It was a random day and I was on Twitter getting up to my regular shenanigans when I saw an announcement come across my timeline – ‘TROMPIES IS COMING TO BUSHFIRE!’ You see kwaito is so important to me, as a genre, as a call to action, as a political tool – I love every single thing about it.
So I started planning immediately. Where would I get a ticket because they had been sold out for months? What was I going to wear because I was attending come rain, shine, or elusive ticket? I travelled about three weeks before the festival and saw online that everyone I knew had a ticket. I was uncomfortably close to tears during that entire period, it would not be me missing the festival! Let me tell you about the power of intent; it is now two weeks before the festival and a friend was selling tickets, I didn’t even think twice I purchased one of the tickets from her.
A few days later I saw that House on Fire had the most amazing and informative socially conscious interactive Live Dialogue sessions and I took part because ‘informative socially conscious and interactive’ is sort of my brand. After engaging I was told I won a ticket to the festival! Now I had two tickets ndakubetha universe! So I immediately plotted on selling the other. On the way to the festival a friend gave me a Golden Lounge ticket and honestly my cup was filled to overflowing at this point and ya girl was still sipping!
My cousin stressed upon me the convenience of having a car at the festival so you aren’t wearing all your jackets during the day and have them ruining your drip. So we carpooled on each of the days and lived happily ever after. I’ll break down my reactions to the event per day;
Friday: My energy was through the roof. I put on my face, wore a crop top for the first time in 3 years, tucked whatever was protruding of my belly into my high waist jeans and grabbed a bomber jacket. I was hyped until just before we hit Mahlanya. The traffic! What was happening! I couldn’t even see the turn to House on Fire it was just an endless line of cars. Eventually we made our way in, met up with friends and walked around. It was already so packed and everyone was in such high spirits – it was difficult for the mood not to be contagious! Mr Eazi came on and I sang until I lost my voice and danced until my back was sweating. Sidenote: I don’t dance and I don’t sing, but here we all were. Don’t remember much else about Friday except wondering how in the heavens they were able to expand the space so much to accommodate all of us! I got home at 5am because we sat in endless traffic again on the way home.
Saturday: I opened my eyes, sat up in bed and felt actual butterflies in my stomach from the excitement. I was going to be seeing Trompies with my very own eyes later. I arrived around 2pm and walked around, taking photos, greeting people and giving and getting hugs before heading to the Ampitheatre where Bashayi Bengoma were performing. And what a performance it was, kutsamba really is an art! I walked around a bit more and thankfully Trompies was coming on at a decent hour; 21:20 so I wiggled as close to the front of the stage as possible. I was ready. They opened with Sweety Lavo and I was shaking as I tried to record – I wanted to play all these performances back. They really are such a superior group I sang every song, well except for the solo…They were undoubtedly my highlight for the day. I got home around 3am.
Sunday: At this stage my energy was waning and I didn’t even want to draw on my eyebrows😫 I was tired! But that is exactly why I made an effort so I didn’t look like my two days of partying. On this day I was looking forward to Asa and Tsepo Tshola. Asa was resplendent in her outfit as was her performance. Was it fuschia that thing she was wearing? A superstar if I’ve ever seen one. Later that day Ntate Tsepo Tshola took to the stage I only knew one song and I was ready for it. Oh my goodness he sang and sang kwaze kwavuka lusinga, I was transformed and transported by his vocals. It was so fitting that he was the last performance I saw at the 13th edition of the MTN Bushfire Festival because it reminded me why the greats are so important, why music matters so much.
Looking around at all the people so happy and so free I realised music really is a binding agent. I grew up in a home where music was revered and all the long drives with my Dad came back to me, all the Saturday morning cleaning sessions came back to me, all the late night study sessions came back to me. I was happy to see that the festival is not only about music, there is a socially conscious element to it as well. I was happy in a way I did not expect my anxiety would allow.
Every time I told people that I had never attended the festival they would be visibly shocked and now having been I truly understand why. However I am also a firm believer that nothing happens before its time and this was the perfect time for me to experience the festival.
So what about next year’s festival? Well as soon as tickets come out I will be first in line to purchase mine…wherever I am in the world I will definitely travel to be in the crowd, singing off-key as loudly as I can, and savouring the moment – slowly and deliberately taking in the many little moments that will undoubtedly create another spectacular experience.