Good people, it is that time again we trek to the country’s chief tourism attraction, Lake Malawi, for everything good for our eyes and ears.

I mean this years’ leg of Sand Festival starting tonight at Sunbird Livingstonia Beach in Salima and its newest cousin Likoma Summer Festival last weekend.

In 2012, National Bank of Malawi marketing manager Wilkins Mijiga aptly summed up this annual spate of sounds on the shores “music tourism’.

Quite stunning encounters, music and tourism have become two tasty peanuts in the same pod since Briton Will Jameson founded the globally acclaimed Lake of Stars slightly over 10 years ago.

With the summer sun scorching what the rains helped germinate on the sweltering palm-fringed shores, no breakaway from the daily hustle and bustle can be more timely and soothing than a plunge into the fresh-water lake, the music on its shores and all that jazz.

The pilgrimage to the lake where music will be happening in settings like no other is not all about eyes on stage and counting which artists have come or abstained, but experiencing music in you see, touch, smell and hear until Sunday dawns.

Unlike Sand Fest which promises a glittering mix of local and international talent with big-stage experience, Likoma Summer Fest on Saturday will be a singular blend of the unsung folk performances that keep the seemingly neglected islanders entertained and the modern band music by the likes of Piksy which the islanders have always been dying for.

Nkhata Bay is buzzed with excitement as Lucky Stars, the veterans of Shire Valley’ beats,ntertain fans at Chikale Beach awaiting a four-hour ship ride to Likoma Summer Festival where a new music fiesta ‘premiered’ last weekend.

Either way, being part of the gigs happening last weekend was publicly bankrolling the growth of music and subtly nourishing the country’s ailing economy—notwithstanding that government doesn’t seem to take artistically gifted taxpayers seriously.

Of course, it was predictable that the minister responsible for tourism and culture, would rise to the podium, to tell festival-goers: “Government is committed to uplift artists.” Ooops! They call it lip service, Honourable Guest of Honour.