Rift Valley Recap
The music is over and the bottles are empty. Rift Valley Festival is still in our system and so is the music we got to experience.
Personal highlights were: Just a Band, Mokoomba, and Yellow Light Machine (I missed out on Maia and Soussou & Maher so forgive me if they blew everybody’s mind).
Just a Band might have seemed a boring choice, but with their Friday night performance, they maintained their position as the most interesting band in Nairobi. Playing a more mellow set than expected, they seem to have updated their live act, perhaps signified by Blinky Bill’s choice of the Afro wig instead of his signature wide-brimmed hat.
Crowd favorite, Mokoomba, banjukad with innovative dance moves and a funky Afro fusion sound that made even the cool kids move. No one seemed to remember the cold from the rainy afternoon as people tried to match the band’s energy and enthusiastic dancing. One spectator was laughing in delight before summarizing: “The performance was awesome! That guy has energy, whoa!” “That guy” was lead singer, Mathias Muzaza, whose arresting performance no doubt will have people looking for their music online, having gained a few new Kenyan fans.
Yellow Light Machine was a pleasant surprise we stumbled upon at the second stage — a young, energetic band with two great female vocalists bringing a tight soulful set. Festivals are really about discovering new bands and this is definitely one we’ll be keeping an eye on.
The abundance of DJs performing at RVF set the scene for the late night party crowd. I wasn’t awake to experience it first-hand, but it has been reported that an all time high was DJ Cortega’s marathon set that closed the party at 9:45 am on Sunday morning.
Lots of legendary tales were told around the UP Lounge on Sunday and we were happy to have so many wonderful people float in and out of our little lovely space.
Huge love and respect to all the volunteers who made an effort putting (and holding) the festival together. The décor for this year was great and everything seemed to be running smoothly. See you all in 2014.
Cortega says:
Thanks UP for the shoutout. I enjoyed that Sunday morning set, with the sun rising over the lake in the background, and an amazing crew of dancers who were on the same musical journey, like no other set I have yet done in Kenya… Thanks RVF and all you guys for the love!
ramona bigwood says:
Have to disagree, Barney Barrows set on Friday was fantastic, we were all loving it! The fact that you were asleep makes me question your ability as a reporter. Spelling mistakes all over the shop.
Familyman says:
My advice would be to stick to writing about what you actually saw. For the record: JStar was by far the stand out DJ of the festival, smashing the place with layers of hip hop, dub, dancehall and dubstep, and Barney Barrow played to a rammed main arena on Friday night, although his set was marred by technical problems.
Whatktdoes says:
yes it does seem that this article is more about what the reporter slept through than what he/she (?) actually saw/heard
Fleur says:
Gets your facts right mate. Bad reporting….
Nemo says:
Cheers for the shoutout UP, one love