Lawi ‘orders’ Mvelani streaming platform for Malawi music to stop playing his songs

Malawi’s Afro-Soul Gospel musician, Lawi, has asked a new music “streaming” platform launched by a Malawian entrepreneur based in London to stop playing his songs.

Dumisani Kapanga recently launched first music streaming platform – Mvelani.com – for Malawi to feature artists.

The site – which means “listen” in the national language of Chichewa – is aimed at allowing fans at home and abroad to discover music that isn’t otherwise available in mainstream channels.

But Lawi -born Francis Phiri- has since asked Mvelani.Com not to play his songs and to take his music down within 24 hours.

“Having the music available online will greatly affect the work we are doing on the ground,” the Amaona Kuchedwa star told the site in an email seen by Nyasa Times.

Kapanga said the site will take Lawi’s music offline “temporarily” as they discuss with the artist “how we can buy online broadcast license” for his work.

Now working at an international bank in London, Kapanga, 29 who studied in Scotland at Glasgow Caledonian and Strathclyde universities hopes the new system will allow people from across the world to listen to music from southern Africa.

The side has attracted international headlines since Nyasa Times first wrote about it when it was launched on 23 January  as newspapers in UK including Daily Record and Herald of Scotland.

Mvelani provides music for desktop and mobile devices. The website already contains more than 700 tracks from over 71 artists.

Within its first four days of operation the site recorded over 50,000 minutes of listening time.

“The site already hosts the biggest concentration of Malawi music in the same place online and interest from artists wishing to add their tracks in growing.

“It’s my dream to cultivate the site into the largest music catalogue of its type and to have every song recorded or produced from southern African artists available for download or streaming online and on mobile.”

Kapanga is working with the Malawian authorities as the site grows to establish the chance for featured acts to receive payment per play, similar to larger music sharing platforms such as Spotify.