Malawi
Overview
Malawi is a landlocked country in Southern Africa popularly known as the ‘Warm heart of Africa’ because of the warmth and friendliness of its people. Malawi is defined by its topography of highlands split by the Great Rift Valley and enormous Lake Malawi, it is bordered by Zambia to the Northwest, Tanzania to the Northeast and Mozambique to the South, Southwest and Southeast. Malawi is 118,484 Km2 in size and home to 17,563,749 people. The economy of Malawi is driven predominantly by the agricultural sector that accounts for one third of the GDP and nearly 80 percent of employment.
Arts and Humanities
The Malawi people are of Bantu origin and comprise of many different ethnic groups. These include Chewa, Nyanja, Yao, Tumbuka, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde. The official languages are Chichewa and English, however, so many other tribal languages and dialects are prevalent. Malawi shares many musical traditions with its African neighbors of Tanzania, Zambia, and Mozambique. In Malawi, music is an undisputed part of everyday life. Songs break out spontaneously at home while women are going about their chores, in the gardens, at celebrations, and even at funerals. Malawians have long been travelers and migrant workers, and as a result, their music has spread across the African continent and blended with other music forms. Most of the cultural activities in Malawi involve music and use of natural resources
Environmental Conditions
Malawi is endowed with a diversified natural resource base, which includes some of the most fertile soils for agricultural use in Southern Africa, 4,953 native or naturalized plant species, 700 endemic Cichlid species and contains 15% of world’s freshwater fish. However, the natural resource base is subjected to increasing pressure primarily due to agricultural expansion and household energy needs. Tobacco has been Malawi’s largest source of income and has also contributed to declining environmental condition due to curing of tobacco. There is alarming degradation of the environment causing significant loss of soil fertility, soil erosion, serious deforestation, water depletion, pollution and loss of biodiversity. These problems are exacerbated by the high population growth and low level of environmental awareness, which contribute considerably to the vicious cycle of poverty and are compounded by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Leadership
Peter Mutharika is the fifth president of Malawi and the fourth democratically elected. The President of Malawi is both head of state and head of government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Assembly. There is a cabinet of Malawi that is appointed by the President of Malawi. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The government of Malawi has been a multi-party democracy since 1994.
Media Profile
The radio is the most popular medium for information and entertainment. There are several radio and TV stations that Malawians tune to and these include the state owned Malawi Broadcasting Station and several other private stations. The media is regulated by Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority. There has been an increase in the usage of internet that most music is downloaded from https://www.malawi-music.com
OUR MISSION
To build a global network of musicians and youth volunteers to deliver environmental education through the catalytic power of music.
OUR VISION
A global community that stewards the Earth, in which the memorable, emotional, and unifying power of music contributes to the balance between humankind, nature, and society.