Ritaa
{{short description|Malawian musician (born 1996)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Ritaa
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Rita Mwantalli
| alias = Ritaa
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1996|08|16}}
| birth_place = Blantyre, Malawi
| origin = Blantyre
| occupation = Singer, songwriter, Entrepreneur, CEO @ Serene General Dealers, mother company of House of Beauty by Serene & Permanent Makeup by Serene, among others
| instrument = Vocals, guitar
| years_active = 2015–present
| label = Independent
| associated_acts = {{flatlist|
- Tsar Leo
- Dan Lu
- BFB
- Malinga Mafia
- Piksy
- Provoice
- Young Kay
- Bucci
- Theo Thomson
- Tay Grin
- Jay Jay Cee
- Gwamba
}}
| website = {{URL|OfficialRitaa.com}}
}}
Rita Kalonga (born 16 August 1996), known professionally by her stage name Ritaa, is a Malawian musician, singer, songwriter and Entrepreneur
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.{{cite news |title=Ritaa overthrows Gwamba |url=https://malawi24.com/2016/06/01/ritaa-overthrows-gwamba |publisher=Malawi24}}{{cite news |title=Rise of Ritaa with Chapatali song featuring Dan Lu |url=https://www.nyasatimes.com/rise-of-ritaa-with-chapatali-song-featuring-dan-lu/ |accessdate=23 April 2020}}{{cite news |title=Winners and losers in 2017 Nyasa Music Awards |url=https://malawi24.com/2017/05/02/winners-losers-2017-nyasa-music-awards/ |accessdate=23 April 2020}} 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.{{cite news |title=Malawi Songstress Ritaa Madly Love, Releases Winner/ |url=https://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi-songstress-ritaa-madly-love-releases-winner/ |accessdate=23 April 2020 |publisher=Nyasa Times}}{{cite news |title=Malawi musician Ritaa dares Rihanna: Releases 'Down Down' |url=https://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi-musician-ritaa-dares-rihanna-releases/ |accessdate=23 April 2020}}
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 predominantly patriarchy.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://OfficialRitaa.com Official website]