Last weekend, the world headed to Jinja, Uganda, specifically to Nile Discovery Beach for the second edition of Nyege Nyege International Music Festival 2016. The festival was nothing short of an explosion of culture, fashion, music and art from various places across the globe and takes inspiration from the legendary World Festival of the Black Arts’ that took place in Dakar Senegal in 1966.
Hundreds of tourists and thousands of people from all over Uganda came to the Source of the Nile to witness an action packed weekend of entertainment at the three day non-stop musical experience that ran from September 2nd to 4th. Considered among the biggest music festivals in Africa, the Nyege Nyege Festival lined-up a massive list of artists from 31 countries for the best of contemporary African music with more than 200 artists and DJs showcasing their work. It was a diverse mix of genres and styles which included live bands, singers, instrumentalists, cultural acts, dance acts and topped off with some of the world’s top EDM DJs.
Some of the major international acts included tropical bass pioneers Daniel Haaksman&Schlachthofbronx, both hailing from Germany, Dub Morphology (UK) DJ Zhao (China) and Tropical Camel (Israel). Burkina Faso Hip Hop act Joey le Soldat and the revered African electronic music legend from Niger MammanSani also brought the festival to life. Other headliners included the multifaceted GatoPreto from Mozambique and talented Ibaaku (Senegal) and Malian Balani pioneer Luka Production.
Kenya’s TetuShani, Nu Fvnk, Cosmic Homies, Jinku, Yellow Light Machine, Labdi and the Kaya Collective, Uganda’s Lady Slyke, Albert Ssempeke, Undercover Brothers, and The Dons were among the main acts from East Africa at the event that will see the return of Kenyan DJ/Producer Blinky Bill. However, one notable performance came from Uganda’s own Young Cardamom &Hab, a young hip-hop duo whose songs address the concerns of modern day Kampalans.
The festival was set up over nine acres of land at Nile Discovery Beach Resort. It offered several food stalls, bars, lounges, fashion stalls, art exhibitions, chill out areas, swimming, boat rides, DJ stage and a main stage. More than 1000 people camped at the festival and the majority of Jinja’s hotels and guesthouses were full to capacity. The daytime vibe was relaxed as people enjoyed watching live music and chilling out with a good view the River Nile. While the nights were epic as people partied until the wee hours of the morning as they danced from one stage to the other.
The NyegeNyege Festival was organized by Boutiq Foundation and Talent Africa. Boutiq Foundation is acommunity based organization in Uganda that seeks to develop the local arts and culture industry by creating opportunities for upcoming artists while connecting underground acts from around the continent. Talent Africa is a leading events and entertainment company known for putting on some of the biggest events in the East African region. The NyegeNyege International Music Festival was sponsored by Bell Lager, Brussels Airlines, XFM, Urban TV, British Council, Ethiopian Airlines, Talent Africa and the Boutiq Foundation.
