Mark Betteridge
Chmba: How The Pan-African Electronic Music Innovator Is Shaping the Global Underground
Malawian DJ and producer Chmba is reshaping the landscape of Pan-African electronic music, taking her highly textured, cross-continental sound from the heart of her homeland to global stages like the Avicii Arena, the World Economic Forum, and Amsterdam Dance Event. Operating seamlessly between the grit of the underground club circuit and the formal structures of international institutions, she carries a specific sonic identity rooted in organic percussion, robust digital frameworks, and community action.
Her technical approach to music began early. At seven years old, she was already dismantling family cassettes, an exercise that laid the groundwork for a production style built on fluidity rather than rigid rules.
“I don’t think I ever learned to treat sound as fixed,” she explains. “Even as a child, pulling apart cassettes and rebuilding them, I was already questioning the idea of a ‘final’ version of anything. I see sound as something that carries memory but is always open to reinterpretation. My production lives in that space.”
That instinct to reshape existing textures has driven a discography marked by distinct emotional shifts. Her EP Mtima Rising was conceived during lockdown in her mother’s home amidst heavy grief, resulting in a project defined by isolation and minimal equipment. The follow-up, Okongola Caucus, marked a physical and sonic opening, leaning into layers, communal energy, and desire.
When engineering these tracks, her workflow remains deeply connected to physicality. Fusing traditional pan-African drum rhythms with modern house architecture requires careful manipulation of frequencies to ensure organic elements are not overpowered.
“I get up and sometimes ask, how would I move to this? I see sound as movement,” she says. “I spend time in the early stages selecting percussion that already has character and movement, often rooted in live or traditional textures. From there, it’s about carving space through EQ, making sure each element has its own frequency pocket. The goal is for the percussion to feel alive and breathing, while the bass anchors everything without overpowering it.”
Her dual identity as an artist and the founder of the Tiwale community centre an NGO in Malawi supporting women and gender minorities – heavily dictates her schedule. Despite the contrasting demands of international touring and operational leadership, she views the two roles as symbiotic.
“It’s a constant dance, to be honest. The music informs the work, and the work informs the music. They contribute to each other,” she notes. “Working with young women and gender minorities who are just starting out, there’s a kind of fearlessness and curiosity that feeds their process, something incredibly rich in returning to raw production. I try bring that back into my own practice.”
With a 2026 calendar packed with new music exploring the intersection of Afro-percussion, electronic frameworks, and future rock elements, Chmba is operating entirely on her own terms. Through constant geographical transition and structural experimentation, she remains anchored by the fundamental rhythm of her roots.
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