Sand Festival Curtain Falls
The sands are bare, no more fun activities going on in the Livingstonia Beach Campsite; just a few individuals, dismantling the stage that hosted a myriad of both local and international artists.
The lake is irresistibly calm, beaconing any cadaver hoping to cool off the scorching sun in Salima, but there is no one in sight.
Yet just a few hours ago, thousands of merry-makers were scrambling for a swim in the lake, taking turns of immeasurable dives in the giant water body.
Just a few hours ago, hundreds braved the boiling temperatures and took a stroll on the sweltering sands.
But as of today morning, life is back to normal at the venue of the 2015 Sand Festival, Malawi’s annual second arts festival.
From Friday evening, the campsite was the hive of activity as about 6000 revellers, both the young and the old trekked in for this year’s edition.
Jamaican superstar Busy Signal was on the minds of many and surely, he impressed the audience on Saturday with his energetic and superior performance.
Sunday closed on a high note with a surprise appearance of Lucky Stars Band. The legendary band won the hearts of the about 1000 fans with their hit, Chinafuna M’bale.
“Yomweyo, yomweyo, yomweyo (play it again),” that is how much the fans liked watching teh song that has lived for years without losing its taste.
Music is the universal language as it unites people of different ages, religion, colour among others. That was the case as the band, lead by Boniface Ndamera who is blind, performed Chinafuna M’bale much to the excitement of fans.
Skeffa ‘the Jamming Machine’ Chimoto was the last on stage, entertaining fans way into the late hours ofSunday.
By 10 pm, the festival had ended but fans were still there, looking satisfied, but pondering on their next move.
Although with no music blasting from the speakers, the fans hovered around enjoying drinks, cracking jokes and reminiscing the festival that was.
Turning to camping tents, hotel rooms and cars that generously turned into bedrooms, one by one the fans left, until there was none left, save the stage, the sands and the lake.
