The air at Splashy Fen will reverberate with music

INDEPENDENT ON SATURDAY

Thousands of music lovers make their way to Splashy Fen farm each year for the festival. Splashy Fen is South Africas longest-running music festival, having been founded in 1990. File photo: Shelley Kjonstad

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KwaZulu-Natal - On the edge of a dusty road south of Underberg in southern KwaZulu-Natal is an old farm. This place is amazingly quiet most of the year.

Here the air is thin and all that is visible as far as the eye can see are vast tracts of land.

But each year, on what is often an unbearably hot Easter weekend, Splashy Fen farm is transformed into a musical magnet – a hotbed of sonic flavours, ranging from psychedelic rock to dubstep.

Here the DJs and bands spin, riff and cut through the silence until all that is left is a crowd hypnotised by the melodies suspended in the air.

This is home to Splashy Fen, South Africa’s oldest and arguably most beloved music festival. Celebrating its 24th edition this year, the sonic pilgrimage has become something of a starting block for many of Mzansi’s most influential musical aficionados.

From Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Syd Kitchen to 340ml and The Arrows, they all had their rite of passage on the Splashy stage.

Speaking about what makes the event different from other musical gatherings, festival organiser Pedro Carlo says that although the event is relatively big, it still offers a platform for younger musicians making inroads in the industry.

“As one of the premier live music showcases in the country, Splashy is obviously a great way for up-and-coming artists to share their music with larger audiences, and we’re passionate about giving them that opportunity. Of course, it’s great to have top established artists in the line-up, but it’s often the lesser-known names that make the biggest impression and become the finds of the festival.”

And judging by the numbers, Carlo is not far off the mark. This year alone, the festival will house a bulky line-up of more than 100 musicians, including the likes of Durban punk outfit City Bowl Mizers and Cape Town concept band Gazelle and inviZable.

Each year almost 10 000 music lovers from in and around Southern Africa, and indeed the world, make pilgrimage to the farm located in the heart of southern KZN to experience such eclectic listening.

Speaking about what makes so many people want to be a part of this musical lineage, Carlo says it’s partly fuelled by the sense of community that regular visitors build around the festival. “For many of the people who’ve made Splashy a yearly tradition, it’s also about the road trip through the Southern Drakensberg, about tubing in the river, hiking to the nearby dam and watching the sun set behind the mountains.

“The entire outdoor experience, plus Splashy’s unique vibe and character, are what sets it apart from other festivals.”

Peter Ferraz – one of the festival founders, and owner of the farm – says that although the event has grown, they have realised that it is important to maintain the performance standard year on year.

“Nobody can ever say that Splashy Fen is the same old thing year after year.

“On the contrary, we are always on the look-out for new ways to enhance the festival, but never at the risk of losing the special ambience that is unique to Splashy.”

Among the best additions to this year’s event is the Durban School of Comedy marquee, where comedians like Durban’s Glen Bo and Dusty Rich will churn out the laughs.

There will also be more rides and even an increase in the number of eateries, ranging from chip ’n’ cheese rotis to Chinese stir fry.

Independent on Saturday