The return of the energetic Angélique Kidjo, a visit from Yemi Alade on an outdoor stage, a Brazilian party with Paulo Ramos and his friends, Sophie Lukacs and Sona Jobarteh, the next International Festival Nuits d’Afrique offers an enticing line-up. A look at the program unveiled on Tuesday.
It is difficult to find a better ambassador of African music than Angélique Kidjo. In more than 40 years of career, she has collected five Grammys, a Charles-Cros prize for her entire career, the Antonio Carlos Jobim Prize from the Festival international de jazz de Montréal and many more. She was also the one who represented the African Francophonie at the Super Franco Fête last summer in Quebec City.
The artist from Benin will have the honor of kicking off the 37e International Festival Nuits d’Afrique (FINA), on July 12, at the MTelus, with its songs drawing on its West African roots, but also tinged with pop, funk, R&B and jazz. Above all, anyone who has heard or seen her on stage knows that she has a crazy energy, which should give momentum to the event.
You only have to look through the program to see that, behind this great woman, FINA has programmed several others. Yemi Alade, who had to withdraw last year for administrative reasons, will be at the festival this time, on the largest outdoor stage (July 19). The next day, at the same place, we will have the opportunity to hear the Gambian Sona Jobarteh, one of the rare kora players in the world, who launched a magnificent album last year entitled Badinyaa Kumoo.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL NUITS D’AFRIQUE
Sona Jobarteh, originally from Gambia, is one of the few professional kora players in the world.
FINA’s care in providing a stage for singers and musicians is once again reflected in a series entitled women of the world, in which are programmed, among others, Noé Lira, Senaya (who finally launched her second album last winter) and Valérie Ékoumè. There are many others elsewhere in the program, including Bianca Rocha and Flavia Nascimiento, and Sophie Lukacs, a Canadian who mixes Hungarian folk with Mandinka grooves.
Africa around the world
In addition to Angélique Kidjo, the series Major events stars the sensitive Cameroonian Blick Bassy (July 13, at the Fairmount Theatre), who gives atmospheric pop, and Paulo Ramos (July 20, at the same venue). A pillar of the Brazilian scene in Montreal, he performed at the press conference with one of his guests, Bïa, and percussionist Daniel Bellegarde. Its Brazilian party on July 20 will also count on the participation of Mônica Freire and Diogo Ramos, among others. They announce an evening where samba and bossa nova will dance with jazz and take on tropical tunes.
Two broken ensembles exploring the Gnawa tradition are also on the program: Bouliala & Friends (July 12 at Balattou) and Saïd Mesnaoui & Transe Gnawa Fusion (July 15, at Théâtre Fairmount), whose approach is more rock. FINA also offers, of course, its traditional kora night with Seckou Keita and Zal Sissokho. This meeting at the top is part of a series entitled Prestige, which presents “more muted” concerts, the Spaniard Juan Carmona is part of it with Youba Adjrad, from Morocco (July 13, at the National). A series entitled Global Beat also features very current versions of music inspired by African rhythms.
The poster of this 37e FINA offers, as always, a panorama of African music and a host of other Afro-descendant music, whether it then took root in the West Indies, Latin America, Europe and even elsewhere in the world. FINA runs from July 11-23. After about a week of indoor shows, the event moves outside to Place des Festivals and around Place des Arts for free concerts and activities. Modern or traditional dance workshops from Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Ivory Coast or Morocco are part of the workshops offered.