By Andrew Magombo
Lilongwe, Mana: Local Hip-hop rapper Evans Muzik real name Evans Chimwala has honoured the legacy of fallen artist late Martin ‘Martse’ Nkhata in a latest tribute titled Maselema.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency on monday, the Dear Mahope star says Martse’s legacy as a music icon should be reserved for future generations through the art of storytelling in music.
“What inspired me to write Maselema is that I live in Likuni and I have witnessed how Martse’s life and music had an impact on the youth here plus events surrounding his demise,” he said.
“As a story teller, I felt duty bound to draft something and tell future generations that we once had a young legend with so much influence.”
Using rap devices and backed vocals of the talented Praise Umali , Evanz intriguingly tells the story of Maselema a football star who was a cult hero passionately adored by fans for his prowess in the game.
It mirrors the highs and lows of late Martse’s life in both the music industry and his personal life which was riddled with controversy in later stages of his career.
Maselema opens with sonorous chants of a crowd screaming Martse in unison before the first verse which satirically articulates the prominence of the artist in the music industry like a top player whose individual brilliance on the pitch wowed fans.
“I knew Martin outside social media because we were friends. He often came to my house but each of us belongs to different circles and our music was different but it was the respect we shared that made me gave him a shout in my album,” said Evans.
Interestingly, the song left no void in including events surrounding the mysterious death of the hiphop artist who rose to fame with bangers including Mwano and Go Deeper.
Produced by revered beat Smith Tonicity and Praise Umali, the trending Maselema was recorded in less than a week before its release.
“I previously worked with Evanz on the yet to be released Dear Mahope Part7 and when he came up with the idea Maselema it was easy because he has unique production skills and I am thrilled with his hip-hop talent,” said Tonicity.
The song has attracted massive plaudits for Evanz Muzik across social media including artists like KBG, David Kalirani, and artist-cum-designer Roy View who has since asked the rapper to do a reggae version of the song.
