The history of popular music in Malawi, 1891 to 2007: a preliminary communication

Abstract

The first task here is to make a very difficult distinction between what we could term popular music, on one hand, and what could be classed as 'sacred, serious, spiritual or solemn' (SSSS) music, on the other, in the Malawi context. In most Malawi cultures, music is integrated in most aspects of every day life. The distinction is all the more difficult given the way popular and socio-political cultures have appropriated music from the 'sacred, serious, spiritual and solemn'. The definition of popular music as: Expressions carried out by the masses in contrast to both modem elitist and 'tribal' culture (Fabian, 1997:18) would not, in the Malawi context, be entirely accurate since 'tribal culture' includes a lot that is 'sacred, serious, spiritual and solemn'. In any case, some elitist music, like Beethoven's Fifth and Charlie Parker's Koko, are quite popular. In Malawi cultures, entertainment often co-exists with the 'sacred, serious, spiritual and solemn', as in rites of passage exit ceremonies and popular music is usually allied to dance (kubvina). This socio-historical paper traces aspects of popular music between 1891, when Malawi became a British protectorate and 2007. I define popular music as 'that music which is freely or publicly accessible to all participants and audiences without transgressing cultural, religious or other taboos which restrict that music to closed and circumscribed participation and audiences'. Malawi popular music was/is communal; the concept of composer and royalty entitlement for popular music only became formalised as recently as 1988 (with the 1988 Copyright Act). In the past popular musical melodies were merely recycled to carry new messages.

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