Africa’s most diverse world music and arts festival, MTN Bushfire, slated between the 29th and 31st of May at the heart of the Malkerns Valley, Swaziland, returns this year with the most eclectic and star-studded line-up. According to its organizers the event’s lineup has been open to international and regional artists.
“As the largest festival of world music and arts in Southern Africa, MTN Bushfire actively showcases a selection of the finest regional and interactional talent each year. On March 25th we held the official 2015 MTN Bushfire launch in Swaziland, announcing the majority of our musical line-up. As the 2015 festival is only a month away the deadline for artist applications has now passed, however artists will be able to apply for MTN Bushfire 2016 in August this year, via the Bushfire website,” said Lara Preston of Red Flag Design & Marketing.
She went on to say even though the deadline has passed they are excited to welcome local rapper Zeus to the lineup, “For 2015 we are very excited to welcome artist Zeus from Botswana. In partnership with the UNFPA, Zeus will be joining other young influential artists from across the region united as part of the ‘Safeguard Young People Project’ which helps to communicate themes of social behavioral change.”
In the past years artists like Shanti Lo have performed at MTN Bushfire. “We’d certainly like to encourage artists from Botswana to apply if they are interested in performing for the 2016 MTN Bushfire. Year on year, as the festival grows it’s great to see increased attendance and regional artists performing from Botswana- celebrating creative expression is, after all, what MTN Bushfire is all about,” Preston said.
Every year a multi-generational global community of over 20,000 people ‘bring their fire’ to the scenic farmlands of the Malkerns Valley, to experience the three day event. “80% of these attend MTN Bushfire from countries within the Southern African region; which for us, is a wonderfully humbling recognition of the regional support we receive from local people. The MTN Bushfire programme is very eclectic to say the least. I would want to add that we consciously steer away from crafting a commercial line-up and instead hope to create a programme that offers African personality and atmospheric magic. ‘World music’ as a label would probably best define the incredible array of acts coming to perform at MTN Bushfire from the Southern African region and from across the world. In addition to our 2015 musical line-up festival goers can also expect a compelling array of theatre, poetry, dance, art exhibits and installations, story-telling, puppetry, film, and themed workshops for the whole family to enjoy,” she added.