Masauko is a Malawian-American singer/songwriter, born in Los Angeles while his parents were in political exile from Malawi. His primary instruments are the acoustic guitar and the voice. Masauko’s sound is a unique mixture of Southern African traditional music with jazz, folk, funk, hip hop and reggae. Although his music spans many genres, the common denominator are strong songs and a great vocal range. His audiences usually find themselves singing along from the beginning to the end of his live sets.
As a child growing up in Los Angeles, Masauko was part of a large exile community from Southern Africa and the Caribbean. His first musical influences were the legendary South African husband and wife duo, Caiphus Semenya and Letta Mbuli, who lived nearby. The Semenya's used their music as a form of activism in the anti-Apartheid struggle in South Africa. From the very beginning of Masauko’s musical journey, he understood songwriting was the medium to give voice to people struggling against inequality. He is the son of Henry Masauko Chipembere who is considered one of the primary architects of the revolution that broke British rule in 1964, allowing for Nyasaland to become Malawi. Henry Chipembere was the first Minister of Education after Independence. The largest highway in Malawi is called Masauko Chipembere Highway in honor of his father. Masauko’s mother, Catherine Chipembere has received the National Woman of Distinction award twice in Malawi. She has served as both Deputy Minister of Health and Education in the country.
Masauko’s first visit to Africa was in 1996. He spent nearly a year studying traditional music in Malawi. He then moved to South Africa in 1997, hoping to re-connect with the Semenyas, who had returned to South Africa post-Apartheid, and ended up forming the now-famous acoustic duo, Blk Sonshine with Neo Muyanga from Soweto. The duo blended the music of Southern Africa with hip-hop and jazz in acoustic form.
Blk Sonshine went on to share stages with artists from every genre, including Stevie Wonder, Joan Baez, Gil Scott Heron, Bonnie Rait, Mary J. Blige, Dead Prez, Susana Baca, Ernest Ranglin, Hugh Masekela, Ismael Lo, Queen, and India Arie in the USA, and Africa. By 2005, Blk Sonshine was a household name in South Africa. That year, they performed at the Nelson Mandela 46664 concert in front of thousands of fans. Blk Sonshine was featured on the Putumayo South Africa album release in 2010 and performed for the FIFA World Cup. Masauko was nominated for a South African music award (SAMA) in 2010 as part of the group, Blk Sonshine.
As a solo artist, Masauko has performed acoustically at New York´s Carnegie Hall. He has recorded with Grammy Award-winning hip hop artists, RZA from The WuTang Clan and Ladybug Mecca from Digable Planets. Masauko completed his first solo album, Masauko, for the Come to Life Record label.
In the spring of 2019, he performed in New York for the Shared Interest Gala hosted at the Edison Ballroom for their 25th anniversary. Awards were given to Dr. John Kani (known from the movie Black Panther), and Thuli Madonsela. Masauko has been performing in support of Shared Interest for several years now. They are an organization that gives loans to small businesses in South Africa and Malawi to heal the economic inequalities of the Apartheid Era.
With the release of his new solo album on June 16th, 2019, Masauko has taken his commitment to activism in Malawi and South Africa to a new level.
In 2020, Masauko kept busy during the Covid-19 lockdown by collaborating with quality artists from around the globe. His guitar playing was featured on a track by MF DOOM producer Jnerio Jarel called “Banana Peel,” which is hip hop mixed with Brazilian jazz. Masauko’s voice can be heard on a track called “Delightful,” that he co-wrote with LA funk band Orgone. In 2021, he also featured on the debut album by Ngoma Zethu, an international collective of musicians and storytellers from South Africa, Nigeria, Malawi, Algeria and the USA. Ngoma Zethu is the brainchild of Mongezi Ntaka who is Masauko’s longtime songwriting partner and was the original guitarist of the Lucky Dube band.
Masauko has been recording in 2022, with plans for various releases in 2023. The big news is that he has been in the studio with Neo Muyanga and there are plans for a new Blk Sonshine album release next year. In early October, Masauko met up with Neo in Brooklyn, New York for recording sessions. As a producer, in 2022 Masauko also began working with South African hip hop legend Snazz D. Snazz. In late 2022 Masauko also produced songs for South African singer-songwriter Yolanda Zama, whose style continues in the tradition of Miriam Makeba.
28 сен 2024
