‘Teamwork makes the dream work’. That’s what 21-year-old Blessings Mainga of Lusaka, Zambia, believes makes for an excellent film. “It is no singular discipline that makes a great film, it’s all the talent across all the disciplines working together: the director, videographer, lighting, sound…everything has to be on point to deliver an exceptional piece,” Blessings says.
As a musician and sound engineer, he sees his role in that mix as being firmly in the sound department, working with musical scores to complement the visuals. He would also like to play a greater role in educating other young musicians in the art of sound engineering.
“I think it would be great if we could create a TV show focused on the technical aspects of music production, where music producers and sound engineers are interviewed about their creating processes – how they mix and master, the behind the scenes stuff we never get to see from these famous people. This would go a long way to helping to educate up-and-coming producers,” Blessings says.
Besides film and music production, he is passionate about photography, writing his own music and performing on stage. His favourite African film stars are Lupita Nyong’o and Cosmas Ngandwe, while Kenny ‘Roc’ Mumba tops his list of most loved African creatives because “he has a rich, unique touch”.
“Africa is bursting with creativity and we have so much potential,” he adds. “What I really love about our people is that we always come back and we stay true to our culture. Although, in the creative sector, access to funding and the right resources is a real challenge, especially when it comes to training. This is why the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) Academy is so important. We need more initiatives like this if Africa is going to take its rightful place in the creative limelight.”