The general festival scene in Nairobi is always tiringly busy, often saturated with trade and food stalls selling things at ridiculous prices, but Bad Mambo Productions are taking us back to the way things are supposed to be. After the shocking announcement that there would be no Rift Valley Festival this year, The Bad Mambo Crew took it upon themselves to rekindle at least something similar with the Meltdown Warmup, held last Saturday in Naivasha.
When informed of the event the week before I was totally skeptical, refusing to believe that there was a planned party that had no vendors, no stalls, no entrance. There was no catch whatsoever - all Bad Mambo wanted you to do was come on down and have a good time.
Upon arrival to the tranquil Fisherman’s Camp (free transport was provided by the organizers) the DJ’s & press were treated to a massive feast of roast potatoes and some of the most delectable lamb from the Well Hung Butcher Ltd, and then it was time to party.
From around 7 the crowd started to stream into the bar, and finally reached the optimum number that would make it one of the friendliest festivals in a long time. If you’re in certain festival crowds you’ll find yourself knowing or knowing of what feels like half the people there. Yet despite this it was in no way cliquey and everyone I met was up for a (slightly) drunken conversation.
Featuring a selection of the best DJs from the DJ Battle that was held at the Alchemist Bar this past April, the music line-up was spectacular. . It was wonderful to see some of the best breaking talents like DJs Coco_Em -my personal favourite- Lerb, Flip, Echo, Basthma and Supersun rubbing shoulders with legends like the long lost DJ Momo, temporarily back from his studies in Germany,and DJ Raph, one of the minds behind everyone’s favourite noisy library WLL.
The Meltdown warmup was more than a success - it was a true representation of what a small festival should be like. The music was chosen and curated by people who love music - people who actually put some thought into what the audience wants rather than just throwing together a mish mash of acts to cater to any palate. This is what makes any Bad Mambo gig a must attend.
Small festivals with these levels of musical talent and depth offer good value; Bad Mambo’s work ethic enables them to run a few of these such events.
I for one am personally stoked for the next BMP installation dubbed Meltdown: Explorations In Beats und Sound, a follow-up to the shenanigans of last weekend. The aim is to showcase a selection of experimental producers and DJs who have made it their life’s mission to create strange, industrial, broken beats and music that both wows and challenges its audiences.This time, revelers will be treated to the one and only Wirebug aka Dan Hekate and Moroto Heavy Industries (one of the minds behind last year’s successful Nyege Nyege festival in Uganda), Jinku (Nairobi’s most experimental DJ) as well as introducing Mr Booker K who is destined to be a staple in Nairobi’s music scene in future months. Head on down to the Alchemist Bar this Saturday for what promises to be an authentic auditory experience - #EarsWillBleed!
