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| Entertainment |
| Khwiliro: Man behind Nkasa’s top-selling cut |
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by
Jack McBrams, 22 August 2003
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13:18:16
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It is upon reading the sleeve of “Phungu” Joseph Nkasa’s new album Tigwirane Manja that one learns that the chart-busting cut was not produced by the big-timers in the game but by a little known William “Widz” Khwiliro.
Music enthusiasts will be surprised that there is no mention of the production wizardly of such star producers as Chuma Soko, J.J Munthali, Joseph Tembo, Collen Ali or even the now legendary Paul Banda who appear on almost every album on the street today.
No default. Not at all.
Khwiliro is a mere 17-year-old and younger brother to musician Diwa. The young man seems to be on his way towards joining the ranks of the cream of music producers in the country — that is if the success of Tigwirane Manja is anything to go by.
“It was Diwa who taught me how to play the keyboards,” says Khwiliro of his elder brother, a former keyboardist for the award-winning House of Lions Band and the now-defunct Imagez.
Khwiliro’s first major band group was Slashers. Later, he moved on and started playing with Young Generations and San B.
The talent of the young man — a Form Four student at Chichiri Secondary School in Blantyre — was soon spotted by gospel musician Yussuf Jussa who had just opened Golden Studios at Ndirande New Lines. Jussa coaxed the young man into the art of studio production.
Khwiliro’s first cooperation with Nkasa was on the star’s previous album Wayenda Wapenga. He had done the drum programming and played the melodies.
He is also the one who recorded Kusamvera, a single by Nkasa which is in O.G. Issa’s 50th anniversary album.
Khwiliro played the keyboards in Diwa’s latest album Chibale recorded at Pro-Sounds Studio and produced Katemba Kamlepo’s album. He is currently producing Fuggie Kasipa’s third album and a single by San B at Firemix Studio.
“My future lies in the studio and my ambition is to produce big artists like Billy Kaunda and Lucius Banda,” he said.
Although it is his first love, he says music does not come in the way of his studies.
“I don’t let music disturb my school work. I do music when I am off school,” he said.
The young producer encourages cooperation between people at the controls and musicians.
“I like producers who listen to the musicians. There are some musicians who have brilliant ideas but because the producer does not want to listen, the end result is that they damage or change the music. As was the case with me and Nkasa, he brought forward some ideas and we refined them. That is why his music has not changed touch,” Khwiliro said.
But he cautions musicians: “People should be ready when they come to record. They should thoroughly rehearse their music and vocals because some of the voices that we listen to in the studios are very bad.
“People should not just rush to record. They should first work on their music. And my appeal to my fellow producers is that they should not just record anyone. They should set some standards. They should turn away the bad artists.”
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