The returning Urban Music People (UMP) Festival has come with a new outlook and approach. Minus the numerous international artists that have been unveiled for the October 25-28 event in Cape Maclear in Mangochi, the organisers have unveiled numerous packages falling under varied art facets. Among the different segments, the UMP Festival will feature a fashion pageant, sports, theatre segment, film shows, female DJ headliners and gospel music. Our Staff Reporter BRIAN ITAI caught up with director of the event Ken ‘Zizwa’ Limamwe to shed more light on the event. Excerpts.
Q
: The set-up of the UMP Festival seems to be an all-inclusive package. What is the model of the event?
A
: Indeed we have different segments such as fashion which will include a full beauty, film showcase, sports, music and other art disciplines. Our objectives are primarily the promotion of art and culture. That demands us to be well-rounded and multi-dimensional by encompassing a wide range of creative forms and cultural aspects. Our approach is a fusion of various artistic manifestations based on the Southern African regional integration and pan-Africanism whilst embracing the global thinking local mantra.
Q
: How will the festival be executed to ensure that all announced activities are well coordinated?
A
: Effective coordination is paramount in any festival. At Chitoliro Productionz, which are curators of the festival, we have specialised devolved teams in every segment and we instituted a special team tasked with vertical and horizontal coordination. Everything is working seamlessly well.
Q
: How different will the festival be to other similar establishments?
A
: Our unique journey began 15 years ago when we genuinely felt urban music, arts and culture were not given a seat at the table despite the obvious potential and impact which has now been proven over time. UMP Festival is like no other event in Malawi and beyond. We are an eco-friendly and tech-enabled festival with cultural, creative, touristic, sporting, philanthropic and social-entrepreneurial objectives. The innovative mix of various segments on offer, with the unique picturesque site of Cape Maclear makes the UMP Festival a must-attend event. With multiple sites and stages, including a children friendly family site and gospel dimension, there is something for everyone.
Q
: So far how many artists have enlisted for the festival?
A
: We will have more than 70 acts and at least half of them are international. We can say about 60 of them have already been secured. The music segment dominates the list although all segments will be given equal attention.
Q
: How are the preparations progressing so far as the clock ticks closer?
A
: The preparations are going very well. We can confidently say we are ahead of schedule in many areas. Artists have been booked and the programme schedule has been drafted. Various service providers have been contracted as well. We have started rolling out pre-events. We had one on Independence Day at Blues Bar in Blantyre. Soon we will have a media tour to allow the public have a preview of the festival site and planned events. We urge interested sponsors and partners to join the train in good time.
