Gratifly Music Festival: Day 2

On the second day, I made myself completely at home in Avalon. I felt so free to just walk wherever I pleased, with no fear of harm. This gave me the chance to discover many new things and really get into the Gratifly groove.

This blog was originally published on brotherlyloveproductions.com.

A day full of wandering. A solitary trip down from the campsite leads me into a beautiful opening ceremony at the Temple. By the end of it, I am in tears, amazed by the abundance of pure love that surrounds me. We are told to carry that vibe with us throughout the rest of the weekend and the rest of our lives. It’s a hard task to live up to, but we know this is the way.

The air is sweet and I feel safe here. Essential oils and sensual aromas are everywhere. I roam around from stage to stage catching glimpses of bands and workshops as I go. Empire Strikes Brass brings a high-energy horn section that is a nice break from the electronic sounds.

A talk with some of the brilliant minds behind Papadosio, Akara, The Human Experience and others reveals some of the secrets of intentional music creation.
A talk on intentional music production
From the left: David Block (The Human Experience), Tyler Gibson (GIBSON, Birds of Paradise), Torin Goodnight (Bird of Prey, Birds of Paradise), Joshua Penman (Akara), and Anthony Thogmartin (Papadosio)
It is so pleasing to see the exchanges of energy and knowledge that are constantly unfolding. Open hearts meet open arms and open ears; the landscape is rich with transformation, as it should be. We are all here to support and love each other, to build each other up until we all reach that high point. Healing is the goal.
The sun begins to set and the excitement is palpable. Friday night’s lineup is amazing; I know I’m going to wear out my dancing shoes. Drumspyder gets me into the tribal vibe with some world music tracks accompanied by mind-blowing beats on a drum pad. I literally cannot stop dancing.

I see Aligning Minds for the first time and am more than impressed. A live drummer adds to the electronic element; I always appreciate the blending of organic and inorganic sounds. Not to mention a killer light show that even has the trees dancing. After that, Papadosio’s second set of the weekend is an absolute love fest; I don’t think I’ve smiled harder.

A fire circle sets up in front of Phutureprimative. Spinners of all types show off their pieces of the magic with mesmerizing fire dances. I can’t take my eyes off the flow.
Poi spinning at the Gratitude Stage
My lack of sleep begins to wear on me, so I head over to the Tribal Council Stage to occupy a hammock and be serenaded by the late night sounds of Bird of Prey, and Merkaba. Random Rab closes out the night with a sunrise set that goes well into the morning. I finally wrestle myself from the comfort of the hammock and head back to my tent to catch a bit more sleep before starting on the new day.

Day 1 | Day 3 | Day 4

gratiflyfestival.com

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Thandiwe Ogbonna is a music writer gone rogue.
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