From Under the Radar to the Spotlight: The Rise of Driemo

Malawi: I first met Driemo last year at Piksy's Mtunda Album Launch at COMESA Hall in Blantyre, writes Sumeya Issa.

Along with a group of media colleagues, I had access to the back room where VIP guests and artists arrived before going on stage.

This gave us the opportunity to interview many of the famous Malawian celebrities at the event. Some of the notable artists I interviewed were Sangie, Lawi, Kell Kay, Eli Njuchi, Leslie, and Driemo himself, who wore a black T-shirt with his name "Driemo" printed on it.

He seemed unassuming, but my attention was drawn to Eli, who entered the back room like a big star.

"Eli, my son adores you," said a beautiful woman, who also happened to be a renowned gospel artist in Malawi. She spoke with pride as she smiled and interacted with Njuchi, a performer many of us look forward to seeing.

I still had the microphone in my hands and was primarily focused on Eli, but I knew I needed to ask about the young man in the black T-shirt with "Driemo" printed on it.

The name caught my attention, even though I hadn't meant to stare. He was the kind of person you could easily miss, the quiet one, at least that's what I observed that night.

He didn't give off any traceable "celebrity/famous vibes" and as such, I didn't pay much attention to his performance that night.

I was only excited to watch the artists I was already familiar with perform, so I too could be a part of the mesmerized crowd singing along to the songs, because that's what everyone comes to see.

But a week later, I found myself listening to Driemo's music and his lyrics stuck in my mind like glue.

"Mamuna weniweni, salandika sathawa, stop fighting for the losing battle yanga'na za tsogolo lako nawenso you deserve Chikondi..."

Those lyrics kept ringing in my head, even though I couldn't completely relate to them, they spoke about how everyone deserves love, a message that is easy to forget as human beings.

I realized through listening to his songs, "Compensation," "Mawa," and a few others, that Driemo's music had come to stay and that Malawi had welcomed him as an artist. \He doesn't seem to come from wealth, nor did he grow up privileged, but his music serves as a reminder that we can all be anything we put our mind and heart to.

Driemo is a shining star of our generation, a work of art, a masterpiece, and a treasure to be embraced. His dedication can be heard in his music, as he puts his heart and soul into it. He is blooming, like a caterpillar turning into the brightest butterfly.

His music wakes us up to the harsh realities of life, the struggles of love, and the importance of pursuing our own happiness.

His songs serve as an anthem and echo to all young people, regardless of privilege, that we can achieve anything we set our minds to.

His message is that as young people and as Malawians, we should strive to reach our full potential in our talents and pursue our art until we create something magical.

In November last year, Driemo won two awards at the Maso Awards, with his hit song "Mojo" winning Best Music Video and himself winning Best Male Artist of the Year.

He was up against some big names in the music industry, including Onesimus, Namadingo, Gwamba, Piksy and Njuchi.

This is a huge milestone and proof that he is on the right path. His videos are setting a high standard for him in the music industry.

May Malawi's music industry continue to flourish, and may we see more artists like Driemo, Namadingo, Eli Njuchi, Leslie, Sangie, Lawi, and many more, bringing something different, something great, and something worth embracing and carrying with pride as Malawians.

Driemo's latest song "PANO" is quickly gaining popularity, having hit a 100 thousand views within 24 hours on YouTube.

This is Driemo's third music video release, following "Compensation" and "MOJO."