Born and raised in Malawi, East Africa, Malia's family had to go into exile in London in the late eighties. It was here that she got hooked onto music and discovered jazz, especially singers like Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday, a turning point in her life. After she finished school she started singing background parts in diverse pop-projects but wanted more. She found herself a pianist and started writing her own songs, working in bars and clubs around town.