Zambian DJ and producer El Mukuka is still making waves with his catchy bop ‘Bosana’ but the star doesn’t have any plans to slow down just yet. As the single continues to heat up parties around the continent, the star has teamed up with Andre Rizo and Cephas Maseko as the trio put their own spin on ‘Malaika’, a popular Swahili long song.
‘Malaika’ is possibly the most famous of all Swahili love songs in East Africa, as well as being one of the most widely known of all Swahili songs in the world. ‘Malaika’, in the song’s context, means “angel” in Swahili, and this word has always been used by the Swahili speakers to refer to a beautiful girl.
Being a big fan of the track, El Mukuka has been toying with the idea of giving this classic track a remix for years. The goal was to take some of the magic from the original version and mix that with a completely new, club-orientated sonic environment. He also wanted Cephas Maseko to deliver the song in his own style, which is predominantly Afro-Jazz.
Speaking on working with Andre Rizo and bringing legendary Zambian musician Cephas Maseko in to sing on the track, Mukuka tells us “I loved working with Andre! He is such a talented producer and so down to earth, which is quite a rare find these days. I have been a fan of his work for many years and it’s really exciting to finally have a track out together. Doing a club rendition of one of Africa’s greatest songs came with a strong sense of responsibility. It was also a huge honor for me to have Cephas Maseko, a living Zambian legend, do the vocals and interpret the song.”
Andre Rizo has crafted a brilliant career as a DJ and Producer, so joining El Mukuka to work together on the track was a unique encounter for him. “Working with El Mukuka was a brand new experience for me because we brought together two different cultures and musical styles. It was an exciting process and I’m very satisfied with the result! The special thing for me about ‘Malaika’ is the vocal,” he says. “The authenticity and warmth of the vocals combined with a deep, groovy club production is such a cool combination!”
Listen to ‘Malaika’ below and read more music news here.
