BY SIPHOSETHU MABUZA
MLAWULA – While the Night Groove Session at Mlawula Campfire Festival was largely built around the familiar sounds of DJs, dancing and contemporary music, Sancheziey shifted the mood when he stepped onto the stage, bringing umgidvo and a strong cultural feel to the crowd.
Rather than simply following the usual groove expected at a Saturday night festival, Sancheziey’s set leaned into cultural sounds and movement, giving the audience a different kind of live experience. His performance created a space where the crowd could sing, move and connect with a sound that felt rooted in Eswatini’s cultural identity.
The change in atmosphere was noticeable as festivalgoers responded to the performance, with the stage becoming less about simply dancing to a beat and more about participating in the cultural expression coming from the performer.
Among those caught up in the moment were Minister of Labour and Social Security Phila Buthelezi, Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Jane Mkhonta-Simelane and Minister of Sports, Youth and Culture Bongani Nzima, who joined the crowd in singing along to Sancheziey’s songs.
For Sancheziey, the performance demonstrated the different settings he can create on stage. Where DJs and artists can often rely on the conventional festival groove to carry a performance, his set introduced umgidvo as a central part of the experience, bringing culture into a space largely associated with contemporary nightlife.
The performance also added another layer to a Night Groove programme that had already moved through gospel, Soul and R&B before Sancheziey took the stage. Following his set, the night continued with Zulu D and Sintour before South African singer Boohle closed the major performances as the headline act.
Sancheziey’s performance therefore became more than another set on the festival programme; it offered the Mlawula audience a change of pace, showing how cultural expression can sit comfortably alongside the modern festival groove.
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