The production side of Music

A typical Recording Studio

Music production is one critical area in the overall process of making music. No matter how good the artist may be, if the producer is whack or bad, all the efforts put by the artist on the microphone in creating the music all turns to be a waste. When one listens to music, the attention to detail especially that of quality is one element that compels one to listen to a song and is also the element that is a turn off for one listening to a poorly produced song. Bedroom studios are as popular in Swaziland especially among upcoming artists as they cannot entirely afford to go to the big studios in the country including the likes of Claiming Ground Records and SubJamz studios because they cost a fortune for one to do a single track there. Subjamz Studios currently charges E 1, 300 for a single track which is a package of a beat, studio recording time and the mastering of the song. This is a huge sum of cash considering that most Swazi artists are those that are young so there is more reliance on these bedroom studios because their prices are quite affordable.

Well the high costs in the production in some of the professional studios in the country is one valid point because all the music produced by these two giants in the music production scene in Swaziland, is high quality music that abides by international standards in terms of best produced music. This however does not mean that music produced in the above mentioned studios does not meet set standards in terms of quality. Sometimes it is not about the equipment that one uses in the overall music production but it all about the skill, the talent and the creative element in you as the producer stated one local producer from InQgnito Studios Slim Q. Studios like Eardrumzz to name one of the so called bedroom studios is one of the best studios to have produced high quality music. Arbitrator Studio too has been a house hold name in the Matsapha area with local producer DeeFlava being the man behind the beautiful productions in the Hip Hop music scene.

A Fruity Loops beat pattern on a studio PC

Music production has been of late been made easier with the availability of beat making software’s like FL studio, Reason and many other applications used for making beats and music. Also, the availability of sound mastering studio software compatible with laptops and PCs has enabled upcoming producers to have the power to establish their own studios. Basic equipment comprising a condenser microphone Samson Brand and a 2 or 4 Channel Phantom mixer cost not more than E 5000. This is the way for upcoming producers to bring up all those upcoming artists in to the spotlight and let them shine. Is it possible for Swaziland to rank with the world in good quality music productions?   

The Growth of Swazi Artists



Bholoja Swaziland's Afro Pop and Swazi Soul Musician



The Swazi Music industry is one that has shown tremendous growth over the past decade. The growth has been seen in areas such as Hip Hop, Kwaito, Afro- Jazz and Jazz itself. Gospel Music in Swaziland is one music category that has forever been shinning locally and in neighbouring countries like South Africa. This is the music that has a wide followership and buying audience in the country. As a result, the change of audiences to start buying into the other genres of music still remains one issue that is hard to be exploited.



The introduction of bedroom studios and the invention and adoption of new technologies that have facilitated for sound recording, mixing and mastering has seen more young people diving into the music industry. Swaziland over the past few years has seen massive growth in the emergence of Hip Hop artists in the country. A lot of these are school going young people who have the passion to make it big in the local music industry and expand their reach to other countries like South Africa because this is one country that recognizes the art of music as a career an individual following and doing it as a hobby.



The growth has seen a number of local artists collaborating with a number of South African based Musicians and stables. Local song bird Lando Dlamini is one Swazi artist that has made her name in the South African Music industry as a vocalist at Kalawa Jazmee working with the popular Uhuru band on a number of songs and also working with the likes of Dj Vetkoek Vs Mahoota to name a few. This goes without doubt that she is the best and she deserved to work with this South African best music stable. Other local artists who had a breakthrough in the South African Music Industry include Nomalungelo popularly known for her hit single “Imiyalo” which was later remixed by South Africa’s renowned DJ Q’Ness. Nomzamo Zaza Dlamini local Afro Jazz Queen is also making it big in the South African music industry and has been the first Swazi artist to have her song to feature on South Africa’s biggest music platform on the SABC LIVE AMP.



KrTc of Hip Hop and Mozaik The Producer



All in all, the music industry in Swaziland is one that is slowly but surely catching up with music from other countries. The likes of Bholoja, Floewe, KrTc, Mozaik, Diba Diba, 3 Steps, Mr Vanlz, Mvilas Slotta Illa-PenBoy, Crax and the Swazi R&B sensation Tiyas King are part of the many artists in the land that have given life to the Music industry. Well, if I can take time to mention all the artists that have made it big in the Swazi Music industry I can write all day long.  You can add your favorite artist too. PEACE

The Music that we listen to

Jay-Z and Eminem Perform

Jay- Z Performs

Music is referred to as food for the soul. It has the ability to speak to one’s inner self and give them a peace of mind, lift them up and also be that companion always there in times when you need them the most. People listen to music, artists make music and some people live and breathe music. Music forms a greater part of our lives and relates to us in different ways. The music that gratifies my needs cannot be the same music for the next person. Trends in the music industry with the changing times are also changing. It is my observation that music has evolved from the music that used to tell a compelling story into just being about fun, money, girls, sex, fame and all the glamour that comes with being an artist.

Growing up listening to the likes of 2Pac Shakur, Eminem, Jay-Z who are part of the hip hop artists of the times, through their lyrics you could relate about how their lives were. 2Pac’s song dear mama is still my all-time favorite song together with Eminem’s Mocking Bird. I relate with 2Pac’s song because it tells the story of a mother who made sacrifices for her kids. His song Life Goes On depicts the struggles he had to go through as he was growing up in the hood filled with gangsterism. Mocking Bird by Eminem on the other hand also had that element of a kid expressing love for a mother but centred mostly on the dad who wasn’t there when the kid Eminem needed him the most. Jigga a.k.a Jay-z through his song Hard Knock Life was one classic talking about hustling and trying to get to prosper in life as a young man in the music industry.

The reason most reference is put in rap songs and Hip hop is because this is the music that was and is still aligned to the culture of hip hop and this allowed artists to expressing themselves in a better way and it started mostly among black Americans. Well, the articulation of their struggles and putting their expressions existed back in the days but what we listen to in today’s rappers is what others refer to as junk hip hop. This is mainly because of the talk of fame, money, sex and girls especially for American rappers who initiated the culture of rap and Hip Hop. The culture of hip hop has infiltrated and penetrated continents and borders, it has become a booming culture for young Swazis trying to break into the music industry.

Well, I am one of those artists trying to break into the music industry as well. Since 2009 the music industry has shown tremendous growth although some people say there is no music industry in Swaziland. Illa-PenBoy a local artist from the group The Last Page in an interview done last year put it clear that in Swaziland we do not yet have a music industry but we have artists yet trying to crack and make a mark in the local music scene. However, the talent is coming up so good in the country and there is hope for a Music industry in Swaziland.

Our choices of the music we decide to do or listen to is an individual choice and personally, I listen to good music. Good music is what I define as music that talks to me. Deep House music does the trick for me although I do Hip Hop music, sounds strange.

So what music basically gratifies your needs and what are your thoughts about Swazi Music?