Upon setting foot on the beautiful coast of Uvita, a wave of gratitude washes over as the realization of your arrival settles in. The epic journey attendees endure to reach this festival, whether it be flying for over 24 hours or having to secure shuttle and housing arrangements, the feeling of accomplishment and appreciation is overwhelming. Without a doubt the biggest adjustment I underwent was allowing my body to transition to life in the slow lane – there is zero rush when you’re in Uvita. The largest aspect that sets Envision apart from your standard music festival is that it’s nearly 90% workshops and keynote speakers every day until the sun goes down, making it a very soul-empowering gathering.
Getting into Envision early on Thursday, it was a no-brainer that the art gallery would be the first stop of our walk through. Seeing my favorite artists such as Chance Roberts, Laguz Lykamo and Benedigital, I was elated to bare witness to the process of their works all weekend. Between belly dancing, dozens of art and sacred healing workshops, there was a myriad of beautiful talent to feast your eyes on.
Among the most delectable sights to be found at Envision were the stages themselves. Zebbler unveiled his most mind-blowing production yet – a 3D projection mapping design that was out of this world on the Luna Stage. On Friday, sets by Lafa Taylor, Cloudchord, and Templo were on our top agendas to see, and Luna couldn’t have been a more perfect fit! Hedflux, a newly discovered artist, had the slimiest glitch productions we’ve heard all year. Mark our words that Hedflux will be a name you’ll see a lot more in 2016!
Best Zebbler Moments of Envision 2016 – Vimeo
Saturday was without a doubt the biggest headlining night, and we dived right in for the late festivities. David Block gave an incredible performance chock full of special guests and new material from his latest ‘Gone Gone Beyond’ release. This gave us a chance to see the Village Stage in all its intricate glory, and we also ended up staying to catch a bit of ethereal songstress Yaarrohs. The biggest treat of Saturday night (uh, morning) was a beautiful sunrise set by none other than Random Rab. Serenading us with his smooth voice and harmonic beats, Saturday morning was our favorite moment of the entire weekend. With so much love reverberating from the stage to the crowd, dancing in the midst of it all was truly a feeling that refuses to be topped.
Catching the eclectic folk-blues duo Dirtwire on Sunday was a must, and seeing Satori crush it with Beats Antique earlier in the weekend made this set all the more enjoyable with the radical difference between styles. Dimond Saints heated up the Luna stage for our final night with their ridiculous bass drops while Clozee gave us all a much loved dose of glitchy crunkness to keep us dancing in the late night jungle heat.
All in all, Envision is a beautifully organic festival that is designed for those seeking an experience of a lifetime, and you will not be disappointed! From the musicians to the visual artists to the staff and festival organizers, it was pure love and determination that made this gathering the best it could be – a unified mission. Envision is the pristine example of what happens when we put our energy and efforts towards the higher power of implementing true change over the weekend of a lifetime. It’s safe to say that we will see you all next year in 2017!
