Miss Malawi manager back into music, cuts an album
Vitumbiko Kamanga, director of Artistic Agency, which has been managing the Miss Malawi beauty pageant and office for the past two years, is back into the music industry after about a decade of absence.
The artist, otherwise known as Vitu K in the entertainment circles was one of the adored artists in the early 2000s on local TV. Those were the first years of Television Malawi (TVM), now MBC TV, with popular programmes such as Youth Mag and Music Splash.
His popular track was Back n Forth and now ten years down the line, the Lilongwe-based singer is back with a project titled Music Book, a 20-track album which he will be releasing in the next few months.
“This is a project that has taken me close to two years to complete. It is a representation of who I am as artist, crossing different genres of music,” discloses Vitu K in an interview with Nyasa Times. “It feels good to be back.”
Listening to some of the tracks on the album, such as Candycoated Love, the artist has not lost touch and at the same time he shows how fully grown he has become being in the shell for such a period, the compositions and sound are so mature.
“My coming back is due to the maturity I have undergone in the purpose behind the music. Back then I was young and not too focused, but throughout the years, I kept on recording and developing my writing and vocals.
“Ten years is a long time, but those years were not stable as I was all over the place in the globe learning and experiencing new things which have contributed to my artistic growth,” he says.
According to Vitu K, Music Book is an album that will surprise the listener going through the music, which is ranging from R&B to Soul, House, Pop, Rock and Reggae, produced by renowned Capital City producers namely Snowky, Dizzo, Rebel and DJ Slay.
He brands it “a music lovers’ album” for those that want to listen, saying “it’s not bubblegum. The music talks of our experiences as humans with an overall message of love and peace.”
Some of the tracks on the album include I believe, Move, How, Dzuwa, Cud it be love, Love n War, Real love ft T-Miss, Doesn’t Know ft FK, Maganizo and the title track, just to mention a few.
The singer, who is also a songwriter/composer, further says he believes this is the right time [for a comeback] as he is doing music for the love of it and because he has something to say.
Says Vitu K: “The motive is strictly art, besides as a performing artist, there are no boundaries and I want to realise all my life dreams and ambitions plus use my God given talent to entertain and hopefully touch people with my music.”
Music Book is currently being promoted in other countries, targeting South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The musician, who will soon be releasing videos, is also trying to take it across to Europe.
Asked why he targeting foreign nations, he says the music type and the markets that are viable are bigger in these countries.
“Am fortunate and blessed because there are people in all these countries that am working with. On the local scene, I will go full steam this year as well [promoting it],” he states as he observes “It’s important to have good networks to get your product heard.”
The initial release date of the album was end December, 2012, but the artist says he had to switch dates because of a new partnership being worked on with a South Africa-based label, and the delay in getting first promo music videos, which he observes are essential in marketing music.
“I have been told by the video producers that the works are almost ready, plus I am to distribute promo CDs to radio stations locally. I can’t rush the launch till all is in place.”
Vitu K has always loved music from a young age. He wrote his first song when he was aged 12. He got into the field of performing arts in the nineties when he decided to go study the arts fully in South Africa. Whilst in college, the artist met Joe Nina and Ray Phiri and he started working with them professionally and came up with a group known as 2B Kool.
They released their first album titled Here We Come under Digital Records in Johannesburg, before he did a track for a movie soundtrack under Killer Joe Productions owned by Joe Nina which worked in conjunction with BMG records.
Vitu K recorded his solo album titled Mau a Mumtima in 2001 in Malawi with the late Ken Khuma, after winning a love song music competition.
One of the most popular tracks from the album was Chikondi.
He did another album in 2002, but was not released as he left the country soon after completion, though he went on to release a video for the first single Back n Forth. Other videos which he later released were V-style and Survive.
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