Bad weather disrupts Major Lazer LoS do
What was anticipated to be the biggest moment of the three-day Lake of Stars (LoS) festival was nearly spoilt by heavy winds, initially casting the performance of main headliner Major Lazer in doubt.
The festival started on a promising note on Friday as artists dug deep to produce good performances to justify their inclusion on the line-up of the international festival which was making a return after a year’s break.
The weather started showing signs of unfliendliness on Saturday night as it blew strongly off shore, bringing with its sandy dust.
Most of the tent shelters which were erected were blown off, so too was a TNM beach stage which had some of its speakers down come Sunday morning.
It appeared as if it was getting calmer on the beaches of Kabumba Hotel in Salima, which hosted the festival for the first time. But as the day wore on and the night approached, the heavy winds returned, this time even stronger.
When Theo Thomson finished his performance, the fun seekers appeared unsure if the event’s main headliner would make it to the stage, considering how hostile the weather had become.
There was relief then when the stage started being set in readiness for the American group.
The mood became ecstatic when the group appeared on stage, dressed shield themselves from the wind. All the same, they made their best efforts to give fans something to smile about.
Major Lazer showed why they are regarded as one of the world’s best music mixers. They brought on the platform a feel of reggae, afro-pop, hip-hop and other genres.
After their performance, which lasted over two hours, the patrons were left longing for more.
Other performances came from local hip-hop artist Malceba, whose stage combination with fellow urban artist Saint was a marvel.
Malawi’s well-travelled gospel star Faith Mussa also wowed the audience with a moving performance.
A patron, Martha Jere, said the three days of the festival had been nothing but pure fun for the festival goers.
Director for Kabumba Hotel Joseph Chiume said they intend to make the place a permanent home for the festival.
