In a remote Viboko Village in Nkhata Bay District, there is a man belting out catchy reggae vibes. At this year’s Sand Music Festival in Salima, patrons were surprised by one of the acts during the prime slots of the event on Saturday night.

Appearing on stage backed by a choral-like ensemble, the man whom many were seeing for the first time, mesmerised.

His sense of organisation, the ease with which he delivered his music and the self-belief he oozed lacked in many acts which had performed before him. The supremacy which characterised his stay on stage prompted a common question among most festival goers.

Who is this man?

Michael Mountain at SandFest

He is none other than Michael Mountain. The performance in Salima was probably his second high profile event after he made a maiden appearance at the Lake of Stars Festival in 2015.

During a 30-minute set, in which he performed five songs, the artist made a good case for himself as an emerging music force in Malawi.

“Many people could not believe that I am from Malawi. But I am delighted that they liked my performance. That was what mattered most,” he told Chill in an interview.

Michael Mountain was born in 1971 in Zambia as Michael Phiri. He was born to Malawian parents who were working for an English immigrant. That background is evident in his command of the King’s language. English and Tonga are the only languages he is proficient in.

He said: “I am a Malawian through and through. I even come from a chieftaincy lineage.”

Michael Mountain returned to his homeland in 1996 where he has hugely been surviving as a subsistence farmer.

But it was in 2007 when he started making his moves as an artist. The 49-year-old established himself as a solo act as he used to host acoustic sessions at Mayoka Village Lodge.

It was at this place where he met Gustaf Mattias Stalnacke who facilitated his signing of a recording deal with UK label Sparedog Records in 2015. His first album, the 12-track Nowhere Else To Go, was produced under this label.

The album is available on online sites as YouTube. He says he is working on producing his second album titled Two Big Elephants. The artist says he needs to connect with his UK promoter to determine when the album can be released.

The Moonlight Feeling star says he is delighted with the openings that have started falling his way.

“I could not find space for people to know me. Now I am getting opportunities because of the connections that I have established. That will aid my ambitions because I would like to travel and be known because of my music. Before I do that, I need to be known here at home because that is where I belong,” Michael Mountain said.

While acknowledging that Malawi is a small market, the artist said he is not in a hurry to make moves. He said his art has been hugely inspired by Bob Marley and Evison Matafale and Musamude Fumulani locally. 

His manager, Emmanuel Maliro, said Malawi has been trying to export music for a long time and Michael Mountain fits the bill of the type of reggae artist that can perform before any audience anywhere.

He said Malawi needs artists who should not get worried about the type of audience before them.

“The top artists let their music to speak for them when they travel abroad. This is one quality that Michael Mountain has displayed.

“Like what we saw at SandFest. People did not need to know his music, but they loved him instantly. They soon started chanting his name,” said Maliro.

He said it is unfortunate that the country did not know him until now as he comes from a poor background. Maliro said people with such talent are supposed to be rich and he has called on well-wishers to come forward and support him.

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