Set amidst a stunning and vibrant mountain, Malasimbo Festival, a Music and Art Festival, running on its 5th year is a gathering of quintessential and kindred souls. A mix of eclectic people who all make the journey to enjoy a few days of good vibes, music, and of course, dancing. This is my second year attending the festival, and like most events similar to this, there is always a cliché of stereotypes present amongst the crowd.
Please take note that I am not judging people, as we all are part of each group in one way or another, this is merely an observation of all the amazing souls that have taken part in this one of a kind gathering of people. So, without further ado, here are the top 5 types of people that you can meet in the Malasimbo Festival.
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The Hippies
No, not the make love not war sign holding type. This type can vary from age group, from the midlife crisis (I’m-taking-my-kids-to-the-festival-type) to the young mellow souls who walk around loving life and nature. The hippies walk around completely oblivious to the people around them as they enjoy the vibe and energy of Malasimbo. You see them soulfully grooving to the music loving everyone that they meet.
How to spot them: flowers on their hair (the real kind), feathers, fringes, or anything that might look like it came out of your mom’s closet. You will find them sitting down on the grass, trying out the best ukelele guitars or dancing their inner wild child away.
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The Fashionistas
These are the types of people that have their outfits planned before they even bought their Malasimbo festival ticket. They scour over the internet googling festival outfits and buying the latest in thing. Naturally, each festival day starts with a #OOTD post on Instagram.
How to spot them: Cropped midriffs, denim cutoffs, flower headbands, and headdresses. They look like they walked out of a “what to wear in a festival photoshoot”, dressed perfectly to a tee. While the rest of us are wrapped up in hoodies, these brave fashionistas will tough it out, so they don’t mess up their look.
The Party Heads
These types are the rave all day and rave all night partygoers. You will often find them in big groups (wearing identical costumes-from glow sticks to glitter!) Mellow music? It doesn’t matter, wherever these people are, the party follows. Of course, you will find the occasional straggler left behind, normally raving away in front of the speakers. These types can be seen dancing the night away, oblivious to what’s going on around them. These types of people came in full force during the Music and Lights Malasimbo Festival on the second weekend, or better yet, were there for both weekends!
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How to spot them: Just follow the boisterous laughing and the trail of costumes as they dance the night away. Although they all have the im-drunk-but-having-the-time-of-my-life-face, if the party heads start it too early, you might see them crashing in one corner with a bottle of water in hand, waiting for the next beat that will bring them up to their feet. These are the people who are truly enthralled by the magic of Malasimbo and its music.
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The Hipsters
Sporting their I’m too cool for school look, the hipsters walk around Malasimbo, while occasionally bopping and swaying to the music. These are the city folk who are into the whole indie music scene, looking cool and collected, doing the occasional foot tap as a sign of gleeful dancing. They groove to the music all throughout the night, while carefully fixing their man-stache/bun.
How to spot them: You can see them sporting either a flannel or floral shirt, taking photos with their polaroid cameras. They have perfected the cool-homeless look and alternate between lying down in the grass while looking up in the sky (because they’re too cool to care) and dancing.
The Rasta Fans
Since no festival will be complete without our peace loving brothers and sisters, the Rasta fans can be found grooving along, bopping their heads to the music. Of course, they came in full force this year as Ky-Mani Marley, son of the legendary Bob Marley performed during the first weekend. The rasta fans can be seen either sitting down, spaced out by all the trippy art installations, or quite frankly, passed out on the grass, in a state of permanent happiness.
How to spot them: Usually spotted wearing a piece of item that’s either red, yellow or green (surprise!) the Rasta fans can be seen sporting dreadlocks, loose clothing, or a beanie giving off good vibes to anyone that passes.
Similar to watching television, I sat around the festival, people watching as I looked at a big mix of faces, styles, culture, and cliques. This is when I realized that THIS is the beauty of Malasimbo. The magic of this event comes from the wild mix of people from all walks of life. A melting pot of artists, wanderers, and dreamers who all gather together for one reason, for the love of music and art.
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