Musakayike

Although this duo from Malawi have been touring far and wide since the release of their last album in 2019, the music on this new record hasn’t strayed far from home. Musakayike (meaning ‘don’t doubt us’) is an album packed full of Yobu Maligwa and Yosefe Kalekeni’s signature sound, known locally as banjo music.

Having spent ten years busking together on the streets of Lilongwe before being discovered, and another ten years since then perfecting their music both in and out of the studio, it’s not surprising that the duo have a hefty backlog of material just waiting to be released. The result is a sound that is largely unchanged from their previous album, staying true to their line-up of homemade instruments; the babatoni (one-string slide bass) delivers its trademark buzzing tones, the cow-skin foot drum and four-string guitar are constant and unwavering, and not forgetting the duo’s jubilant harmonies, which bring the music to life. One song on the album stands out among the flurry of fast-paced, upbeat tracks – ‘Mwandikumbutsa’ is a mellow, more delicate sound that, while not their usual style, works wonderfully with the timbres of Madalitso Bands’ voices and trademark instruments. Here’s hoping that they’ll treat us to more of this variety in the future.