Near and Middle East
The fall promises to be exceptional for lovers of musical cultures from the Near and Middle East, starting with the 25e edition of the Montreal Arab World Festival, whose dates (end of October-beginning of November) and the “special” program will be revealed on September 25. Other major concerts are expected: on November 26, Enrico Macias will present his recital 60 years of success, the party continues at the Wilfrid-Pelletier Hall at Place des Arts. On the 1ster November, from the rare visit to MTelus: the brothers Kamran & HoomanIranians of origin based in California, recognized as the biggest stars of Persian popular music, are launching their North American tour which will also take them to New York, Chicago, Las Vegas and Toronto, among other stops. Fans of Kabyle music will also be spoiled with concerts at the Olympia by three big names of this scene: Mourad Guerbas (October 12), Mohamed Allaoua (October 19) and Takfarinas (November 23 and 24). Also at the Olympia, on October 25, a concert by the traditional Lebanese singer (and player of a zither called qanûn) is scheduled Abir Nehme. Finally, let us highlight the release, on September 20, of a new posthumous album by the monumental Sufi singer. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (Chain of Light).
Sounds of Africa
Last February, Nigerian Burna Boy made history by performing twice at the Bell Centre. Another date to remember is November 8, when the Congolese star Fally Ipupa will also perform in the largest venue in Quebec, promising to charm us with his flowing voice and his rumba and soukouss rhythms. Reggae fans? Bob Marley’s son (Ziggy, Stephen, Damian, Julian and Ky-Mani) will meet at Place Bell on September 30, while Sanchez will perform her dancehall and lovers rock hits from the 1980s and 1990s at the Olympia on November 16. On October 5, at La Tulipe, the Montreal singer-songwriter of Malian origin Djely Tapa will perform songs from his next album, Dankorobadirected by Jean Massicotte. Two days later, at the National, the expected return of the ace Tuareg guitarist Mdou Moctar and his orchestra, who will present the songs of Funeral for Justice, one of the best rock albums of the year. The London jazz-afrobeat collective Kokoroko will be performing at the Beanfield Theatre on October 15, followed on November 24 at the same venue by the renowned Trinidadian soca group Kes.
Jazz from here and elsewhere
Little information has leaked about the programming of the 25e edition of the OFF Montreal Jazz Festival, but we are certainly preparing some great events between October 3 and 12. In any case, the Orchestre national de jazz de Montréal has already announced its events: at the Gesù, it will welcome the English composer and double bassist Michael Formanek On October 3, as part of the OFF, then on November 8, he will be with the Japanese composer and pianist based in New York Miho Hazama. The Lion d’Or will innovate on October 13 with an evening of bubbles-cheese-jazz tasting called JazzFizzfeaturing pianist and composer Yves Leveillee and the orchestra The Time Scalethen the whole Supernova 4 (Félix Stüssi, Jean Derome, Normand Guilbault, Pierre Tanguay). On October 9, at Studio TD, the American pianist Julius Rodriguez will be in concert, on the bill of the Jazz All Year Round series of the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Among the album releases to watch, a new one from the saxophonist and bandleader British Nubya Garcia (September 20), then those of the Norwegian pianist and composer Tord Gustavsen (September 20 also), by the American guitarist Bill Frisell (September 27) and the saxophonist André Leroux (end of October).
Americas
A legend will visit us on October 3, at La Tulipe: the immense Marcos Valle (81 years old on September 14th!), composer and singer, pioneer of bossa-nova and fusions between Brazilian rhythms and rock, pop, jazz and soul, will come to present on the 23rde album of his career, Acoustic Tunnelexpected on September 20. The Montrealer Monica Freire took his time before returning to the studio to offer, last February, the exquisite Island. His new songs will be presented on November 15 at the Outremont Theater. Another great musical figure of the Americas, the Puerto Rican “gentleman of salsa” Gilberto Santa Rosawill visit us on October 6 at the Olympia. The unexpected success of the young Mexican Peso Pluma has opened the doors of Place Bell to other stars of norteño music, including Christian Nodal25, a new representative of the mariacheño style, who will be seen in Laval on October 23. And at the start of winter, it will be nice to warm up at the Bell Centre when the Colombian megastar Shakira will give a concert on December 10th.