by Danny Kalima
The Young Shall Grow
Danny Kalima
SDR001 Nov 18, 2014
– A blend of Contemporary Soul and Afro-Funk –
‘The Young Shall Grow’ is something as unusual as a Malawian blend of contemporary Soul and Afro-Funk, sung alternately in English and the Malawi language of Chichewa. It is written and sung by Danny ‘Sirius’ Kalima, a 25 year-old Malawian musician and singer extraordinaire. On this album, Danny’s powerful and intimate voice frames a deeply personal record, with subject matters revolving around his upbringing in Malawi, relationships and love. Feelings of loss and loneliness are turned into soulful but ultimately uplifting songs.
Danny Kalima, otherwise also a singer in the popular Malawian band ‘Konkalazi’, feels that he can in some ways be freer to explore other musical styles and lyrical themes, when performing as a solo artist. Here (and in Malawi under the name of ‘Sirius’) he can continue working towards finding new cultural expressions and ideas.
The recording of the album in Moto Wambili Studios, Nkhata Bay, Malawi, was an involved collaboration between the producer Mattias Stålnacke (of Spare Dog Records) and Danny. The recordings, spread out over a few months, had lots of back and forth between the two as they worked towards the right mix of acoustic, electric and electronic, the right blend of samplings and ‘the real’.
Dusty City – Danny Kalima
A brand new music video for the song ‘Dusty City’ – it’s a homage to Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi. The Dusty City is where Danny grew up and what he calls home. This is the first music video released for the album “The Young Shall Grow”. Crew: A-J Leaper, J Pieterse, M Stålnacke
Album Credits:
All songs written by: Danny Kalima. Recorded & Mixed by Mattias Stålnacke @ Moto Wambili Studios, Nkhata Bay, Malawi. Cover design and photo by Sophie Kramer.
Musicians:
Danny Kalima: lead and backing vocals, guitars, percussion and arrangements. Mattias Stålnacke: guitars, bass, keyboards, percussion, programming, arrangements and misc. Ingvild Homme: backing vocals.