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The Documentary: The Malawi tapes

Park Town Band

24/11/2019 GMT

The Malawi tapes

BBC World Service - The Documentary, The Malawi tapes

Preserving the treasure trove of traditional harmonies, rhythms and instruments of Malawi

Preserving the treasure trove of traditional harmonies, rhythms and instruments of Malawi.

A race is on to save thousands of tapes of traditional Malawian music in danger of disintegrating in the archives of state broadcaster, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation.  

The old reel-to-reel tapes date back to the 1930s, '40s, '50s and '60s and were recorded in towns and villages all over Malawi and in the MBC studios. The folk songs, traditional chants, dances and contemporary music of the time all provide a snapshot of Malawi’s social and musical history. 

One of Malawi’s biggest musicians Faith Mussa – himself increasingly using traditional instruments, rhythms and harmonies in his own music - is our guide.

Waliko Makhala is a musician, ethno-musicologist and MBC journalist. He’s spearheading a digitisation project - aided by a donation of an old tape machine sitting idle in a mountain  Cold War-era bunker in Norway.

The digitisation project also wants to ensure new, younger audiences get to appreciate the richness of the traditional music so Waliko also hosts a weekly radio programme. 

And Faith has got together with other young musicians - in a band called Takula - and come up with their own reinterpretations of the old music.

We are in the archives to learn about Malawi’s musical heritage – including the role of migration and women. And we meet Park Town Band, a group with a fascinating 80-year history that revolves around an accordion – and which was recorded by MBC almost 50 years ago.

Presenter: Faith Mussa
Producer: Penny Dale and Rob Wilson 

(Photo: Park Town Band performing the honala dance. Credit: Penny Dale)

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