“The audience—that’s what I love—the energy of people, just to be able to share that positivity,” Mo-Laudi of The Very Best tells me following one of the most powerful sets of Carniville. “It just blows my mind away. It’s just like a wheel of energy.”
Anyone who was in attendance of Carniville this particular Saturday will tell you how miserably cold and windy it was; they’ll also probably tell you they forgot all about any weather-related discomfort after seeing this undeniably upbeat South African/UK act. As Mo-Laudi says of the audiences’ stamina, “I was very impressed with the temperature being so cold [that] I was like, ‘fuck!’ But it was good. People got into it and went totally crazy.”
With Johan Hugo (of Radioclit) as selector, Mo-Laudi as MC/hype-man, and lead vocalist Esau Mwamwaya at the helm, there was no stopping the global, genre-melding party. And The Very Best don’t have to keep hitting you with intense, high BMP tracks to garner a good response.
The performance of their laidback grime/g-funk/traditional African-styled single “Julia” was actually one of the more noteworthy moments. To see a bulk of the crowd dancing, waving their hands from side to side or just smiling confirmed the impact of The Very Best. Some guy even climbed up on top of a speaker to emulate the moves of the group and their pair of female dancers until the festival staff pulled him down.
While sharing songs from their 2009 debut, Warm Heart of Africa or extra material like their take on M.I.A.’s blowout hit, “Paper Planes,” The Very Best no doubt made a lot of new fans. Even Chinashop photographer Dustin said he we would totally download their music after seeing them. In a weekend featuring so much trend-setting talent, this cross-continental crew’s set will not soon be forgotten.
