Blk Sonshine is back!

Masauko Chipembere and Neo Muyanga are collectively Blk Sonshine, one of the most talked about music duos to emerge from South Africa in the post-apartheid era. Blk Sonshine released their first album in the late 1990s. They blend melodic and percussive acoustic guitars with hip-hop, jazz, and folk influences and sounds from their respective Southern African traditions. The result is emotional music that owes no allegiance to any culture but combines and then enlarges musical boundaries. Their music has healing energy, and their harmonies go straight to the soul. Their sound has been sorely missed worldwide since 2010 when they performed for the World Cup in South Africa.

For some songs, Neo sings in his native Sotho tongue, a particularly musical and lyrical language. A finely developed sense of pop melody and African rhythm is common to both songwriters. Neo also composes African operas and works as an installation artist. He is currently producing his first art show in New York.

Masauko was born in the U.S to politically-exiled Malawian parents and grew up in Los Angeles, where he developed the potent and unique hip-hop influences that give Blk Sonshine their urban edge. On his first journey to Central and Southern Africa, he met Neo at an open mic in Yeoville, Johannesburg in February 1997. An instinctual musical connection grew into a partnership that's lasted more than 20-years. Masauko currently produces hip hop and African jazz. He is an activist who supports permaculture projects in rural villages of Malawi.

It has been over ten years since Blk Sonshine recorded music. Their last album, Good Life, included the song “Nkosi,” featured by Putumayo Music on their South Africa 2010 compilation. Both artists have continued to grow in their own right with solo albums and international performances but what their audiences continually plead for is more Blk Sonshine music. The clamor has become louder in this new Covid reality.

Blk Sonshine listeners know that their music has a healing quality lacking in the marketplace today. While the music industry is chasing the newest dance music, a growing audience of people is seeking more intimate music. Music that is made without machines. Music that doesn’t come with autotune and the strange feeling that AI may have created it. People want songs that go straight to the heart, which is the art that Blk Sonshine produces.

This Go-Fund-Me is to gain financial support for a serendipitous recording in New York when both Masauko and Neo will be during one weekend at the end of September. They will be recording in Brooklyn, New York, in a studio with an API mixing board and other classic studio gear. The sound must be proper and consistent with past releases.

In the past, Blk Sonshine has worked with the support of record labels, Fresh Music and BMG. In 2022, Blk Sonshine is after independence. The artists want to own their material, and they want to own their masters. Your financial support will allow Masauko and Neo to provide the world-class music their audience has been craving while keeping ownership of their songs to support their families.

Thank you so much for donating to this momentous occasion!