Family, art, music, reign supreme at Blankets and Wine

When Blankets and Wine announced they could be resuming the shows in July, the direction they decided to take was one that had many talking; they had opted to have an experience rather than a concert. They changed the way they curated the shows, the line-up, and also went as far as throwing a second stage into the mix. This was the birth of the Onja Onja stage. This is an electronic dance music stage curated by Nyege Nyege Tapes to cater for an audience that loves to dance without resolve.Over the two editions, DJs such as Decay, AO the Walker, Crazy Mind, Gaba Cannal, DJ Vanss, and Binghi, among others, have added a layer of experience at the event; some say it’s like a mini Nyege Nyege festival.

But it is not just the Onja Onja stage that has been making Blankets and Wine seem different; since the show was relaunched at the end of July, there has been a change in focus, from a concert to a festival. They have been striking a balance between foreign and local acts; for instance, in July, Samthing Soweto and Nameless were the only international artistes on the main stage out of the eight performers of the day; last Sunday, there were three out of the eight.

The also balanced between mainstream and underground; for example, for every hitmaker such as Joshua Baraka or A-Pass, the past two editions have also provided a platform for acts such as Andereya Baguma, Sandra Kay the Busoga Princess, Ebra E’Soulo, and Julius Sese, among others.

The goal was to refocus the event to everything they stand for, such as the music, experience, food and art. To attract the audience who are in sync with their beliefs and who they put on the main stage is a big deal.

At the event held on September 29, the organisation was similar but more streamlined. Unlike the first edition at Lugogo Grounds, where the entire venue was rented, this time they utilised only one side, featuring two stages.

The stages this time were mostly feeding off each other’s energy to allow easy transition and set up by the performers coming on. For instance, most of the time Onja Onja Stage had a performer when the mainstage was being set up for the next performer.

By the time the DJ on Onja Onja was usually done with their set, the mainstage was also ready for the next performer; this allowed easy transitions and kept the audiences engaged all the time. Andereya Baguma’s wordplay and storytelling were the revelation for many of the revellers. With songs such as Son of a President, Akaana Kange, which was popularised on TV drama Sanyu, Take My Hand, Me and You, and Local, among others, he got the audience paying attention to him, though you could say he performed for mainly early birders.

Most people in Kampala are yet to warm up to shows starting early; thus, the new arrangement where performances start at 3pm is one many of the people that show up are not used to.

Thus, most of the time, the first performers end up putting on amazing shows for virtually empty venues. But nevertheless, the numbers of those that showed up early this edition were relatively better than the last. The festival had more singers and vocalists, such as Karun and Joshua Baraka