History of Music in Malawi

Historically, the music of Malawi has been influenced through its triple cultural heritage from the British, American and African. The people of Malawi have been long travelers and settler workers and as a result, their music has reach throughout the African continent and mixed with other music types.

source of picture: www.andiamotrust.org

One of the prime historical reasons of the Malawian musical melting pot was during the World War II, when soldiers took music to distant places and also brought them back. After the end of the war, banjo and guitar duos were the greatest famous form of dance bands. Both of the instruments were imported. The people of Malawi that are working in the mines in South Africa and Mozambique also led to mixture and combination in music patterns, giving rise to music patterns like Kwela.

Throughout the colonial era, Malawi saw to the rise of very few popular singers due to the oppressive colonial administration of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. One of the singers was Tony Bird a folk rock singer-songwriter who was born in Nyasaland and performed anti-colonial music about the life of Malawians for regular colonial era. His music explains the combination of Malawian and Dutch, and Afrikaner customs. His renowned style led to tour with Ladysmith Black Mambazo in the 1980s.

Throughout the Banda years (the post colonialism), a lot of Malawian artists could not express their artwork due to the repression of the arts in Malawi. The domination and control in music was largely due to the lyric of the political, controversial or sexual nature in a largely conservative country and this led to few internationally popular musicians going into the international arena from 1964 to 1994. Music throughout this era was limited to praising Kamuzu Banda and non-political, non-controversial messages. After the multiparty elections, though, many musicians could now practice their art openly and Malawians music started to increase and develop into the music forms that can be heard coming out of Malawi now.

Since the fall of Banda administration from 1994 onwards, the country has seen a constant increase in its music industries and in its local stars. Due to the era of music suppression many of Malawi’s modern and up-and-coming musicians are young. Musicians such as Young Kay are being supported by the veterans in the industry and are working together to give Malawian music a different modern identity.

Many local musicians are also doing headway internationally. Current popular international musicians from Malawi are Esau Mwamwaya, Lucius Banda, Wambali Mkandawire and Tay Grin.