South Africa-based producer Jillz has said that Malawi music has made strides and that it is just a matter of time before it earns its spotlight on the international stage.
Jillz, real name Julio Mijiga, observed that there was a huge improvement in all the music progressions and that it was just a matter of time before the country gets a spot on the international stage.
He commended artists for putting extra effort in their artistry as well as striving for quality, hence many attracting million views on streaming sites, both local and international.
“We have to keep doing what we are doing, I am happy that there are more artists making music now than in the past years,” Jillz said.
He said with genres such as Amapiano taking over, artists have utilised the genre but was quick to point out that there was a need to fuse it with the country’s unique traditional dances.
“For now, we just need to find a way to properly export our talent. Otherwise, there is massive talent on the ground,” Jillz said.
The artist has since announced his tour to kick off in September.
“I am coming home not to stay but just to reconnect with my people and roots; as they say, home is where the heart is.
“After spending some years in South Africa, I have managed to build relationships, establish myself and open doors in the industry but I just felt like something was missing,” he said.
Jillz prides in working with some of the biggest artists in the Rainbow Nation including Cassper Nyovest, Sho Madjozi, Rowlene, Tsegho and Gemini Major.
He also revealed that he signed a publishing deal with Universal Music and has produced three Netflix shows such as Blood and Water, Sjiva and Young Rich and African.
The artist, who has created his own Money Making Music label which he indicated Zeze Kingston is also part of, is set to release part two of an Extended Playlist (EP) titled Mud to Water.
“This is sort of deluxe version. This new version includes new songs. Mud to Water is about how I am evolving from hip-hop to afro-beats. Actually it is a mixture of hip-hop and afro-beats,” he said.
The artist, who studied sound engineering, said his music influence comes from his late father.