Mad Ice’s reflections on his music and the industry

After two years of silence since his 2016 release Delilah, Singer Mad Ice returns strong with Beautiful.

Mad Ice is a dynamic, well versed, self-taught singer-songwriter and producer who crosses all genres with his music.

What is new from Mad Ice?

There is a new single “Beautiful” featuring Kenya’s dancehall artist Wyre and Jamaican singer and producer Richie Loop. The song came out officially on May 31, 2018, and now available on all major online stores and streaming services including Spotify, iTunes, Napster, Amazon, Google Play, and of course our own Mkito.com. Produced here in Helsinki by Dj Hermanni, a prominent Finnish producer that I constantly collaborate with when it comes to electronic music production.

What is your take on Bongo Flava today?

Honestly, this is a very general but all I can say is that I see some changes these days. Some Bongo Flava artists are starting to handle themselves in a more professional manner than before, more artists are concentrating on creating better quality work both audio and videos. Creativity still lacks though but that has always been a known weakness in the Bongo Flava industry, some prefer copying someone else’s idea because it’s trending or singing exactly like any existing artist rather than creating their own path.

What was the main reason for switching your base from Dar to Helsinki?

The main reason for switching my base from Dar to Helsinki was a record deal. I signed a three-year contract in July 2004 and in 2006 I made a decision of relocating permanently since all my recordings were to be done in Finland with Miikka Mwamba who was my producer at that time and had left Tanzania and returned to his home country Finland. So, it was convenient for me to stay close and continue working with him.

How did that move help shape your music?

Switching base made me see things in a different perspective. The industry is very competitive and things are done with proficiency and in a very professional way, be it small or big. This gave me a chance to improve and learn new things in the music industry at an international and industry standard level. Most production facilities in this country are top notch and costly, that fact alone automatically changes the way one works and shapes the artiste to work with discipline.

When you look at yourself today can you say you have achieved your career goals?

Yes, I can say I have. Though not all but almost everything I’ve ever wanted to get out of my career has so far gone through as planned and I am more than grateful.

How comfortable is it doing music abroad yet you greatest fan base is in Tanzania and the larger East Africa?

That’s a very big challenge and somewhat costly because you have to fly in and out in order to keep tabs on things. It requires my presence as an artiste to handle all interviews especially on TV, luckily radio is easier and can be done from anywhere but the fact that I’m live on air also triggers a different feeling to your fans. Also, being absent from that side affects a lot on the airplay of my work and many artists in the diaspora.

Should we look forward to something like an album in the near future?

Definitely, at the moment I’m working on two projects at simulteneously. One for mainstream focusing on Pop/Dancehall and the other for the world music market, an acoustic project with a specific focus on afro-soul