BY PHUMZILE NDLOVU
MALKERNS – South African singer, songwriter, and producer Lloyiso has been unveiled by MTN Bushfire as one of the headliners for the second artist drop, which was released today.
The 17th edition of the MTN Bushfire Festival will be held on May 31–June 02.
Born Loyiso Gijana from Uitenhage, Eastern Cape, in 1999, he rose to fame by making it to the top five in South African idols in 2015. The other artists who will be setting the stages ablaze at the 17th edition and participating in the festival are: BCU, Muzi, Sarnilo, Camilla George, Blue Lab Beats, Seba Kaapstad, Radio Sechaba, Kadilida & Jay Mitta, Matchume Zango, Luukhanyo & The HII Rollers, Congo Cowboys, Hanwah & Friends, Jazz P, and Madalisto.
In welcome contrast, the rebellious, spiritually inspired concoctions brewed by BCUC—Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness—will take you on a journey informed by their home-grown sounds of Soweto down the ages. Insightful lyricist Muzi is a transcendent storyteller who intertwines his deepest, most personal vulnerabilities into his genre-bending music.
All the way from Cape Town, Luukhanyo and the Hii Rollers will also feature at the Bush Fire Festival. Luukhanyo is known for his unapologetically authentic song writing and seamlessly blended elements of contemporary R&B, hip-hop, funk, and jazz.
Jazzing things up from the UK are Camilla George and Blue Lab Beats, whose performances are supported by a dynamic partnership between pioneering grassroots jazz organisation Jazz Refreshed and South African creative agency The Dig.
Camilla George is a visionary saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and innovator from the UK with a unique, hypnotising blend of afrofuturism, hip-hop, and jazz. Her music is informed by a powerful connection to her Nigerian identity, lineage, and heritage, as well as her love of fusing African and Western music.
Blue Lab Beats is one of the fastest-rising production duos in the world right now, with over 50 million streams. Consisting of ground-breaking producer NK-OK and the formidable multi-instrumentalist Mr. DM, the duo recently won a Grammy for their production on Angelique Kidjo’s track ‘Fired Up’ on her Mother Nature LP, which won Best Global Music Album.
MTN Bushfire is a place where people and cultures come together, as embodied by Seba Kaapstad, a multi-national Neo-Soul quartet based in Cape Town, who conjure beatific grooves that radiate the polyrhythmic essence of Africa, inspiring unity and healing. Their performance is supported by the Goethe-Institut. Radio Sechaba is the brainchild of critically acclaimed pianist, composer, and South African producer Bokani Dyer, reflecting his deep interest in nation-building, unity, and identity.
From the vibrant, pumping music scene in Tanzania, ferocity and passion combine with Kadilida and Jay Mitta, who bring us their take on the intoxicating and irresistible African rave genre, Singeli.
As a multi-disciplinary festival, MTN Bushfire is proud to present one of this year’s multi-media treats, The Native Practices of Mozambique. This audio-visual event by Matchume Zango presents a renewed version of the songs, dances, and rites of the traditional Bantu people of Mozambique. Matchume is well known in the Southern African region for his spectacular Timbila and dance shows. More cross-border and cross-genre artists on the line-up include The Congo Cowboys, who blend the twangy sounds of American roots music with the rich rhythms of African traditional music.
Madalitso are a Malawian street duo that will make you clap, dance, smile, and dance some more! It’s been an extraordinary few years for this dance folk duo, who, until 2017, hadn’t left their native Malawi but who have now toured Africa and Europe extensively.
Eswatini-born singer and composer Jazz P will take us on a musical journey that explores femininity, spirituality, love, and life. Other acts from Eswatini include Hanwah & Friends, consisting of pianist, vocalist, and producer originally from the UK, Hanwah, who is on a dedicated musical journey with talented musicians in Eswatini and beyond. Best known for her captivating lyrics and versatility, Sarnilo smoothly incorporates both Siswati and Chichewa in a fusion of Afro-Soul and hip-hop.
Additionally, MTN Bushfire fans can expect the usual diversity of performances that include cultural performances, spoken word, family-friendly activities, dance, and, of course, the ever-popular artisanal Barn Marketplace, Global Food Village, and KidZone, as well as an invigorated Bring Your Fire Zone for interactive social and environmental advocacy.
Tickets can be purchased from the MTN Bushfire website, where glamping, camping, and travel options can also be found, or with MTN Mobile Money via MoMo Marketplace on WhatsApp (Eswatini only). To learn more, please visit the MTN Bushfire website, https://www.bush-fire.com, and look out for further acts to be announced @mtnbushfire on the all-in-one chat and music app Ayoba, as well as on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
