1000HZ (1000 hertz*) label is proud to announce the 4th album of the DIGITAL INDIGENOUS series that features DJ Kapwanhti from the Southern Region of Malawi. We got contacted by 1000HZ label founders Piotr Dang Cichocki and Thuy Duong Dang. Their new EP is by DJ Kapwanhti whose innovative and positive energy beats immediately got us.
*The tone at 1000Hz was formerly used to calibrate audio equipment because it is at the center of what humans hear.
1000HZ’s new imprint Digital Indigenous presents local producers from all over the world who utilize simple digital tools to create thrilling mixes of electronic and traditional music – either pop or avant-garde oriented. Keeping with the character of the music, the series is released in a form of digital files.
The fourth album of the series features DJ Kapwanhti – Lomwe from the Southern Region of Malawi. DJ Kapwanthi, whose real name is Raphael Tim runs the multimedia studio in his hometown Zomba (the former capital of Malawi). Like his colleague DJ Kainga (previously featured in Vol.2 of the series), he champions the Lomwe beat style, which is highly appreciated in local bars, clubs, and markets.
DJ Kapwanthi’s creativity pushed him to mix sound and visual media: he cuts and re-edits fragments of Malawian and other African movies, dialogues recorded in the studio to produce musical narratives, somewhere between club beat and radio-play (“MP4MP3”, “AVIMP3”, “MOVMP3”). This combination is symptomatic of current East African media sensibility, which appreciates the mix between styles, media, and traditions. Other songs are written in the style of educational poetry, that reflects the relations between genders in the Lomwe community („Wachitaya Chikond Changa (He Has Lost My Love)“, „Ndikakwatile Kubala (I Will Get Married and Give Birth)“.
Mosque in Malawi, Wikipedia
Musically, the record is based on Lomwe rhythms rearranged mostly in FruityLoops (FL Studio), with melodies based on local songs and instruments from the region (Sansi). This style is valued in Southern Malawi, where DJ Kapwanthi’s music is widely distributed by WhatsApp users and mp3 vendors. Raphael Tim in his everyday life is a humble man, running a small studio and being respected in his community for his production skills.
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DJ Kapwanthi in his studio
◓ You can follow more of 1000HZ records on Bandcamp or SoundCloud. If you want to dig deeper into the music of Malawi, you can check out the local Music From Malawi blog and songs database ◓
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