Malawi mourns death of rapper Martse

The 28-year-old artist sustained severe injuries after the house he was sleeping in caught fire on 20 May. He was treated at Blantyre’s Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, where he later died.

Music In Africa spoke to local artists and music industry players following news of the artist’s passing.

“I personally knew Martse since we were kids,” fellow musician Hayze said. “We grew up in the same neighbourhood and we basically started pursuing our musical careers at the same time. Besides losing an artist, I have also lost a friend. “How his music impacted the industry here in Malawi is extremely tremendous because every single person knows who he was, the music that he made and what he represented. It's a great loss indeed.”

Madalitso Band manager and artist Neil Nayar said: “I am in France at the moment, but I heard about the tragic news. He was a great guy, he was one of the first artists to play at my music venue. He was a very cool guy and people loved him. He was one of the popular artists.”

UMP Music Awards CEO Ken Zizwa said Martse’s tragic death had diminished the Malawi music community, while Afropop singer Tuno said she was stunned by the news.

Ugandan musician Levixone wrote on social media: “I have never met him, but looking at the so many posts on social media of our brother Martse, who departed from us to be with the Lord. It such a loss is a loss to us all. I join you Malawians in mourning him and express my sincere condolences to the family and the nation. Rest in power, my brother.”

Born Martin Nkhata, Martse’s music journey began in 2004 followed by the release of a number of singles and mixtapes including the Raps and Dances project. Some of his popular songs include ‘Zikomo’, ‘Mwano’, ‘Tchwe’, ‘Woloka’, ‘Banja’, ‘Go Deeper’ and ‘Malume’, among others. He has worked with artists such as Fredokiss, Kelly Kay, Nepman, Magic Mike, Hyphen and BarryUno.