The first cohort of the Kwathu Upgrade Project selected 10 Creatives from different sectors of the Malawi Music Industry to undergo multiple Workshops. In no particular order, here they are:
GrisVer, DJ/Producer
GrisVer is an Artist, DJ, Producer, and Sound Engineer who has been making music for 8 years. He is inspired by a myriad of things but attributes most of it to Video games and Movies and his natural ability to draw inspiration from random events and occurrences around his life.
GrisVEr aspires to perform at the biggest EDM festivals, specifically Ultra Music Festival in Miami, and Tomorrowland in Belgium.
I also plan to win a Grammy Award for Best Electronic Album very soon!
GrisVer
Thandeka, Events Organiser
Thandeka Lizi is an events organiser, theatre practitioner, actress, and director. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities degree at Chancellor College. She is inspired by brilliant women who are trailblazers and aspires to play a big role in the development of the Malawian creative industry.
Episodz, Artist
William Phoya is a Hip-Hop artist professionally known as Episodz. He has been in the music industry for 6 years and is inspired by the art of music – its universal language and how it transcends humanity regardless of race, gender, or age. He aspires to become one of the best Hip-Hop acts to ever be exported from Malawi.
Tiya, Artist
Tiya Joan is a Christian Rapper, Singer, Spoken Word Artist, and Producer. She has been making music since 2011 but released her first project, an EP titled Walking Shoes, on June 29th, 2020. Tiya uses her music and poetry as a form of self-expression and she is inspired by daily life, her struggles, and her personal relationship with God.
Tiya aspires to reach a wider audience internationally with her music and poetry all while staying true to herself.
Yang, Artist
Yang Chitika is a vocalist, guitarist, and session guitarist. Outside of music, he is an ICT expert/consultant. He has been playing the guitar since 2008 and a vocalist since childhood. He has a music school called FrestsSchoolofGuitars where he teaches and he aspires to train as many guitarists as he possibly can by 2024.
Yang is inspired by artists like Code Sangala, Asa, Erik Paliani, Ernest Ikwanga, and Jonathan Buttler.
Mirriam Nkosi, Artist
Mirriam Nkosi is a Singer, Songwriter, Social Worker, and Social Entrepreneur. Since her first debut performance in 2018, Mirriam has been writing songs and performing on different stages. she released her first body of work earlier this year (2021).
Mirriam is inspired by life and its complexities and uses that to tell stories through her music. She aspires to continue staying true to herself and make music that transcends time.
Cap10, Producer
Allain Chidzanja, professionally known as Cap10, is an Independent multi-talented Artist whose passion for music grew when he learned how to produce music using different software.
So far in his career, Cap10 has worked with Faith Mussa, Bucci, Tay Grin, Raphael Loopro, Piksy, and DJ Cosmo – just to mention a few.
Having gone on multiple tours and and being awarded the opportunity to work with indistry giants in Africa and around the world, my greatest goal is to make music at a greater scale than I am at right now
Cap10
Joseph, Talent Manager
Joseph Taonga Chitekwere, also known as Jaytc, holds a Bachelor of Social Science in Information and Communication Technology degree from MZUNI and is the founder of reggae265 an exclusively Malawian reggae and dancehall streaming platform.
Joseph is inspired by the belief that people are limitless and they can achieve anything they set their minds to especially when given the chance to innovate and create.
Joe Kellz, Artist
Kelvin Jonathan Pangani, popularly known as Joe Kellz, is a singer, songwriter, and pianist. He has been active in the music industry for 6 years and he aspires to become a household name in the entertainment industry. He is inspired by his art and his ability to entertain people.
Natty, Talent Manager
Natty Magwira is the co-founder of Umatha Daily – an entertainment company that deals with digital content creation, marketing, and branding. He is currently working with Black Thunder Music as a Talent Manager.
Natty has been in the music industry since 2019 and his aspiration is to grow his company, Umatha Daily, to become the best entertainment platform in Africa.
The Kwathu Upgrade Project launched on November 20th, 2021 at Mingle Complex in Lilongwe.
