Article Contributed by HearthMusic
Published on 2026-07-25
Sounds of Malawi, Vol. 1 features 14 songs selected from marathon sessions that captured 18 Malawian bands performing 85 songs in just 10 days.
Sounds of Malawi, Vol. 1, an unprecedented look at the music of one of Africa’s least-known countries, was released July 24 via Hen House Studios. Originally recorded in 2024, the sessions featured 18 bands performing 85 songs in just 10 days.
In terms of music, Malawi must be one of the least-known African nations. For every Malawian artist who has toured Europe, there are many more known only within their communities and country. That is unfortunate because Malawi has a remarkably diverse and powerfully talented pool of musicians and musical traditions.
Even within Malawi, many of these traditions and musicians remain little known and are in danger of being lost. Organizations such as the Jacaranda Foundation have therefore been working with great urgency to highlight and present Malawian artists.
Though primarily a school for orphans, every Thursday Jacaranda takes over the Alliance Française de Blantyre stage in the heart of Blantyre for its weekly Sounds of Malawi concert series. It has become a popular showcase for artists from every corner of the country, coordinated in part by Malawian ethnomusicologist—and accomplished performer—Waliko Makhala.
“The goal was to try and promote and preserve the heritage of Malawi,” explains Luc Deschamps, director of the Jacaranda Foundation, “to pass it on to the youth, the young musicians, so that it can go on.”
Now a popular stop for visitors to the country, the series has gathered a loyal following of Malawian music fans, as well as international visitors looking to learn about Malawian culture and get out and dance.
Working with Deschamps and Makhala, Los Angeles recording engineer, producer, and record-label director Harlan Steinberger spent 10 days at Jacaranda Studios on the outskirts of Blantyre in 2024, recording as many Malawian artists as possible.
Steinberger had been traveling to Malawi since 2009, working with artists and producing previous albums by Keturah and The Kasambwe Brothers, but this trip was on another level. During the 10 days of marathon recording sessions, Steinberger recorded 18 bands performing a total of 85 songs.
Once word spread about what he was doing, hopeful singers dressed in their Sunday best arrived at the studio hoping to be recorded. Narrowing down the offerings was an almost impossible task, but Steinberger selected 14 songs from the sessions for Sounds of Malawi, Vol. 1, a compilation showcasing the breadth of Malawian roots music.
