A local music record label, Silver House has opened its doors to up-and-coming artists in a bid to promote and nurture their talent.

The Lilongwe-based record company says it is planning to sign artists aged below 25 who possess good singing and songwriting skills.

Meanwhile, the stable is inviting the potential artists to send at least two songs done in any genre for assessment.

Silver House chief executive officer and manager Sylvia Phiri said they want to sign at least two artists with the possibility of recruting more by the end of 2023. 

She said the financial implications of the deal will depend on how the music will perform on the market, among others.

Phiri: They will need to prove themselves in different fronts

Phiri said: “The artists we will sign will benefit from exposure opportunities, nurturing of their talent, global distribution of their music and general artist branding.  We will also try our best that they benefit from loyalties, endorsements, music sales and performance fees.”

The manager said apart from proving their talent in the area of music, the candidates will also have to prove themselves in other areas such as good behaviour, willingness to learn new things, should be accommodating and have a good level of integrity.

The record label was established in 2016 and it has worked with acts such as Njuchi Zitatu, comprising of Eli Njuchi, Chizmo Njuchi and Veda Njuchi, Felistas and Ipiana. Phiri said they want to build on the success that they have achieved since the company was established.

“When we started, we were focusing on a number of things such as artists discovering and hosting riddims that would feature both local and international artists. Over the years, it is when we transformed into a fully-fledged record label to give more impetus to our objectives,” she said. 

In the last decade several record labels have attempted to establish their footprints on the local music scene. Ndefeyo Entertainment, G and D Records, Prime Time Media, Black Ryhno Entertainment and Lo Budget have registered different successes.

Entertainment online platform Mikozi lead Bright Excess Chiligo said record labels are crucial to the development of the art. He said it is unfortunate that Malawi has never had a successful record label despite the early promise that ventures of that nature have showed.

He said: “Commercial music is not just about talent alone. It has so many facets. Record labels come in to offer specialist services that complement the talent. They allow the artist to solely focus on art while the label handles the marketing side of music.”

He said most deals that record companies have signed with artists have ended up in disputes bordering on finances. He said that is in part due to the lack of adequate financing of the industry since it is still in its infant stage. 

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