We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mashallo Samilo. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mashallo below.
Hi Mashallo, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
Taking creative path in our country is a risk for there is no structure of creative industry. We don’t have lucrative music labels hence poor artist management. So most of the times, artists work and save a little to pay for studio fees inclusive of musical players. Good artistic works require financial support for example there was this time that i needed money to travel to Mangochi to fine tune my manuscript of Wokoma Nyasa. I had to save and get a loan to execute my project. And marketing of artistic works is also another challenge as it isn’t easy like sellling food stuff.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Born Mashallo Stewart Samilo on 15th May, 1991 in Zomba, sometimes also known as Mashallo in music circles Malawi. Mashallo Samilo is a blended artist placed between two worlds of Afro Music and Literature. Mashallo started writing his own lyrics at the age of 12 and he first recorded his first single at the age of 16 titled Street Urchins. He released his sophomore album called Welcome to Malawi under French record label, Re reve Africain digitally on 7th December with Smash hits like Chetechete and Dzuwa Lawala Pa Phiri Zomba in his home Country. Mashallo believes in timeless music which is relevant to the society enriching the youth minds with the traditional values of my Country hence connecting my cultural identity to the contemporary World by building music on cross pollination of Malawian Traditional dances. He also cites that Culture and art is a true mirror of Country’s beauty and spiritual well being of it’s people. Mashallo has a big a role to pass down stories from Generation to Generation through Music and Poetry. He regards himself as a custodian of Malawian Music and Literature hence his duty to contribute and document his Traditional genre which embrace cultural values and morality. He creates positive Music which disassemble racial and boarder barriers at the same time sharpening creative spirit in African youth and the World at large.
His Poems have been previously published in his homeland by Malawi News, Malawi Writers Union Sourveinr, UNICEF and in other five countries _ Roots and Routes from Netherlands, Urban Woorden from Belgium, Youth Speaks from USA, Brouhaha International from UK and Word & Sound from South Africa. In 2019, he published his first Poetry Anthology titled Wokoma Nyasa which was successfully launched with the grace of by then Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Honourable Francis Mphiso.
He has released his third album titled Mlimi Wa Tsabola which he collaborated with a Russian artist and he got his two tracks mixed and mastered in the USA by Lane Gilbson Recordings.
He has also published his second poetry anthology with Dr. Benedicto Wokomaatani Malunga, an anthology titled THE RISING VOICES.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Our societyneeds to support local talents. Musicians and writers are custodians our culture and heritage, they compose works which give true identity of our nation and they represent us on global level hence exporting our culture to the world through music and literature. Society needs to study and understand local literature before venturing into foreign literature. We need to decolonise our creative space. Govenment needs also to introduce policies that support local talents by buying the quality art works in bulky and creating a conducive market for artists in Malawi.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
The beauty of my culture and family drive me to create more art works. I also draw my inspiration from nature alone hence travelling to Chitipa- Nyika National Park, Likoma Island, Zomba mountain, Mulanje mountain, sailing on fresh waters of lake Malawi and not forgeting Cape Maclear. In short travelling in new places stirs my creative mill. On another note, i speak for the voiceless and compose works that will illuminate the world about climate change, corruption and other malpractices that needs to be addressed and stopped.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.google.com/search?q=mashallo+samilo&oq=&aqs=chrome.0.35i39i362l8.1910561j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samilomashallo/
- Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/mashallos
- Twitter: https://x.com/Mashallo
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E-Ak8VM2EU
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/mashallosamilo
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5HZgbEaRIiPFuXoRSpij8f
Image Credits
Tiwale Records