MTN Bushfire gets warmer!
THE MTN Bushfire Festival is gearing up for its 17th edition, and the excitement is reaching a fever pitch with the announcement of a scorching lineup that promises an unforgettable experience for music lovers and festival goers alike.
The Ballantine’s Firefly stage will be set ablaze by an incredible array of musical talent, with headlining act, globally acclaimed Malian duo Amadou & Mariam taking centre stage.
Amadou & Mariam have taken the Malian Blues that made them a household name and opened it up to Rock, Hip Hop and Disco influences, spreading their joie de vivre and establishing themselves as the ultimate ambassadors of Afro-pop. In the heart of Afro-blues, their voices continue to echo across continents.
Adding to the excitement is South Africa’s own Vigro Deep SA, who will bring his signature Amapiano flair to the Ballantine’s Firefly Stage. He will fire up the dance floor from the Ballantine’s Firefly Stage with his distinctive amapiano flair fused expertly with elements of EDM, dubstep, techno house and other genres.
MTN Bushfire Festival is renowned for its unique and eclectic music line-ups rooted in a pulsating celebration of diversity and the spirit of inclusion. This year, the festival will be headlined by one of the continent’s most powerful voices, Nigerian global music sensation, Nneka.
The 17th edition of the festival will take place from May 31- June 2, 2024, at House On Fire in the scenic Malkerns Valley of Eswatini. Soulful vocals and Amapiano anthems – prepare to lose yourself to the magic of Daliwonga. Coming in hot on this year’s Ballantine’s Firefly Stage lineup is one of the much-loved, prominent voices in Amapiano hailing from South Africa. Daliwonga will be serving his Amapiano anthems with his soulful vocals and infectious melodies at this year’s MTN Bushfire Festival.
To make your heartbeat to the speed of sound, South Africa’s Deep House phenomenon, Da Capo. Renowned South African House Music DJ & Producer joins the line-up for this year’s Ballantine’s Firefly stage. The genre-bending producer has gained recognition for his distinctive blend of African rhythms and electronic beats, captivating audiences from all over the world!
In addition to the stellar musical lineup, festival goers can look forward to a special treat in the form of an Interactive Ceramics Workshop by the award-winning Master Ceramicist Andile Dyalvane. Journey through this spiritually uplifting space where culture and creativity converge, shaping remarkable pieces that honour tradition and inspire healing.
Andile Dyalvane uses clay as a powerful medium for his artistic expression, reflecting a deep reverence for the land, culture, and the human experience. Clay whispers stories of Xhosa heritage in Andile’s hands, and you can take part in this spiritual ceramic odyssey.
Named ‘Top African Festival’ by the BBC and hailed by CNN as one of the ‘7 African music festivals you have to see’, MTN Bushfire looks forward to uniting Fire Starters from across the world in an atmosphere of tolerance.
Globally infused, authentically African and proudly Eswatini, MTN Bushfire is one of Africa’s largest multicultural gatherings, illuminating the transformational power of the arts through our call to action for positive social and environmental change, #BRINGYOURFIRE.
A diverse, inclusive, and family-friendly music and arts festival set in a fantasyscape of the imagination, MTN Bushfire takes place in the beautiful farmland and mountains of the peaceful Malkerns Valley. Every year, Bushfire welcomes Fire Starters from over 60 countries for an energising and uplifting weekend, with an eclectic programme featuring some of the finest musical and artistic talents from across Africa and around the globe.
A conscious celebration of unity in diversity and an inspiring emblem of social inclusion, MTN Bushfire represents the kind of world we would all like to see – a global community of change-makers, thought leaders, and creative problem solvers who unite in a celebration of the arts and in the spirit of acting against discrimination, environmental degradation, and poverty.
ABOUT ARTISTS Amadou & Mariam
Amadou & Mariam are a musical duo from Mali, composed of the Bamako-born couple Amadou Bagayoko (guitar and vocals) and Mariam Doumbia (vocals).
The duo’s early recordings in the 1980s and 1990s featured sparse arrangements of guitar and voice. Since the late 1990s Amadou & Mariam have produced music that mixes traditional Mali sounds with rock guitars, Syrian violins, Cuban trumpets, Egyptian ney, Indian tablas and Dogon percussion. In combination, these elements have been called ‘Afro-blues.’
Their album Welcome To Mali (2008) was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album. Amadou lost his vision at the age of 16, while Mariam became blind at age 5 because of untreated measles. Known as “the blind couple from Mali”, they met at Mali’s Institute for the Young Blind, where they both performed at the institute’s Eclipse Orchestra, directed by Idrissa Soumaouro and found they shared an interest in music.
Amadou & Mariam won the Best Group category in the inaugural Songlines Music Awards (2009) – announced on 1 May 2009 – the new world music awards organised by the UK-based magazine, Songlines.
Vigro Deep SA
The South African music producer and DJ, Vigro Deep began his long-life musical career in 2017 by becoming a beat and song producer. He chose the amapiano genre and executed it in his dialect. He rose to fame over time because of his successful songs. He is an independent music producer and disc jockey who is not affiliated with any other record companies.
Vigro Deep’s ‘Vula Vala’ song with Nokwazi became well-known, giving him his big break. Despite having fallen in love with music in high school, having mentors like the famous Oskido and DJ Buckz shaped his musical career.
Vigro Deep began learning music production in 2017, and the following year, he rose to great fame, and he has gone on to release more excellent songs and albums. In 2018, Vigro Deep was acknowledged as one of South Africa’s top Amapiano house music producers. He engages his audiences and music enthusiasts with his distinctive sound, which was influenced by Tshwane.
At the age of 17, he released his debut album, Baby Boy. After that, in 2019, he also released Baby Boy 2 Reloaded. Additionally, he delivered a spectacular show called ‘Vigro Deep One Man Show,’ which featured guests like Busiswa, A-Reece, Njelic, and others.
Untold Story and Bundle of Joy are two revolutionary songs by Vigro Deep that paved the path for his opportunity to perform in the United Kingdom and the United States of America and in countries like Botswana and Mozambique.
Daliwonga
Daliwonga Matiwane, better known as simply Daliwonga, is a rising star in the South African Amapiano music scene. He began his career in music as a backing vocalist, working with various artists before making his breakthrough as a solo artist in 2020 with his album “Chameleon”.
The album quickly became a hit, featuring collaborations with other Amapiano artists such as Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa. Daliwonga’s soulful vocals and smooth style have earned him a loyal fanbase, and he has since released two more albums, ‘Uyang’testa’ and ‘Chune’. He continues to make waves in the South African music scene and is regarded as one of the top Amapiano artists in the country.
Da Capo
Nicodimas Sekheta Mogashoa, professionally known as Da Capo is a South African DJ and record producer. Born and raised in Seshego, Da Capo rose to prominence after remixing the single ‘Pretty Disaster’ by Moneoa. He then signed a recording deal with Soulstic Music and his studio debut album Indigo Child (2017), which was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA).
After completing his matric, he studied media and communication at the University of Limpopo but dropped out. His musical career began as a rapper and later developed an interest in house music.
After he signed a record deal with Soulstic Music, Indigo Child was released on December 8, 2017, in South Africa. The album was certified double platinum and garnered over 36.5 million streams on digital streaming platforms.