreciate the government’s support in coming up with different initiatives for artists. These include Malawian Artists Welfare Fund, whereby artists pay an annual fee, which entitles them to get a lump sum in times of need. However, what we would really love to see is the National Arts and Heritage Council Bill tabled in Parliament and passed. We feel if the Nahec Bill passes it would provide most of the answers to our current problems.
Q: What are some of the highlights of the past year in the music industry?
A
: We saw a number of big concerts whereby local artists shared the stage with international artists with big names and exposure and our local artists gained a lot of experience and exposure in the process.
We also heard a number of international collaborations which introduced several local artists to a wider audience outside Malawi.
Q:Do you have any final remarks?
A
: We hope to shift into high gear in 2024 and try to make it a bigger and better year for musicians in the country.
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