- When it comes to festivals, getting there is all part of the experience. Nowhere is this more true than with Lake Of Stars, particularly since bouncing down the road in the back of a pick-up truck surrounded by the dusky red Malawian landscape feels a damn sight more adventurous than queuing up to park your car for hours.
Now in its sixth year, Lake Of Stars has been on something of a journey itself since it was conceived by Will Jameson, one of the original brains behind Chibuku Shake Shake in Liverpool (UK), the club he christened after a particularly coarse brand of Malawian beer following a year's volunteer work in the country. Beginning as a beach party at Chinteche in the north, the festival has moved down the shores of Lake Malawi—first to Senga Bay and now to Nkopola Lodge on the lake's southernmost tip—where they've also picked up a new name and sponsor. With the waves of the continent's third largest lake lapping palm-fringed shores, Vinspired's Lake Of Stars festival site is a picture perfect portrait of tropical Africa. Almost too perfect in fact—the manicured lawns and brushed sands of Nkopola Lodge feel like a completely different country compared to the dilapidated shacks in the villages just over the fence.
Photo credit: Mark Jones
Despite the number of Europeans, Americans and Australians here dancing alongside the African contingent, Lake Of Stars isn't just about a load of rich Westerners jetting in for their own private party in one of the world's poorest countries though. The festival raises money for local community development schemes such as the Microloan Foundation, and is dedicated to giving Malawian acts equal footing with bigger international names on the bill.
Sometimes, possibly given the advantage of playing on home turf, putting them in the shade. That was the case with Malawi's veteran soul man Lucius Banda, whose big-hearted and easy-going show on Friday made Sway's Saturday performance on the same stage seem far too desperate to impress, especially when the UK-rapper-turned-Akon-protégé embarrassed himself with the obvious I-wanna-do-a-Dizzee-Rascal hip-house of new single "Tonight" or his rhymes about Mercedes Benz.
Photo credit: Steve Mcinerny
The locals also do themselves proud with Dominant 1 and 3rd Eye's hard-edged hip-hop and the Black Missionaries, one of the festival's biggest draws and whose ebullient reggae chimes perfectly with the surroundings. Certainly more so than The Maccabees, since buzzy indie-rock songs about London leisure centres hardly seem to belong in sub-Saharan Africa. (Even if their obvious delight in being here made them one of the weekend's most talked-about acts.)
Elsewhere, the laidback African pace certainly seemed to have seeped into the record boxes of Ross Allen and Ali B, with the latter closing Sunday's proceedings with a set of dubby bootlegs of everything from Beyonce to The Beatles—ideal tunes for winding down in the oppressive 40 degree heat. It was DJ sets from Joe Goddard and Radioclit that were highlights, though. The Hot Chip boy's set was a marvel to behold as he buildt from wonky house through to a crowd-pleasing climax of "Doom's Night" and "To Be in Love," while Radioclit truly captured what Lake Of Stars is all about: Mixing contemporary European electro with traditional African rhythms, the duo quickened the pulse of the country they call the warm heart of Africa.