“It is amazing to have someone of Tshola's calibre at the festival and we were so excited when he announced that he would be joining us,” said festival director Jiggs Thorne.

Tshola first shot to fame as the leader of the seminal 80s Afrobeat group, Sankomota. It was his 2002 album, A New Dawn, which saw him taking a new direction. He released it after a 17-year battle with addiction and the album's lyrics are captivating and profoundly moving. “All of my songs are about a real story,” said Tshola. “Because of this, it is meaningful, and is a great statement of humbleness for me. It is about my journey, and about addiction, and we as a society need to talk about these things.”

It is stories from society that form a backdrop to the world-famous MTN Bushfire Festival, with its strong social conscience and goal to get people talking. “Bushfire offers a platform for a range of diverse voices to be heard – from poets to performers to social activists and musicians,” said Thorne. “It is an honour to count Tshola's unique voice among them.”

Don't miss Tshola's performance at the MTN Bushfire Festival on Sunday, 27 May.

Standard and VIP tickets, full festival passes as well as one-day passes for the MTN Bushfire International Festival of the Arts are available at www.bushfire.co.sz. The website also includes information from Swazi Travel on where to stay during the festival, from backpackers and campsites to chalets, B&Bs and hotels.