Nyege Nyege is undoubtedly a place where the unexpected happens, and its 10th-anniversary edition is no different. As I wandered through the cultural marketplace in the heart of the festival, I had a chance encounter with a group of traditional healers who were as mysterious as they were intriguing.
Seated barefoot in front of a grass-thatched tent, the group of three women and three men were dressed in traditional Kiganda gomesis, exuding a timeless, rooted presence. The men, on the other hand, were in their usual casual attire, grounding them in the present. Despite the laid-back vibe, there was a quiet seriousness to their purpose.
They were here to heal, or so it seemed, with a mixture of skepticism and belief in the air.
Their setup was modest but steeped in tradition. We caught a glimpse inside one of the tents, a calabash, a pot, and a woven mat scattered across the floor, a glimpse into the timeless practices they hold dear. But beyond the mystique, communication was a challenge.
The gentleman who identified himself only as a “traditional healer” responded to my questions with one-liners, offering little more than vague answers. When I asked about their services, he assured me that they could treat “everything.”
However, when I pushed for more details—how much they charged, whether anyone had already sought their help, his responses were cryptic. “It depends on the sickness,” he said, his colleague lost in drumming rhythms while the others whispered softly among themselves.
Their reticence added an air of mystery, leaving me wondering about the deeper cultural and spiritual practices behind their work.
They were far from the typical festival vendors, but in a place like Nyege Nyege, that’s exactly what makes the experience all the more fascinating.
The traditional healers were part of a broader narrative unfolding at Nyege Nyege, a festival that’s much more than just music. With over 100 different vendors, each offering unique crafts, services, and traditions, Nyege Nyege is a multi-layered celebration of African culture.
Beyond the tents, the Hive, a networking hub for industry professionals and creatives, buzzes with podcasts, conferences, and discussions that shape the future of music, fashion, and cultural exchange.
It’s this fusion of cultures, identities, and ideas that makes Nyege Nyege a place where the boundaries between performance, tradition, and modernity blur where, like Vegas, what happens here stays here, an experience that defies explanation and thrives on discovery.
As the 10th-anniversary celebration unfolds at Adrift Uganda on Kalagala Falls, we can only imagine what surprises lie ahead. After all, Nyege Nyege isn’t just a festival. it’s an invitation to step into the unknown.
Don’t want to miss out on any story? For updates on all Sqoop stories, follow this link on Telegram: https://t.me/Sqoop and Whatsapp: https://whatsapp.com/channel
