SWAMA FESTIVAL ATTRACTS 3 000 FUN LOVERS

MHLUME – The first festival to celebrate emerging local talent drew thousands (3 000) of fun lovers on Saturday who crammed into the tiny Nsukuwansuku Stadium for SWAMA’s six to six music festival.

The Swaziland Association of Music and Arts (SWAMA) pulled off one of the biggest shows in the history and if the attendance is anything to go by, the nation should be ready for a mouth-watering second edition next year.
As usual, the event posed a minor scare as by 6pm the security personnel were the only people at the stadium and one would have thought a flop was beckoning for the organisers.

The event was under a lot of uncertainty following its initial postponement and the location.
As it was a first edition a lot of followers thought it would have been ideal to host it along the Mbabane-Manzini corridor, but what a success it eventually became under all these challenges.

First on the line-up was the much anticipated fashion show whereby models from CONTEMPO showcased clothing from Fashion International, a clothing shop based in Manzini.The range of clothes that were paraded in included summer, casual and evening wear.
Notable faces on the ramp were none other than Miss Swaziland Samukelisiwe Magagula and pageant Director Thandeka Matse.

Unpacked

The parade lasted for 30 minutes after which the programme director, Anacondza, unpacked the line-up to the improving audience which included the legendary David Masondo, a lead singer for Soul brothers, and Phuz’ekhemisi.

It appears that in a few years it might be not necessary to invite international artists for such events as the Swazi musicians just outdid themselves.
These included Chakalaka, Nomsa-M, Floewe Fanaza, Gawuzela and Diba Diba among others.

Diba Diba was the first to take to the stage and he set a good tone for the rest of the evening as he gave an A-game performance. He sang his popular track ‘Amazing’, which the audience asked him to repeat.

Another positive in as far as the local performances were concerned was the way the audience responded and showed support towards our Swazi artists and the prospect of First World status looks within reach.

David Masondo took over from another spirited set by Mduduzi Nezinceku Zamagawugawu and Shongwe and Khuphuka.These two gospel groups were just an icing on the cake through the different dimension they contributed towards the diversity of the line-up.
Masondo showed his old trademark dances but with his known standards, he was disappointing. He played an average of 30 minutes instead of an hour.

Phuz’ekhemisi was the last act and he left the energic crowd yearning for more. His band was also a marvel to watch as it danced and sang for almost an hour. It was just a direct translation for the saying, ‘Save the best for last’.

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