Sites & Sounds: Eswatini's MTN Bushfire Festival Ready To Ignite

One of Africa's most exciting and eclectic music festivals kicks off in just about a month in the Kingdom of Eswatini. The 17th edition of MTN Bushfire will take place May 31 - June 2, 2024 at House on Fire which is near Ezulwini Valley about a half an hour's drive outside of Mbabane, the nation's capital. The festival, while having an amazing lineup of performers, is also a cultural event that celebrates diversity, the spirit of social inclusion and an atmosphere of tolerance. With that in mind, MTN Bushfire has a call to action that asks attendees to "bring their fire."

While the fire at MTN Bushfire is metaphorical, the roster of global musicians set to appear is red hot. This year's main headliner will be the Nigerian-born neo soul singer Nneka who incorporates reggae, hip-hop and Afrobeat into her always spiritually-attuned music. Lots of acts will be coming in from neighboring South Africa including Lloyiso who will enchant fans with his love songs, the Soweto-based BCUC (Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness) with their energetic music that tells tales from their homeland and Luukhanyo & the Hii Rollers, Cape Town-based performers working in the contemporary R&B, hip-hop, funk and jazz genres. Another group hailing from the Cape will be Seba Kaapstad, a foursome that deals in sublime grooves and African polyrhythms. The UK will be represented by dynamic band leader and saxophone player Camilla George, a purveyor of jazz, hip-hop and Afrofuturism, and also production duo Blue Lab Beats.

The African rave genre called Singele will be heard at MTN Bushfire courtesy of Tanzanian performers Kadilida & Jay Mitta; they're considered the leading purveyors of Singele. Madalitso will be representing Malawi; the street duo has achieved enormous success throughout Africa and Europe with their folksy take on dance music. The Congo Cowboys will be on hand too; they specialize in mashing-up traditional African music with twangy Americana sounds. One of the most-anticipated performances will come from Matchume Zango as he presents an audio visual event called "The Native Practices of Mozambique" which will focus on the songs, dances and rites of the traditional Bantu people of Mozambique.

Of course artists from Eswatini will perform at MTN Bushfire as well, including singer Jazz P who explores femininity, spirituality, love and life in her music. Also representing Eswatini will be Hanwah & Friends and Sarnilo who sings in both Siswati and Chichewa as she fuses Afro-soul and hip-hop. Among the dozens of performers coming from the world over will be Umuti, Bholoja, Dusty & Stone, Maleh, Filah Lah Lah, the Fades, BDI, Michael Canfield, Muzi, Nibs & Ant, DJ Bob, Feten Feten, Trend Twins, Iamsiwas and the Cirk. More performers will be added to the list shortly.

Festival goers will have lots to do besides enjoying the music as there will also be cultural and spoken word performances, family friendly activities and the KidZone, dance, great food at the Global Food Village, artisanal crafts galore at the Barn Marketplace and the Bring Your Fire Zone where attendees can interact with like-minded social and environmental activists. MTN Bushfire is a great event to take in during a visit to Eswatini or indeed reason enough to visit the country. Eswatini was formerly known as Swaziland.

Information on MTN Bushfire including how to purchase tickets is here.

For information on other fun things to do in Eswatini and to plan you visit go here.

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