Mohalenyane Phakela
THE 2016 edition of the Vodacom Summa Feva lived up to its billing by drawing large crowds to witness top-notch performances from the local and South African artistes who wowed the audiences from Saturday until Sunday morning at Setsoto Stadium.
And while the non-appearance of South African superstar AKA was a talking point for most who were disappointed after the all the hype the artiste had generated through his Facebook posts, the crowd still got their money’s worth with top-drawer performances from other big name acts.
The appearance of South African Sphectecular and Naves surprised many and they may well have been a replacement for AKA given that they had not been on the festival promotional material like the other artistes that performed on the day. There were however, no surprises in his performance which left revelers asking for more.
There was the equally impressive duet of Emtee and A-Reece who lit up the early hours of Sunday, getting the crowd to sing along to hits like Couldn’t and Mgani.
A lasting impression of the 2016 edition was the sight of little DJ Baff who mersmerised the audience including the artistes with the kind of disc spinning skills that would be associated with old hands who have been in the industry for many years.
But the eight year-old oozed class and confidence blending the house tunes with a dexterity that belied his age. DJ Baff is surely the next big thing on the entertainment scene and as if to confirm the fact, many people including the South African celebrities queued up for selfies with the prodigy.
DJ Baff shared the stage with heavyweights such as DJ Shimza, Oskido, Shaxe Khumalo, DJ Merlon, Speedsta, Heavy K, DJ Fortee, Major League Emtee and A-Reece (all from South Africa). His Basotho counterparts included Vodacom Superstars 2016 winners DJ Thizozo, Step Up, Eunice and Reezy Ray alongside other local acts Juvy, Mapanaki, Tshepzadj, Hunky D, Afro DJ, Tybzen, Dee Pee, L-Tore, Monyase DJ, Smooth, Katz Lee, Kot Inferno and Box Fr3sh among others.
Shaxe and Shimza also thrilled the crowds with their beats and positive energy on stage. And it was a show where DJ Shaxe expressed his desire to become a regular feature.
“I have been in Lesotho a couple of times but I have never seen a festival like this one. This is my first time at such a big show and I would love to perform here every year and even if I am not on the lineup I will definitely come for this event,” he said.
The festival was also graced by other South African celebrities who simply showed up to enjoy the event including the actress Natasha Thahane (who became popular for her role in SABC 1’s Skeem Saam) and Lesotho-born Matli Mohapeloa.
The revelers’ mood was however dampened by the high price of alcohol (M25 a can) and this was despite prior assurances by the organisers that beverages and food would be subsidised for the show.
The sound quality also left a lot to be desired prompting some of the revelers to throw their cans onto the stage in protest.
The overzealous security details responded by beating people to restore order.
