It’s an interesting time for African music. If the cultural artefacts we create reflect our inner worlds, as well as the society in which we are created, then the music we provide as the soundtrack to our lives will be made either to tell our stories – or distract us from the things we can’t change about ourselves. Whichever way our artists choose to express their truths, it is our responsibility to help our artists manage their journeys of discovery as the creators of new narratives and cultures.
This year, Black Major heads to Lake of Stars Festival in Malawi, where we intend to supersede our task of putting on shows, in order to establish a much more profound connection with the Lake of Stars team; one that is aligned with our desire to amplify the stories of the people on the ground in Malawi.
At the moment, Malawi is facing riots and violence just like we are, and we hope to, along with Lake of Stars, create a space of respite within the festival where connection can be made between artists, audiences, and festival directors alike, in discovering what more we can do, together, to create inclusive, nuanced, meaningful and authentic experiences. The issues at hand are ones that have the potential to unite us in pursuit of a better future, a better culture, a better narrative – and we must take the opportunity to try.
Dj Lag, Bongeziwe and Moonchild Sanelly share similar backgrounds, whether it be the “rags to riches” trope, the “new-age, sexually, mentally, spiritually liberated woman” trope, or the “rural boy to big city young man” trope. These are stories of growth, change and coming into personal power that we believe are not unfamiliar to Malawian people, and we aim to show the world with this partnership that we are all much more closely connected in our experiences than we might believe.
Lake of Stars is officially sold out, but if you’re in the area, please come and say hi! We can’t wait to meet you.
Learn more about Lake of Stars Festival here.
