Ritaa

Rita Kalonga (born 16 August 1995), known professionally by her stage name Ritaa, is a Malawian musician, singer, songwriter and feminist.

Ritaa
Background information
Birth nameRita Kalonga
Born (1995-08-16) 16 August 1995
Blantyre, Malawi
GenresAfro pop, R&B, dancehall
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
InstrumentsVocals
Years active2013–present
LabelsIndependent
Associated acts
Websiteofficialritaa.com

Life and career

Based in Malawi's commercial city, Blantyre, Ritaa's breakthrough came in 2016 after releasing "Chapatali". The song features one of Malawi's pop stars, Dan Lu. The song peaked at number 1 on local charts,.[1][2][3] Ritaa has worked with producers like BFB who used to produce for HHP and Blasto and has shared a stage with Tay Grin and co-headlined Carlsberg Malawi urban music bash. Ritaa draws her inspiration from the likes of Rihanna, Beyonce and the late Whitney Houston. She fuses Afro-pop, R&B, dancehall, and pop.

Legacy

Chapatali is the first song by a female artist to chart on number 1 in Malawi Music top 100 and Weekly Malawi Music Top 20 chart by malawi-music.com. It remains the only song by a Malawian female artist to register over a hundred thousand downloads and half a million online streams on Malawi Music official website. In 2016, she also made history when she became the first Malawian female musician to have three songs at number 1 in the top 100 Malawi Music chart.[4][5]

Feminism and women's rights

Ritaa has been described as a feminist in the Malawi music industry. She has openly challenged patriarchy and championed for the rights of women in the country including freedom of dressing for women and girls in a country that is predominately patriarchy. Local news reports show that she has been accused of indecency and promoting pornography through her music and provocative dressing.[6]

See also

References
  1. "Ritaa overthrows Gwamba". Malawi24.
  2. "Rise of Ritaa with Chapatali song featuring Dan Lu". Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  3. "Winners and losers in 2017 Nyasa Music Awards". Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  4. "Malawi Songstress Ritaa Madly Love, Releases Winner/". Nyasa Times. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  5. "Malawi musician Ritaa dares Rihanna: Releases 'Down Down'". Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  6. "Fans mad at musician Ritaa for 'indecent' dressing". Retrieved 23 April 2020.
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