|
|
|
|
| Entertainment |
| Local charts credible — radios |
|
by
Aubrey Mchulu, 27 February 2004
-
14:07:10
|
Recent years have seen the proliferation of private radio stations in the country as well as a boom in the music industry where nearly every week one hears a new song or two on the air waves.
Before the dawn of multiparty democracy in 1993, names associated with music in the country were Alleluyah Band, Makasu, Kalimba, Love Aquarius, Gas Machine Head, Robert Fumulani, Dr. Daniel Kachamba, Saleta Phiri and Giddes Chalamanda, just to mention a few.
But with the freedom of expression that came with multiparty democracy, names like Billy Kaunda, Mlaka Maliro, the late Evison Matafale, Lucius Banda, Anthony Makondetsa, Coss Chiwalo, Charles Nsaku and Joseph Nkasa came onto the scene.
In an apparent response to calls for more airtime for local music, the frequency modulated (FM) wave radio stations, which played more rhythm and blues, pop and hip-hop tunes, introduced ‘local music top charts.’
For instance, Power FM 101 on Saturday features ‘Music Avenue Top 20’ for top 10 selling local albums and also top 10 popular hits from yet-to-be-released albums. MBC Radio 2 FM also parades the ‘Malawi Top 20’ chart from midday on Sunday for popular local hits.
While these efforts to promote local music through such programmes are commendable, many have questioned the credibility of the charts.
In the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, “Top 10” is defined as a collection of ten most popular pop records each week. This, in the developed world, is based on data from record companies and stores.
But, Malawi has no record companies and in this case, who comes up with the ‘top’ local hits charts? Are the charts credible and a reflection of the situation on the ground?
In response to these questions, MBC Radio 2 FM said it has a committee called the Malawi Cultural Music Promotion Bureau which compiles a list from the latest releases based on melodies, instrumentation, message content and the beat.
Martin Chilimampunga, who is the coordinator of the Bureau, said MBC introduced the ‘Malawi Top 20’ in 1999 to promote local music, find a beat that can be associated with Malawi music and create competition among musicians.
Chilimampunga said he believes the chart is credible and reflects the situation on the ground because other criteria used to just the songs is listeners’ choice in different programmes on both MBC radio one and two.
“To a certain extent, we have managed to achieve our goal because musicians have made an effort to come up with traditional beats and daily we receive not less than five audio CDs,” he said.
He said his radio’s chart is also credible because listeners have previously voted the programme number one in Entertainers of the Year and it is also fully sponsored.
FM 101 ‘Music Avenue Top 20’ producer and presenter Patrick Kamkwatira said his show is “an album chart” based on sales of albums from local wholesalers O.G. Issa’s Consumer Electronic Services.
Kamkwatira said ‘Music Avenue Top 20’ is credible and reflects the situation on the ground in terms of which artists the public is listening to most and which albums are doing well on the market.
“Every Saturday morning we get the figures and I can say without fear or contradiction that the figures are up-to-date because whoever is selling local music in Nkhotakota, Karonga or Nsanje ordered from Consumer Electronics,” he said, adding that even the Copyright Society of Malawi get figures from O.G. Issa.
On his part, Afri-Music manager Laurent Kamulete, whose company is the local music distribution arm of O.G. Issa’s Consumer Electronic Services, shared Kamkwatira’s views that FM 101 sources statistics from the company.
“At the end of every month, we are able to say how many tapes for each artists have been distributed and we assume that the records reflect the demand in the outlets,” he said.
But Kamulete admitted that the system is not without flaws in that it is possible for a particular artist’s albums to be on high demand in terms of orders by outlets while at the same time, old stock by a different artist is selling more.
FM 101, MBC Radio 2 and Afri-Music have explained the procedures and, from the look of things, the issue of credibility is debatable but one thing that stands out is that the music charts are promoting local music.
Last Week’s Top 5
FM 101
1. Dorothy — Mlaka Maliro
2. Wanga Yemweyo — Fuggie Kasipa
3. Nkhope —Joseph Nkasa
4. Gwiritsa Mawu — Raymond ‘Wayu’ Chiwayula
5. Ndampeza Yesu — Pastor Hastings Salanje
MBC Radio 2 FM
1. Chiphazi — Charles Nsaku
2. Amalawi Makono Kaya — Vincent Jones Mdeza
3. Kugona Ndekha — Fuggie Kasipa
4. Anajere — Ben Michael
5. Banja Langa Latha —Monty Louis & Hot Mavembe
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
