Kalabash looking to leave a mark on Uganda’s festival scene

Kalabash festival operates in the same vein, with an electro bent. First organised in 2018 by Kampala-based East African Records (EAR), the festival took a break when the COVID-19 pandemic struck before making a comeback in September last year and March this year. The third edition of the relaunched event will take place at Ragga Dee Beach in Busabala, Kampala, on 25 May 2024.

As is tradition, the festival will bring together local and international artists and DJs for a day of live music and family activities. Headliners include DJ Vadim (UK), Mr Leo (Cameroon), DJ Dogu (Germany), Razoof (Germany) and Binti Afrika (Kenya), as well as local acts DJ Shiru, Vyper Ranking, Kvan and more.

Ahead of the Saturday show on Africa Day, EAR director David Cecil provided insider information about the festival.

MUSIC IN AFRICA: Why was Kalabash conceptualised?

DAVID CECIL: Kalabash started in 2018 as a monthly underground electronic night organised by East African Records in collaboration with Faizal Mostrixx, Fyah LeBoeuf and SkaFace as the residents. Each edition hosted international and local guests, including Youth, Simbad, Nilotika Cultural Ensemble and Lasta. When Faizal and Fyah moved abroad and COVID kicked in, we took a break and now EAR is continuing the brand and turning it into a bigger event happening every few months. The focus is now more on live bands during the first few hours and then DJ action till dawn.

You’ve held two editions since the relaunch. How has the response been?

The first relaunched edition was in September 2023 at Ragga Dee Beach, like the one happening this weekend. We were messed around by various venue managers and, in the end, were left with only three days to promote the event. Luckily, we still had about 200 people turning up and it was a great party, but felt more like a dress rehearsal than the real relaunch. The March 2024 edition was held at our regular party joint in Kampala – Wild Coffee – and was a smash hit with hundreds of people partying till the morning. The formula of live acts leading into electronic music worked like a dream. It felt like there was a real variety of music, something for everyone. Nilotika Cultural Ensemble saved the day when there was a power failure, keeping the crowd going until the generator arrived. For this edition on 25 May, we are taking no chances and have back-up generators on-site already.

What role do festivals like Kalabash play in promoting the East African music scene?

Festivals are great at bringing everyone together in one place, where upcoming artists can get exposure to bigger audiences alongside established acts. A promoter can take a risk in bringing a bigger artist over from abroad for a festival, which helps expose the East African scene to international followers of that artist. Festivals also get people out of town, away from the usual club venues and the same old music. Festivals are a place where we can be free and experience new music.

How do you select artists that play at the festival?

Kalabash isn’t an international music festival, nor is it a commercial venture. It’s a party for us and our friends to enjoy good music in a beautiful place. So we work with the artists from our network and studio. All the performers at the upcoming Kalabash – including DJ Vadim – have recorded and released music with EAR. That’s a lot of artists, as we have distributed music for over 200 acts over the years. But this isn’t about promoting EAR as a brand, we’re simply creating an opportunity for us all to party together.

What can festivalgoers expect this Saturday?

With music from 1pm onwards, water sports in the lake, a football match and a bouncy castle, Kalabash is both a family-friendly event and an all-night crazy jam. So it’s a chance for people with kids to come and enjoy great music with their families. As night falls and people send the kids home, the music is going to pick up and get heavy.

What is the state of live music and festival scene in Uganda?

Festivals are risky for the promoter. We aim to deliver an unforgettable and unique experience and don’t take on these projects lightly, but that comes at a great cost. If something goes wrong – sponsors fail to deliver or not enough tickets get sold – it can spell disaster and months of recovery for the promoter. We need people to support these special events and make space in their calendar to come. We’re trying to do something different here, creating opportunities for upcoming artists and a positive image for Ugandan music. If we succeed, it’s good for the whole industry.

For ticketing information and festival updates, visit EAR’s X and Instagram pages.