Briton sells Malawi music on global market
London-based producer, John Tobin, has partnered Salima-based The Umoza Music Project in his efforts to promote and sell local music at the international market.
Tobin, who was born at Blantyre Adventist Hospital and grew up in England, has since constructed a multi-million kwacha recording studio at Senga Bay in Salima to enable the project realise its goal of recording and selling music to the rest of the world.
The project has since seen the release of an album, Let Them Speak. The album was released on nub music in 2015.
Tobin said that the album is a fusion of world music and got airplay and newspaper coverage around the world.
“The project’s Facebook page, featuring behind-the-scenes footage of the songwriting and recording process in Malawi and the United Kingdom, has 14,000 likes, with many fans in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia,” he said.
He added that the project has developed a worldwide fan base across an incredible 45 countries, thanks to social media and global streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, attracting music lovers from New Zealand to Nepal, the United States, South America, Europe, Caribbean, Australia and the Far East.
“The success of the band’s 2015 album funded the building of a new studio production centre on the banks of Lake Malawi in Senga Bay. The Umoza Studio now offers music recording and video production services to other musicians, from solo acts to church choirs – many of whom stay at the studio while recording,” Tobin said.
Founder and band leader, Max Jere, said he expects the band to spend part of the proceeds to contribute towards efforts to uplift the living standards of the poor in the country.
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