Date: 16 May 2011
Several more top music acts have been confirmed for the Bushfire Festival from 27 to 29 May 2011, including Caiphus Semenya and Tidal Waves .
This independent arts, music and poetry festival, taking place at the House on Fire performance venue on Malandela’s Farm in Swaziland’s ‘Valley of Heaven’, is planning a feast of entertainment to ensure the weekend is one long party.
Visitors can check out South African outfits Goldfish, Black Coffee, Gazelle, Hot Water and Tonik; Swazi acts Spirits Indigenous, Nomzamo and Bholoja; as well as Oliver Mtukudzi (Zimbabwe), Habib Koité (Mali), The Yale Concert Band (USA), French Mime Artist Laurent Decol and Jamaican-Canadian dub poet D’Bi.Young.
Other acts taking part include South African jazz arranger, composer, bandleader and vocalist Semenya, and roots-reggae outfit Tidal Waves, fresh from a triumphant US tour and acclaimed performance at the SXSW festival in Texas.
Also on the bill are internationally acclaimed Mozambican artist António Marcos, South African VJ/DJ Târâ (aka Monique Pascall), Botswanan Afro-jazz sensation Shanti Lo, sensational Swazi hip-hop duo Siyinqaba, Canadian-born Swazi/South African rhythmic word wizard Croc E Moses, and French mime artist Laurent Decol.
Top Swazi DJs will light up the decks, including DJs Stitch (hip-hop), Mixmash (old-school), Mbo (electro/European), Rekorder (deep house), Tenderness (hip-hop), DD Cool (dance, old-school, kwaito, pasadda), Didang (hip-hop/old-school/Afro-pop), and Wicked and Crooks (deep house).
Another treat for festival-goers will be the enormous puppets from The Giant Match, which makes its Bushfire debut after thrilling audiences at last year’s National Arts Festival and during World Cup-related festivities. Based on the original collaboration between South African artists and Les Grandes Personnes, these giant puppets and a troupe of musicians will deliver a larger-than-life performance in the Bushfire arena.
Bushfire has become renowned for not only promoting local artistic talent as well as cultural diversity, but creatively advocating for social change. Aids orphan support NGO Young Heroes receives 100% of festival profits – more than R500 000 to date – and Bushfire has gained an international reputation as one of the continent’s most socially responsible events.
“Our ‘Call to Action’ philosophy means that we are not merely a passive arts fest offering escapist entertainment,” says festival director Jiggs Thorne. “We are mindful of the challenges facing the country, and as such we encourage artists to use their creative voices to promote development and transformation.”
The event also focuses on the economic empowerment of Swazis, particularly in the arts, culture, tourism and hospitality industries. This year’s festival – with the theme “Mixing the Point”, to celebrate diversity and inspire new collaborations and cultural meeting points – will again feature a fair trade and design marketplace, in collaboration with Swaziland Fair Trade. Handcraft workshops will be presented, and Swazi products will be showcased to visitors as well as to international designers, distributors and retail buyers.
Six Swazi groups will perform on the “100% Seriously Swazi” stage, with others performing informally throughout the festival grounds. Other ongoing projects are the Bushfire Schools Festival and outreach project, which gives young people access to quality, sustainable arts activities, and the Arts & Culture Round Table, held in partnership with the Arterial Network, to discuss the development of the arts.
How to book Pre-booking for Bushfire is essential at www.computicket.com. Both VIP and standard tickets are available, as are one-day tickets. Children enjoy discounted rates, with free admission for under-fives.
Tickets are also available internationally at www.swazi.travel. The website includes information on where to stay during the festival, from backpackers and campsites to chalets and hotels. Visit www.bushfire.co.sz for more information and updates.
