Malawi is not well known internationally for its traditional and popular music, although that may change with the release of a fascinating contemporary compilation Sounds Of Malawi Vol.1 (Hen House Studios).
The land-locked southern African country has, however, influenced the fusion of musical ideas especially in the region, often through migration to mining hubs in South Africa and Mozambique.
World War II also brought music from outside and this led to a craze for guitars and banjos in dance bands. Music from mining towns helped to create local South African genres like Kwela and jazz (the local form, not a copy of US jazz).
