Bridging The Gap

The Thornbury Theatre will play host to a rare live performance from Zambian musician Maluma, and there will be special guests and giveaways making the event the party it surely deserves to be. This writer could never imagine publishing ten books, so it is with great interest that Inpress asks Maluma how in the world he approaches making a tenth album? Is there a sense that, as a musician, he needs to explore different territory with each new record? Or is the music simply in him, demanding to come out? The man himself pays homage to art's mysterious process, while hinting that music making, for him, is not really something he's ever thought about not doing.

“I can't even explain it. I think it just comes out, you know? I've been doing it a long time and I really love what I do,” he tells. “You can't really explain how it works, it just does. As long as you are enjoying what you're doing it does seem to come easily though.”

Given he has nine other albums in circulation, the question of how Maluma sees Bakaindi in relation to the rest of his work kind of asks itself. He refuses to play favourites, naturally enough, but does concede – also as you would expect – that the music must get better each time he records.

“Oh, they're all my babies, I don't think I could ever choose between them,” he chuckles. “But I think there's always improvement when I do a new album. Otherwise there wouldn't be a lot of point doing it. I spent a lot of time making the songs on this record, even though some of the songs are from the last recording. I think there's about four tracks but I just thought I really needed to use them because they felt good.”

Although it's difficult to categorise this music as anything other than African, Maluma has been in Australia a long time, and there's a distinct cross-pollination of cultures going on here, enriching and universalising the listening experience. Not the least of these is his choice to sing some songs in English and others in his native tongue of Tonga (not to be confused with Tongan). So then, does all of this add up to make Maluma think of his sound as African-Australian?

“I definitely do. I've been here a long time and I can't avoid the influences that are all around me,” he concurs. “It is African-Australian music. I think it's fair to say that. I don't think about it though. Again, it just comes out. The only time I've ever really thought about it is a couple of times I've been singing something in English and I think to myself that maybe I should try something African. If it doesn't work I don't force it. I leave it alone, but it usually works out one way or another. It's the universal language, music, you know.”

When it comes to his live show, Maluma says he prefers a big sound to a band with the efficiency and compactness of one that's easy to tour, and it seems there's never been too much in the way of grievances about any of his gigs.

“I like a big band. I just enjoy the whole thing, you know, even though small bands are easy to take around on a tour. One reason I don't play a lot is that it's expensive to get a ten-piece band out on the road. But I'm working on that. Hopefully it's something I'll do a lot more of. People seem to have a really good time when they come to the gigs. Everybody's dancing and having a good time. No one's ever complained. I'm really looking forward to getting out there and enjoying myself. I hope everyone else does too.”

Larry Maluma will be playing the following dates:

Saturday 23 February - The Thornbury Theatre, Melbourne VIC