So great was the impact of Malawi on United Kingdom promoter Will Jameson that he named his club night after a local beer and since 2004, has been bringing some of the finest names in UK dance music to play at his annual Lake of the Stars event. It takes place this year from September 1 to 3 on Lake Malawi’s palm-fringed shores. If you can’t make it there, don’t worry, you can check out the pre-party events in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
How did you come to name your night in Liverpool Chibuku Shake Shake?
Chibuku is a Malawian beer and a pretty acquired taste. I named my club night Chibuku Shake Shake after spending six months volunteering in Malawi with the conservation society … I ended up absolutely falling in love with the place and always wanted to go back.
So tell me about the Chibuku Shake Shake nights?
Well, the night is mainly based in Liverpool, but we do some events in London and occasional events around the rest of the UK. We’ve actually done a couple of gigs at the London club Fabric, which is amazing as it is such an important and well-known venue. The night started in a tiny room above a pub and has grown over the past six years to become one of the most respected underground club nights in the UK.
What inspired Lake of the Stars?
Being involved in the music-events business back home, I had the contacts and knowledge to set up the festival and it was something I wanted to do for more than three years before the first event. I just wanted other people to experience this beautiful country and it’s amazing people and fall in love with it like I did, while, at the same time, doing something for a good cause.
Where does it happen?
In the northern part of the country at Chintheche Inn, a gorgeous resort with a stunning beach. We are expecting between 1 500 and 2 000 people over the course of the weekend. Being only the third year, and having limited resources, it is still a small project, but one we hope will continue to grow.
Who is billed for this year and can you tell me a bit about the headliners?
From the UK, Mikey General from the Bugz in the Attic broken beat collective, Phat Phil Cooper, The Beat Monkeys, and from the United States, Yewande. Malawian artists to perform this year include Lucias Banda, Lulu, Black Missionaries, Joseph Tembo, Kenny Gilmore & Sangalala and Ben Mankhamba.
Any collaborations between UK and Malawi acts?
No collaborations have taken place yet, but we are hoping to sort something out. Yewande will be visiting a number of schools prior to the festival and playing a number of shows in Blantyre after the festival, though.
What are the aims of the event?
The aims of the festival are to promote Malawi as a tourist destination and get people over there discovering the country and all it has to offer. Revenue from ticket sales is also donated to a local charity … the Children in the Wilderness.
Who is it aimed at?
It is aimed at anyone who enjoys music. The crowd is mainly adults, but we do get some families coming along for the day. The past two festivals have mainly been comprised of travellers from the UK, the expat community in Malawi, Malawians and South Africans, although there have also been people coming from all over Southern Africa.
What makes this party so special?
It is the only event of its kind in Malawi … I mean, we’ve had artists as diverse as a sitar player from India, a circus act from Spain, DJs from Estonia and Zimbabwe and a well-known world-music musician from Algeria requesting to play at the festival, so it really is an international event. Unfortunately, at the moment our budget is so small we are not in a position to take up all these offers, but in the future …
Any future plans and aims?
I would love to keep going back to Malawi every year and really grow the event into something that is internationally recognised. The more people I can educate about Malawi and get to visit the country the better, as far as I’m concerned. I have also started to do some more Lake of the Stars based events in the UK so it would be amazing if we could get a musical exchange going where artists from Malawi who have played at the festival could come over to England and be involved with events over here.
Pre-parties and other info
- Cape Town: August 25 at Roosevelt on 160 Bree Street. On the night Phat Phil Cooper from the UK and local boy Pierre-Estienne.
- Johannesburg: August 26 at Fuel Cafe (corner Carr and Quinn streets, Newtown). Featuring Phat Phil Cooper and Pierre-Estienne plus resident DJs Damian and Greg.
- Malawi: Tickets for the event cost R250 for a three-day pass. Contact [email protected] or phone him on 076 276 372 for tickets in South Africa. Visit: www.lakeofstarsfestival.co.uk