electro-pop from Kenya, punk from Argentina, oriental funk composed in Brittany, a global and local program

Jean-Louis Brossard, the boss of Trans, not only markets on the other side of the world but also highlights groups from Rennes. The festival takes place from December 6 to 10. Watch the Trans Musicales de Rennes concerts live and in replay on france.tv.

Electro-pop from Kenya, punk from Argentina, oriental funk composed in Brittany: the 45th edition of Trans Musicales de Rennes once again offers a journey like no other on the music planet. Small selection among the 80 groups scheduled from Wednesday to Sunday in this pioneering festival.

Exuberant bullfighter on keyboard

Total spectacle in sight with the electro-pop of Kabeaushé, parachuted from Kenya. “He’s a performer (singer-dancer), his music goes in all directions, he’s a character full of colors, full of life”, notes Jean-Louis Brossard, the boss of Trans. The artist, accompanied by a keyboard in exuberant bullfighter attire, quickly ends up shirtless on stage. Beyond his show at the GreenRoom, raised stage, Kabeaushé will also perform during the mayor’s drink, which kicks off the festivities. “I always play an artist who comes from very far away, that’s what Trans people are, it’s a surprise,” welcomes “JLB”.

Also note the presence of another East African group, Bantu Spaceship, with its marriage of new wave and the Ndebele language of Zimbabwe. The retro-futuristic costumes, the sound from elsewhere and the name of the group are big nods to Parliament, an American funk group, whose album cover Mothership connection sported a flying saucer.

Punk cellist

Blanco Teta, a combo formed in Argentina with three musicians from that country and a Colombian bassist, also promises a lot in terms of energy. “There’s a cellist who plays lying on the ground, it’s really loud, it’s punk”, presents Jean-Louis Brossard. He owes this discovery to a Geneva label, Bongo Joe, which placed six of his foals in this 45th edition of Trans Musicales.

Among the lucky ones, Yalla Miku, a collective which brings together agitators from the Swiss scene and musicians from Morocco, Eritrea and Algeria. The latter play traditional instruments (guembri, krar, darbouka) on an electro soundtrack and haunting songs: trance to the Trans. “No two bands are alike in Bongo Joe”, underlines the Trans boss. Who also called on a graphic designer and sound scout from the label, Felix Vincent, to design the poster for the 45th edition.

Electric bassoon and disco

Jean-Louis Brossard not only markets on the other side of the world, but also highlights groups from Rennes. In the local selection we find Mokhtar, an instrumental group which distills an oriental funk with a disco flavor. “There is an instrument in this group that we rarely see in rock, the bassoon, here electrified”, describes “JLB”. And that resonates with the personal story of the Trans brain. “My dad was a bassoon teacher, he played arpeggios for hours, sometimes until his lips were bleeding.”

What if we had to find a common thread in the eclectic programming of the Breton festival? We must remember the quote from Jean-Louis Brossard when he received his medal of Knight of the Legion of Honor in 2020. It was the title of an album by avant-garde jazzman Albert Ayler, “Music is the healing force of the universe” : “Music is the healing force of the universe.”

Watch the Trans Musicales de Rennes concerts live and in replay on france.tv.