International tours for local artists

Fellow music lovers, I have observed that our local musicians are trying hard to make it not only on the local scene but also on the international scene.

Granted, being ambitious is a good thing. But I feel the way some of our musicians are going about their ambitions is wrong. Why am I saying this? Because some of our musicians are rushing things. Many are rushing to have ‘international shows’ or exposure before they have even earned respect of local fans.

Local fans are crucial in helping local artists adjudge if their music is tasteful or not. If an artist fails to command a following locally, his/her music does not sell and his/her shows do not attract impressive crowds. To say without beating about the bush what it means here is something about that particular artist’s music is not right. At times it can be about the artist branding, how his team (if any at all) is managing and selling him to the music consumers.

But of late we have seen a number of our local artists rushing to stage international shows where they are least known. Most of the times it is at the invitation of a handful Malawians who are, say, staying in Ireland and have missed home music. They make collections of some monies that can be used to organise the artist’s travelling and upkeep while there. As you can see here, the musical aspect is already defeated.

If it were that these are musical tours I would say there is nothing wrong with trying to expand one’s fan base. But I believe before doing it, an artist need to do their ground work so that they do not embarrass themselves or the nation.

And when one studies the venues where the so called international shows take place in the foreign land, one can agree with me that it is usually small rooms filled with Malawians living in those countries that attend the shows!

If one can call this an international show then I am afraid, our local artists have a long way to go. Last year one of the country’s local stars Patience Namadingo told The Nation newspaper that he is in no rush to start tackling international market because there is a lot that he has to explore locally.

Namadingo reasoned that he felt Malawi still has a lot to offer him in terms of a bigger fan base before he ventures outside. “I want to conquer Malawi first,” Namadingo said. So if an artist of Namadingo’s calibre who is one of the top artists can take his time preparing for the giant leap, what more of other artists who fail to even attract impressive crowds locally?

What I am trying to say is local artists should borrow a leaf from international artists who come here to perform.

Before they come here, they make sure that they are popular enough and book venues that are big enough for a large crowd. On top of it all, these international artists come here with pomp and well prepared so that when they jump on stage we feel their presence and special skills. Artists like Jah Prayzah, Luciano and Morgan Heritage come to mind. This is what we call international shows.

But what do we get when our artists go outside the country? Performances in small bars and eateries with Malawians living in that country! I think this is what rushing things is all about. Malawian artists need to take their time to grow, make the right moves to link up with proper promoters, get prepared artistically and then make the giant move.

So far Faith Mussa and Zathu Band have impressed by being part of the artists that performed at the London Lake of stars. For the majority who tell us about their ‘international shows’ I feel it is not only an embarrassment but also a waste of energy......unless if the main aim is ‘kukawona kunja’