BY SAM BANDA – DAILY TIMES
After unveiling
international headliners recently in Nigeria’s Mr P, Jamaica’s Gramps Morgan
and South Africa’s Makhadzi and Sipho Big Fish Makhabane, organisers of Sand
Music Festival have released some of the local acts.
The festival’s director
Soldier Lucius Banda, said Tuesday that they have close to 40 local artists
both old and new performing at the eleventh edition to be held at Sunbird
Nkopola in Mangochi District from October 1-3.
Some of the acts released Tuesday include Sam Smack, Don Tarz, Dan Lu, Kell Kay, Leslie, Skeffa Chimoto, DJ Mighty Virus, Macelba and Piksy.
“We still have a lot more
coming, the ones announced are just a quarter. This year we have an expensive
festival and people will experience something top notch. We have responded to
people’s plea to change things and bring in new faces and this is why we have
blended new and old,” he said.
Lucius, who has hinted that
he will perform for a short time on a Sunday to be headlined by Makhabane, said
they were still sealing deals with other artists before putting them to light.
The other artists who he
indicated have already been confirmed include Billy Kaunda, Lambanie Dube, Eli
Njuchi, Edgar ndi Davis Band, Gwamba and Onesimus.
“We are happy that we are
giving people variety and for the first time as a festival we have a headliner
for gospel music on Sunday. In the past we only had headliners for the first
and second day with gospel being sidelined but we are having a new crowd for
Sunday this year,” Lucius said.
He said they were cautious
of Covid and that they would make sure that they follow all the measures.
“We hope the time we will be
having the
festival; the situation will
be completely normal. But we are ready and people will not regret attending the
festival,” Lucius said.
The festival has this year
shifted from Sunbird Livingstonia to Sunbird Nkopola due to construction works.
Sand Music festival is among
the few top festivals alongside Tumaini and Hangout taking place this year with
Blantyre Arts and Lake of Stars in no show due to Covid.
Tumaini takes place in
November at Dzaleka Refugee Camp whereas Hangout which is also having Makhadzi
taking place at Kabumba Hotel in Salima end October.
