Code Sangala (Malawi)

Code Sangala is a musician from Malawi and a former broadcaster and television personality. After recording three albums with Kapirintiya, a group he co-founded with

his brother, Code released his first solo album in 2013. Code Sangala’s music is inspired

by traditional dances such as chintali, mganda, beni, vimbuza and many others from Malawi. Together with his band The Tribe, he has played at notable events such as the Tumaini Festival and Sand Festival, as well as hosting Lake of Stars, the largest international music festival in Malawi. Code is also a founder and director of a nonprofit organization called Music against Malaria, which focuses on malaria prevention in young children and expectant mothers. 

Featured Songs:

“Mzako” means “friend” in Chichewa, the predominant language in Malawi. The Global Party song talks about the importance of friendship. “The world is a beautiful place when you are with a friend / In trouble and in peace, everyone needs a friend / This life of ours is a gift, no one should be alone / A person does not walk alone / Love your friend as you love yourself.”

“Suntche” takes its name from the elephant shrew, a small animal, which local belief holds never survives its attempts to cross a road. In the African Sojourn song, Sangala has an imaginary conversation with the animal, urging it to move faster to avoid passing vehicles. The exchange doubles as a warning to the people of Malawi about deforestation, as Zomba Mountain, once home to leopards, antelopes, and hyenas, is losing its forests to logging and bush fires. “Zomba mountain, the beautiful one / Look at it now, turning bare like a desert / Not so long ago, it was a habitat for leopards / Foolish people are cutting down trees / People, let’s not be foolish, let’s plant trees.”

Artist Website

Featured On:

Click images to learn more