A visual artist Francis Kapanda has spoken in praise of the Next Level Academy Malawi, a 10 Day Masterclass describing it as enlightening having accorded him different angles of approaching and improving his art in business and technical skills.
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Designed to provide intensive training in Dance, Beat-making, Mceeing, in addition to entrepreneurship and conflict transformation workshops for young Malawian creatives, the classes were facilitated by select professionals from all over America.
Kapanda explained that the classes have changed a view of his talent as before the programme, he didn’t have much confidence but right now his perception of things has greatly improved.
Among others, he has also learned to use social media platforms as a tool to boost his branding.
“In the past I was more reluctant, shy like if I post something maybe people won’t like it; but then through this class I’ve learnt that whether people don’t like it or like it, you have a voice and you have to say what you have to say.
“It has helped me because I’m learning to be consistent with my work meaning that I can’t just post anyhow now, I have to post something that is related to my art because it’s my brand”
A traditional dancer from Music Crossroads indicated that they’ve been drilled on foot steps into Hip Hop but in a different way.
“This is gonna change a Iot because l‘m a teacher at Music Crossroads, I teach children Mozambican dances like Maraventa and Chigubu that is more different with jit. So this gonna help for me to teach them something different that has never been taught in Malawi. It’ll also help me as teacher to explore more and to break those steps that we’re learning here into something more simple”
Site Manager MeccaGodZilla from Brooklyn from Next Level USA described the Hip- Hop Cultural Exchange programme as a boost to the existing talent in Malawi to amplify and elevate what’s already there.
According to him, the magic in Africa, Lilongwe and Dzaleka Refugee Camp is exciting and their coming is to lend professional experience to elevate what’s happening and bring entrepreneurship opportunities to share to the world their talents.
MeccaGodZilla noted that 50 percent of New York radio is playing African music which is quite interesting and inspiring hence the need to bridge the divide of entrepreneurship so that the resources and the ability to earn income are elevated.
He spoke highly on the sense of community in Malawi which will help in creating a way of building the dance community to reach out to the rest of the world.
The American artist stressed that relationships are everything in the arts industry anywhere else in the world.
“We can be the most talented but if we’re coming into space with arrogance, if we’re not treating people right, we don’t succeed. So Malawi has this beautiful undercurrent of just trying to figure it out so relationships will carry these artists far.
“The biggest thing is building the community in between the elements how do the dancers work with the producers to collaborate? How do the singers and MC’s create a song for the dancers to collaborate? It’s all about trying to find the micro connections to build something in a macro scale. That in itself is gonna put the country like way up on a global scale. That unity here is gonna amplify on a global scene”
He further praised the level of talent existing in the participants from Dzaleka and those from elsewhere which he noted just needs some resources to amplify their talents and skills.
