Fati Abdullahi Washa

Dancehall’s missed opportunities: Don Tarz reveals the secret to success

Dancehall musician Don Tarz expressed his disappointment over the challenges facing the Malawian dancehall scene, likening it to the mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where local resources primarily benefit outsiders. He emphasized that, like a flame that attracts but doesn’t warm, many Malawian dancehall artists can energize a crowd but struggle to seize financial opportunities. In light of this, in a post on his official Facebook page, Tarz highlighted the memorial show for the late hip-hop artist Martse as an example of a successful monetization strategy, where attendees were allowed to pay at the door. He elaborated on this by describing the approach as an effective way to support their efforts, noting, “You have to make hay while the sun shines.” Unfortunately, this is not the case for the dancehall community, where events like the memorial show for the late dancehall artist Mafunyeta are consistently organized for free,