HEAT Festival Day 6: Mishy Kope & Internet AThi

12 Sept

Written By Ntando

Photography by @vuyoposlon of @POLE.studios

With the Heat Festival drawing to its close on the 15th of August after 10 days of exhilarating performances up and down the Cape Town. From the likes of Giulette Price, Operation Khataza, Mfazwe Yamwazi, Tessi Nandi, Luh’ra and many more.

The festival made its final stop at the renowned Methodist Church at the heart of the city, blessed with performances from Mishy Kope and InternetAthi. The Lineup curated by Quiet Life has looked to pair together artists/acts that complement each other and last night was no different.

In Mishy Kope and InternetAthi we have two artists climbing the ranks of the music industry using their vernacular language (isiXhosa). From my awareness of the mainstream music landscape in South Africa, it’s felt as if Xhosa music has gone through a phase of being overlooked by the greater majority of the country. Especially since boasting such a rich history of Xhosa singers such as Ringo Madlingozi, Simphiwe Dana, Thandiswa Mazwai, Miriam Makeba and Zahara.

This hasn’t been made easy by the simple fact that there isn’t one ubiquitous vernacular language spoken across the country, with a majority of Xhosa speakers being consolidated in the Eastern and Western Cape. And the fact that the mainstream music industry of South Africa is based in Johannesburg, leaving many artists having to migrate to that side to gain any possible recognition.

In recent years though, I’ve seen an uptick in Xhosa speaking artists making their way to Johannesburg and managing to break through onto the national radar. We could just look at the likes of Bongeziwe Mabandla, Mandisi Dyantyis, Ami Faku, Msaki and hopefully we can add InternetAthi to that list. Being able to have people connect with your music when they might not understand every word you’re singing is no easy feat, and I commend these artists.

That connection could be felt during the night of the final performances, with people managing to fill up the majestic Methodist Church to its brim, leaving some having to stand for the night. First to grace us with their presence was Mishy Kope and she didn’t fail to impress. Dressed in her traditional Xhosa attire. Her energy on stage (at times off the stage) was palpable and could be felt throughout the room, getting people up on their feet for some of the songs. It’s always a pleasure to watch an artist so comfortable with performance, trying to include the crowd and having us singing along to the songs. Amongst the songs she performed from her catalog was her recent single ‘Yimpi Engapheliyo’. You can stream it on all DSPs and even watch the music video on YouTube.

Last, but not least, for the night and festival we had InternetAthi. Judging by a section in the crowd you could tell this was a much anticipated home performance for Athi. After being on tour for his album, Polymorphism, this performance came as the penultimate show of the first part of it. We were treated to a show of the songs from the album itself and I can tell you it’s even more special live. The underlying theme of love, whether it be romantic, friendship, platonic or familial, has been able to capture the hearts of many. To the point that people were asking for more songs almost going over the allotted time for the event. As Athi takes a break for a bit, I would be on the look out for when he resumes the second leg of his tour.

Outside providing Xhosa singers showcase their talent to a wider audience, the HEAT Festival has been a much needed addition to Cape Town’s creative scene not just for music but art, theater and comedy. As important as it is to have something like HEAT Festival, it would be great for others to take the initiative and start their own festival. We can only hope that it doesn’t lose any moment after its second year and only continues to grow year by year.