How do you decide which festivals to go to? Nowadays, especially if you are a resident of the English capital, there’s a plethora of mouth-watering choices for you to pick from, and being selective can prove difficult. One date however that continues to feel like a no-brainer-of-an-option is the sun-kissed, undeniable joy of Cross The Tracks.

Taking place on Sunday of the late May bank holiday at Brixton’s Brockwell Park, the day festival has embellished itself as a unmissable inclusion to a Londoner’s season. I headed down – courtesy of indelible footwear company and iconic brand Dr. Martens, whose unique and battle-hardened items are simply made for the joys and adversities of festival existence – with high expectations for the event.

After a slow start to the day following back-to-back outings to Project 6 and Wide Awake, I took a gentle Lime bike down south to the same park as the previous two outings for a day jammed-packed with talent to witness. I arrived just in time to catch Jalen Ngonda, the singer-songwriter whose amalgamation of classic and contemporary soul has elevated him to one of the genre’s most essential names. Nostalgia-fuelled and swooning, Ngonda’s set was driven by his charisma on the mic, his striking and encompassing vocal presence and flawless backing from his full-band set up.

After heading to the bar for a fresh Brewdog Lost Lager, I floated my way over to Orion Sun’s set. The American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has become synonymous for her gentle anthems, her cross-genre approach and warm character. She delivers a collection of her most recognisable songs with a smattering of hidden gems. It was the kind of set that’s impossible not to sway along to. Next I witnessed the peerless Venna. The producer, composer and saxophonist is known for his work with some of the very best artists around – from Knucks to Yussef Dayes to Mick Jenkins. But for this performance, which found him impressively high up the bill, the polymath was centre stage. Bringing a comprehensive backing band along for the ride, Venna perused through hits from his two excellent EPs, offering playful improvisation, great chemistry with the band, and a generally captivating appearance to augment the day’s choc-a-bloc schedule.

BADBADNOTGOOD, the superb Canadian jazz collective who can’t seem to stop dropping music at the moment, then graced the main stage. Unfortunately, the set’s sound wasn’t quite up to the weekend’s high standards, but the band still showcased their impeccable musicality. A rainy shower cut my time outside short, as I hurried for cover and the glossy, forward-thinking R&B of Ama Lou, who had the crowd in their palm of her hand with a personable presence between tracks and a sensual and visual performance, as she took us through her defined and distinguished discography.

Hours earlier, the festival had shared the saddening news that the highly-anticipated headline slot for seminal artist Erykah Badu had been cancelled at the last minute due to the singer’s illness. Never fear though – Freddie Gibbs was still in town. Linking up once again with friend and producer Madlib, whom Freddie accused of “pulling [him] off the plane”, the pair shone through with their second Brockwell Park performance of the weekend following a set at Friday’s Project 6. Taking the audience back a decade in celebration of the anniversary of their critically-adorned joint album Piñata, it was a Rolls-Royce-of-a-set, with Freddie revelling in the early evening sun, his meticulous showmanship seemingly effortless for the veteran. A brilliant rendition of street classic “Crime Pays” was a fitting conclusion.

After briefly catching Thee Sacred Souls and Gibbs’ fellow Badu replacement En Vogue, it was time to slip out before the crowds clogged the exits. Despite the imperfect weather and one or two logistical complications, the day was a resounding success, an engrossing showcase of the growing generic movements that continue to finally reach wider mainstream audiences. Long may it last!

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