How time flies… Just a month after the end of the Nyege Nyege Festival in Paris the unhinged crew is already warming up for East Africa’s biggest festival. Last July was only a taste of what’s coming in Uganda next September, an immersive dive into the Nyege Nyege universe. For this 2022 edition, they have decided to relocate the festival grounds to a more idyllic location. This year’s festivities will take place between the 15th and the 18th of September on the Nile’s shores, near Itanda Falls, in the heart of Busoga region, a few kilometres from Jinja town in Uganda.
In its infancy, the Nyege Nyege festival began as Boutiq Electronique parties thrown at the late-night Tilapia club by Derek Debru and Arlen Dilsizian back in 2013. It later went on to become a full-blown festival with its first iteration hosted in 2015 at an abandoned resort in Jinja. It focused on reconciling African genres with electronic music, instilling a constant need for innovation with Nyege Nyege’s trademark, “uncontrollable urge to dance”. Despite some backlash from the surrounding community for the collective’s unabashed support of the LGBTQ+ community, the 2019 edition was a definite success and that’s why it’s been especially excruciating to wait for the festival’s next instalment.
The only relief was Nyege Nyege’s boisterous presence in the electro scene, always introducing new exciting sounds and promising artists (Kabeaushé, MC Yallah, Ecko Bazz in Music for the Eagles) with an eagerness to keep the momentum strong, participating in several events with stages at Glastonbury, Primavera, Roskilde, Dour, at the Garage Noord in Amsterdam and in Paris last July. Over 200 shows showcasing the extent of the Nyege Nyege craze that will culminate during this year’s reunion. The urge to dance couldn’t be stronger.
Fans’ patience seems, indeed, to have been rewarded. Beyond the dreamy location, for its 7th edition, Nyege Nyege has seen fit to prepare for a line-up of humongous proportions with over 300 artists programmed. The crew that came to see us in Paris will of course be there. It includes Turkana, R3ign Drops, Flo, Otim Alpha, Quest?onmarq, Flo, Hibotep, DJ Diaki, De Schuurman, PÖ, among others. Nyege Nyege’s commitment to discovering the next big thing will manifest itself with the presence of recently introduced artists, such as Chrisman, DJ Travella, YUNIS and DJ Skothane, all present on the compilation L’Esprit de Nyege 2020. Watch out for Kenyan rapper Boutross, also present on the album, and Ghanaian-Nigerian diva Adomaa as well!
Buy your ticket and reserve your accommodation.
Find more information head directly to the festival’s website.
