Written by: Sam Banda Jnr, Malawi
The Latitudz lead vocalist, Edash Quata, wowed Malawian hip-hop fans during the band’s visit to Malawi last month. It’s been almost 12 years since Edash last set foot in Malawi, and many of us were worried he wouldn’t be able to connect with the audience after being away from home for so long. But as soon as he picked up the microphone and addressed the masses in our languages, Tumbuka and Chichewa, I knew that he’d win the crowd over. “Blantyre mukumva bwanji, mukupulika uli uko (Blantyre how are you, are you ready to party)” asked the vocalist amidst cheers from the audience. “I am happy to be back in Malawi and that I have been given the opportunity to interact with you through music,” said the 28-year-old hip-hop head.
The band opened their set with a popular Malawian hip-hop joint by renowned hip-hop muso, Makasu. The crowd went wild. After that they played hit songs from their successful album, A Will, a Drill, and a Goldmine such as ‘Hydro’, ‘The Block’, ‘Anomaly’, ‘Devils Terms’, ‘Up In The Air’, and ‘Turner.’ And in no time the crowd was hooked on their powerful bass, drum and guitar formation accompanied by striking mixture of hip-hop and rock ‘n roll influenced vocals. Edash also performed the emotional jam “Snake Bites” which he dedicated to Malawians and his family. “Us Malawians always think life is tough, but the truth is we have to keep going,” said the Lilongwe- born musician. Moved by this touching song, he added that the world is a tough place but people had to persevere nevertheless.
“This band accepts life as it is. We are trying to bring the message of humanity and responsibility in our songs,” said Edash. After the show, I ask him why he decided to stay in France instead of sharing his music knowledge with upcoming hip-hop musos in the country and developing Malawi’s music industry. He assures me that this concert is the first step he’s taken in his journey of self-discovery and re-connection with Malawians. “I can’t come back here for now, but the only way I can reward Malawi is to hold shows here more frequently,” he said.
To my surprise he tells me his music wasn’t appreciated by Malawians for a while before he left for France. He was a budding hip-hop artist in the mid-90s; he even launched his music career right here in Malawi. “I started singing at Mtendere Secondary School but it was hard to break into the Malawian music market with hip hop back then,” explained Edash. Hip-hop was not very popular in Malawi at the time. So when he moved to France in 1997 with his father who worked at the French Embassy, he decided to hone his skill and to perfect his dance moves. He met Shambha (drums), Healer (Bass), Tokha (guitar) and Mahu (Sound), and they formed the band in 2004. They played a series of improvised concerts for a couple of months, but it was only after they opened for Bams and Spleen in October 2005 that people started taking them seriously as a band. In September 2007 A Will, a Drill, and a Goldmine was released as the group’s very first recording.
The band is currently touring Africa and has performed in Malawi, Tanzania, Mauritius, Madagascar, South Africa, Namibia and Burundi so far.
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