Festival Review: OZY Fusion Is The Most Thoughtful Festival Ever!
OZY Fusion Fest is a gem of a festival, and is, easily, my fave fest because of how thoughtful it is towards its audience. I have been to some big tests like Panorama and Meadows, but, although filled with premier acts, they could be exhausting and display how quick humanity’s mood can turn on a hot day. Yet, OZY Fusion fest was filled with good moods, intellectual conversations, and kind acts towards it goers.
From free charging stations for phones to free cookies and pizza, OZY turned Rumsey Playfield into a New York version of Disney. People were all smiles in the beanies provided as they sat and musical artists, top chefs, and the biggest names in politics held forums and entertained throughout the day. OZY has to be one of the most meticulously thought of festivals I have ever been to: from scheduling to the free ponchos they gave when it began to rain. It was such a smooth-running festival. Although way more packed than last year, it still felt spacious enough to have all of its luxuries accessible. Free massages and free, recent documentaries were given. I know I am talking about all the FREE stuff, but I was so impressed by how generous and caring OZY was to its attendants, which, unfortunately, is not always the case. There is a feeling that you paid for musical acts, and not kind staff or an organized setting. Thus, OZY stood out by showing that a festival is not just a celebration of music but also humanity.
People were so gracious, and I believe it was because OZY attracts intelligent minds eager for wisdom. Its selection of artists and speakers were all people that are trying to influence the morality of humanity. Samantha Bee was a standout as she described her eagerness to breed empathy in a world that says “Wow, I wish I could understand you”, but does not try hard enough to do so. Her conversation with Mark Cuban and Jeb Bush was, particularly, riveting because you had three people from different walks of life showing the varying ideas/ degrees of compassion that come from your personal experiences. While I expected Samantha to be the “feisty” one of the stage, Jeb, definitely, took jabs at Trump throughout his time, and wished that more political emphasis was made on topics such as, education. The crowd was shocked to see Jeb with more “bite”, but, in the end, this was a day dedicated to growing more peaceful, which is why topics focused on the need for planned parenthood, a reshaping of capitalist economics, and need for spiritual harmony. From Ru Paul to Bumble CEO, Whitney Wolfe, there was constant mention of words like “connection” and “love”, especially in terms of how you, as an individual, need to love yourself to better love others. It may seem “sappy”, but I cannot say I have been to many festivals with such a devout eagerness to spread compassion and wisdom. OZY was about more than gaining a memory; it was about gaining lessons. Still, people came to have fun, and the musical acts delivered.
The main stage of OZY was, practically, on fire from the amount of personal and cosmic performances being given. Kamau started the music portion of the day by serving hymnal tracks and social commentary on race in America. It was clear that OZY had created a safe space for both the crowd and artists to have genuine conversations and teachings on how to be kinder human beings. He, later, was followed by the lovely Yuna, whom riffed up her performance with a fraught, frenetic energy that reminded me of Andra Day’s performance last year. These were two young women that used the stage ad if it were a confessional for vulnerability and good vibes. Afterwards, of course, Talib Kweli came out with his legendary raps, Brooklyn shout-outs, and old-school mixes that turned Beatles’ songs into Hip Hop classics. Later, came Zara Larsson, of which it was her first performance in New York. She was EXCELLENT! Watching her hit high notes while doing dance moves that even a professional Zumba class would find exhausting, made me rethink my dietary choices. As the crowd felt a surge of adrenaline, Jason Derulo delivered as the headline act playing all his radio hits, and reigniting lives with phenomenal choreography. Thus, what other festival, do you know, has Eddie Huang cooking for you, Jeb Bush insulting Trump, and Jason Derulo gyrating on stage? Therefore, DO NOT miss OZY Fusion Fest next year because it truly, only gets better. For More Information On OZY Fusion Fest Click Here.
