LUJU FESTIVAL STAGE SET

Mbabane – Eat, Sway, Love!

Today marks the first day of the much anticipated Standard Bank Luju Food & Lifestyle Festival. The two-day festival will be held at Malandela’s in Malkerns. When reached for comment, Festival Director Jiggs Thorne assured the public that they were ready to welcome the public as preparations were already at an advanced stage. “We have been around the block a few times, so we are now quite familiar with it all, the running around. Every year our aim is to raise the bar from the last event,” said Thorne.

Task

He went on to say that their task with the team was to make sure that people have the best experience every year. “People can expect an amazing experience even this year,” said the director. When quizzed on safety measures  put in place for the festival, he said: “Every year we make sure that we engage security personal, police, emergency services, fire departments and the medial team who will be on site ready to respond to any emergency,” said Thorne. Tickets are still available and will be sold at the gate for those who still haven’t purchased them. Gates will open at 4pm today. Tomorrow they will open at 10am.  

Here are a few names and faces to watch out for:

Zakes Bantwini (RSA)

Known for his electrifying presence on stage, Zakes Bantwini – affectionately known as the King of Dance – is a versatile singer, producer, and songwriter.

 Ami Faku (RSA)

Amanda Faku is a musician, performer and songwriter, and one of the most important voices to come out of South Africa in the last 5 years.

 Mlindo the Vocalist (RSA)

Lindokuhle Mgedeza’s debut single Amablesser, was certified four times platinum, and his debut album, Emakhaya (2018), also went platinum and garnered 3 SAMA nominations. He released his second album, Lindokuhle, in July.

 Shane Cooper & MABUTA (RSA)

Shane Cooper & MABUTA are part of the new wave of South African Jazz, pushing the bounds of the Electronic/Dance music world.

 Da Starr (LSO)

Da Starr (Naleli Lesala) is Lesotho’s Grand Spinna. His sets incorporate sounds from Hip-Hop, RnB, Neo-Soul, Bossa Nova, Lounge, Nu-Jazz and Disco.

 Radjha Ali (MOZ)

Radjha Ali is a singer and songwriter identifying with Afro and Afro-Jazz styles, influenced by the traditional dances of Mozambique.

 Steve Umculo (RSA)

Steve Umculo is an upbeat and energetic singer/songwriter from Johannesburg. His music is a unique blend of Afro-centric grooves and Folk harmonies.

 Lura (CPV/PRT)

Lura's voice is unmistakable, infectious; overturning all boundaries of style, place and time in a celebration of Luso-African culture.

Gcobani

Gcobani Sisekelo Masuku is an Afro-Soul guitarist, singer, songwriter and music producer who sings in siSwati, English and French, creating uplifting music to heal the soul.

King Don Thobela

King Don Thobela was born and raised in Makholokholo, Mbabane. He started his career in music in 2010 and characterizes his sound as Siswati Blues.

 DJ LU

DJ LU began his DJ career in Pretoria. His musical tastes lie between Hip Hop, RnB and Dancehall, and he’s never afraid to combine different sounds.

 Ezamaswazi

Mary-Ann Howard and Nompumelelo Zwane are Es watini’s Afro-Jazz/Soul powerhouse Ezamaswazi. Inspired by indigenous African songs, Ezamaswazi touch, heal and inspire souls with their breathtaking harmonic melodies.

 Msimisi

Msimisi’s soulful vocals and genre-crossing rhythms have made undeniable waves with audiences across the world.

 Thobile Makhoyane

Thobile Magagula, aka Makhoyane, fuses haunting vocals and the traditional Swati makhoyane and sitololo musical instruments with western ones to create a style of her own: ‘DloziRock’.

 Oriiginelle

Makhosazane Thwala, AKA Oriiginelle, developed a passion for music at a young age, using it to celebrate the beauty, art and strength of being a woman.

 Thubillion

Thubelihle Magagula is a 19-year-old DJ and YouTuber known for his creative and unexpected mashups and mixes in the genres of Commercial House and Amapiano.

 Nhlonipho

Nhlonipho is a talented singer, songwriter, and music theory lecturer who works with renowned international artists such as Kekelingo, a multi-instrumentalist from Soweto whose musical journey led to international stardom with The Muffinz before he embarked on a solo career.

 DJ Mkay

DJ Mkay is an events promoter, and performance DJ who fuses Hip-Hop, bouncy Afrobeat, Dancehall, Dance and other genres with Electronic bass to create unforgettable experiences.

 Tengesihle

Tengesihle Mimi Gwebu is a natural-born opera singer who is the reigning soprano champion of the annual Standard Bank Choral Music competition.

 Uncle Karly

Uncle Karly is one of Eswatini’s most celebrated household names with a distinctive presence on the decks appealing to both youthful and more mature audiences.

 Speech Umlangeni

Speech Umlangeni is a producer, events promoter, marketing specialist and DJ, specialising in energetic Afro-Deep, Ancestral, Techno and Classic House music.

 DJ MBO

Mbongeni Sithungo, better known as DJ MBO, is one of Eswatini’s most sought-after DJs, whose focus is House music, infused with touch-notes from other genres.

 Sibusiso Malindzisa

Sibusiso Malidzisa is a Jazz pianist and composer in Johannesburg who has recorded and performed internationally, in South Africa, Ghana, Botswana, and Bahrain.

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