ZaNyimboTV E20 - KBG Chats with Barnie Michael | Changes, Excuses (‪@kbg‬ x ‪@barniemichael‬ )

Barnie Michael sits down with KBG on ZaNyimboTV for a deep, honest conversation about music, identity, and the courage to stay true to your sound. From starting out as a rapper, discovering indie music, recording songs with nothing but a USB mic, to turning down projects that didn’t feel authentic — Barnie opens up about the journey of finding himself as an artist. He speaks on creative freedom, industry frustrations, why equipment shouldn’t limit creativity, and the importance of making music that means something. This episode also dives into: Indie music in Malawi The pressure to follow trends Creating timeless music vs hit songs Change as a driving force in life Supporting alternative and emerging artists Family influence and purpose beyond fame 🎧 If you’re an artist, creative, or someone trying to find their voice — this episode is for you. 👉 Watch, subscribe, and turn on notifications for Za Nyimbo 👉 Follow Za Nyimbo on WhatsApp Channels (links below) 🎬 Chapters: 00:00 Intro & Welcome to Za Nyimbo 01:10 Lilongwe vs Blantyre – Creative hubs & platforms 03:13 Who is Barnie Michael? 04:22 Defining his sound – Indie music explained 06:12 How Barnie started making music 07:16 Dropping his first EP & unexpected feedback 08:17 From rap to singing – evolving as an artist 09:49 Church influence & discovering his voice 10:45 Questioning his own music 12:36 Cancelling a project that didn’t feel authentic 14:26 Finding his identity in 2020 15:03 John Bellion & the power of creative process 16:05 Making music for himself first 17:49 Finding validation through authenticity 18:42 Creating with joy & minimal equipment 21:16 “No excuses” – advice to upcoming artists 23:01 Making impactful music with limited resources 24:12 Zosintha – music inspired by change 26:13 Why change is unavoidable in life 27:10 Balancing school, life & music 28:03 Choosing music as a lifelong path 29:37 Studying project management & social work 30:32 Music beyond fame – impact & purpose 32:05 Industry frustrations & audience habits 33:55 Timeless music vs hit songs 36:32 Creating space for alternative artists 36:49 Artists to watch in Malawi 39:49 Family influence & support 40:58 Growing up in a musical family 42:01 Sibling support & legacy Hashtags: #ZaNyimboTV #BarnieMichael #MalawiMusic #AfricanIndie Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @zanyimbotv   Welcome to Za Nyimbo, this is where we celebrate art in its entirety and celebrate the musical geniuses making the urban music scene in Malawi exciting. For more Malawian Content, Please Subscribe, Comment and Share Our Content.