African stars bring their fire to 10th Bushfire fest in Swaziland

Kicking off proceedings ahead of the main festival over the weekend, the MTN Bushfire Schools Festival created inclusive workshop and dialogues for Swazi youngsters.

On the morning of Friday 27 May, the annual Arts Round Table took place at the nearby Malkerns Country Club. The event provides a forum for musician and others working in the local music industry to share and gain knowledge and skills with leading industry professionals, while fostering exchange and regional networking opportunities. Presenting their secrets to success at the conference were local local hip-hop duo Siyinqaba, ground-breaking South African DJ Zinhle and veteran American musician and promoter George Worthmore, all of whom also performed over the weekend.

Representatives of Music In Africa and the African Music Development Programme (AMDP) were also given the opportunity to present their work and share some tips on the opportunities available to musicians within a pan-African context. Their joint presentation was well received by musicians and professionals in the Swazi music industry.

As the sun set on Friday evening, the main festival was officially opened with the traditional lighting of the fire. What followed was a weekend-long feast of music and culture. After the opening ceremony local reggae artist Pachanga kicked things off with her infectious local grooves. The first night’s headliners include French-based band Vaudau Game, led by charismatic Togolese frontman Peter Solo (who will also headline the upcoming Fete de la Musique in Johannesburg on 21 June), one of the many highlights of the weekend thanks to their relentlessly funky songs, air-tight rhythm section and matching retro outfits.

Other acts to headline the opening night were a trio of South African stars in AKA, two-hit wonders Beatenberg and DJ Zinhle. Also performing were visiting acts Cold Specks (Canada), Australian dub-reggae act Kingfisha, Hagar (Egypt/Israel) and Spanish duo Za!, among others, several of whom also performed at Azgo festival in Mozambique the week before, as well the Africa Day concert in Johannesburg  and Zakifo in Durban that same weekend.

With tickets for the festival sold out by Saturday, the party was in full swing for the rest of the weekend. MTN Bushfire’s commitment to homegrown Swazi talent was also on display with the multi-award winning Correctional Services Choir starting off the day. Other Swazi artists including King Terry, Nomzamo, Siyinqaba, Fanaza also performed throughout the weekend, with another highlight being the internationally renowned Bholoja playing the sundown set on Saturday evening.

Swiss act Pablo Nouvelle impressed with their electro-pop tunes and skillful vocal sampling, before Mozambican legends Ghorwane, led by Roberto Chitsondzo, delivered their inimitable marrabenta grooves to an appreciative audience. 

South African collective Bombshelter Beast disappointed, however, with lacklustre performances from their various frontmen and women - suggesting that the band are out of their depth in front of such a large audience. Next up was a string of high-profile headliners. South Africa’s Mafikizolo were one of the main acts on Saturday night, with a performance that saw over 15 000 Bushfire fans singing along to their high-energy and visually engaging performance, complete with neon lights on their matching outfits. They were followed by more African heavyweights in Ghana’s Blitz the Ambassador and Kenya’s Sauti Sol, who kept the audience going despite the late-night cold. Nigerian star Ice Prince would have disappointed many who stayed up past 2am to see him, however, with a show that was at best uninspired.

For audiences wanting something a little different, meanwhile, on the second Bushfire stage at the House on Fire Amphitheatre, SA electronica pioneer Felix Laband put on an appropriately oddball set of melodic downtempo beats and curious samples. South African traditional artist Vukazithathe kept the audience moving with his infectious maskandi grooves, before one-woman band Estère from New Zealand impressed with her captivating stage presence.

For dancefloor junkies not so interested in live bands, the Red Bull stage hosted a wide selection of DJs from around the world, arguably the best of which was DJ Julien Lebrun, head of Paris-based label Hot Casa Records, a specialist in funked-up Afrobeats from across the continent.

A fourth venue, The Barn, also played host to various acoustic acts, besides screening the Champions League final for the many football fans (and European visitors) at the festival.

The party kept going on Sunday - despite the early withdrawal of Joburgers and others already concerned with getting to the office on Monday - with Jesse Clegg, Mail’s Songhoy Blues, Zimbabwean legend Oliver Mtukudzi and Cape Town ska band The Rudimentals closing the festival in style, albeit an hour or two behind schedule and with the crowd rapidly shrinking.

This year’s MTN Bushfire Festival was truly a global affair, with artists from over a dozen countries performing to over 16 000 music lovers from 58 different countries. Clearly, MTN Bushfire has developed into one of the most diverse and international festivals in the region, perhaps even the entire continent.

Festival Director Jiggs Thorne was satisfied with a job well done: “We were blown away by the international and cultural diversity of this year’s MTN Bushfire. From the artists to the fans, our atmosphere of tolerance and passionate commitment to music, the arts and the environment was really brought to life. No matter where people hail from, everyone took part in a peaceful, safe and energizing weekend celebration. We could not have asked for a better 10th anniversary edition of MTN Bushfire and we thank everyone who brought their fire in 2016!”

All photos © Dave Durbach / Music In Africa

Congratulations to the winners of Music In Africa’s MTN Bushfire ticket giveaway: Maria Bucuane, Gino Gil, Boy Mkhwanazi, Celumusa Thusi, Mwandireya Kundhlande and Siphesihle Vilakati.