Experiencing Rocking The Daisies

To kick things off on Thursday 1 October, the Bridges For Music stage decorated the Cloof Wine Estate with beats ranging from Brenda Fassie to Mafikizolo and Bongo Maffin, which left the majority white crowd somewhat bewildered but still enthusiastic. Bridges For Music is a Cape Town-based non-profit organization that gives DJs from disadvantaged communities a platform to develop their electronic music skills. It was a bit unfortunate to learn that this stage was set up only for the opening day. It would it have been interesting to see how it would have been received over the rest of the festival. The stage clearly managed to leave an impression on everyone as even after it closed revelers were still begging for more.

Besides the earth-shaking music, the highlight of the festival will remain their ‘green’ attitude in which they aim to cause as little environmental impact as possible. As you come in from the campsite, you are met by the SHNIT cinema that collaborated with Sunshine Cinema to show some movies using solar power. This was a very cozy, out-of-the-box cinema that you could go to if you wanted to decompress and watch non-mainstream films. Sunshine Cinema is a solar powered cinema that screens short films of uplifting and useful content aimed at youth and rural communities.

A few minutes’ walk away from the cinema, you’re greeted by the environmental conscious people of Greenpop at the Hemp Stage. Here you could register to be part of the Greenpop Festival that takes place in Zambia every year with the mission of planting as many trees as possible, against the backdrop of African music. There was all manner of activity on this stage, directed not only towards the environment but also at human consciousness, as was the case when TEDx Talks shared some insights on life.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the sounds of Australian band Cat Empire on the Main Stage, Wild Lettuce’s exciting fusion of on the Hemp stage and the electronic craftsmanship of Krafty Kuts at the Electronic Dome. Other highlights for me were the creative sounds of Aero Manyelo in the Nu World Beat Club Stage, the eclectic vibes of Headspaza, the ‘silent disco’ madness and the comedy at the Lemon Tree Theatre. There is simply something for everyone.

Exhausted on Sunday, festival-goers end off the party at the beach bar, which seems like it has been pumping sounds since the beginning of time.

For any African artist with a unique sound wanting crossover appeal, Rocking The Daisies would be a good festival to apply for. For any aspiring event producer, you could get some ideas on how to balance environmental sustainability and fun. And if you’re on the African festivals trail, then this should definitely be your next stop. The next Seed Experiences event is the Vic Falls Carnival taking place in December in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.