After two editions under glass (the first broke at the very start of the pandemic in March 2020, the second played in digital version in April 2021), the famous Banlieues Bleues festival, based in Seine-Saint-Denis, finally finds its usual formula. For its 39th edition, it reconnects with the public thanks to 25 concerts spread over eleven cities between March 26 and April 22, 2022.
Among the forty groups on the bill, Banlieues Bleues plays as usual the card of exploration, audacity and openness, underlines Xavier Leduire, director of the event. The festival welcomes “the families of jazz but also many satellites, many artists who do not play jazz at all, and others who leave jazz to better detach themselves from it”. This is the case for certain headliners of the 2022 edition: violinist Théo Ceccaldi and his project Kutu of “ethio-trance”, the London afro-jazz-beat collective Kokoroko or the flautist Magic Malik and his new group Kafrobeat (for a creation). Among the other distinguished guests are the Cuban jazz pianist Harold López-Nussa, the singer Sam Mangwana and his Congolese rumba, the Argentinian Melingo, the singer Mélissa Laveaux… And unclassifiable projects, favorites presented by Xavier Put it :
Niño de Elche Evening, Raül Refree (March 26)
“I start with the Spaniard Niño de Elche, at the helm of the opening night, on March 26 at the MC93 in Bobigny, and who is seen as an extraordinary creator and radical renovator of the aesthetics of flamenco singing. He presents two programs at Banlieues Bleues, a duet with the Catalan producer Raül Refree and a new stage version of his record-event, theAnthology of Cante Flamenco Heterodoxo.”
Three shows for young audiences: “Dracula”, “Morphing”, “The Jungle Book”
“The festival offers three concerts for all audiences, that is to say including young audiences, therefore mixing young and old: Dracula reviewed by the National Jazz Orchestra (ONJ, April 1 in Stains): Morphing drummer Antonin Leymarie who aims to be a dance floor for kids (premiere, April 10 at Dynamo in Pantin); and The jungle Bookor Rudyard Kipling’s children’s literature classic, transfigured on stage by the Journal Intime mini-fanfare and an incredible Mowgli-dancer (April 20 at Bobigny).
Two evenings on the Norwegian concept Punkt (April 11-12)
“We have programmed two nights dedicated to the Punkt concept by the Norwegians Jan Bang and Erik Honoré, who follow concerts and their live-remix on stage, which places the listener-spectator in a very original context. bizarre alternative jazz scene, with discoveries like Isabelle Sörling [ndlr : chanteuse suédoise, artiste vocale de l’année 2021 aux Victoires du Jazz]the Estonian pianist Kirke Karja, a creation in homage to Ruyichi Sakamoto or the duo Farida Amadou-Julien Desprez.” (April 11 and 12 at Dynamo de Pantin)
“Vaisseau-Mère” and the “collaborative creations” of the festival (April 2)
“Banlieues Bleues offers collaborative creations, that is to say, designed by professional musicians in total collaboration with non-professional participants. These are unidentified artistic objects that mix music, texts, performances, and have been gathering a lot of energy for several weeks, like this Mothership mounted by the Franco-Senegalese artist TIE with the collective of Femmes Sauvages and around fifty young people from Courneuve, on the theme of femininity” (April 2 at La Courneuve).
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Rokia Koné and Jacknife Lee reunited on stage for their first joint album (April 22)
“Finally, we will have the world premiere of a stunning record, bamanan, which has just been released on Peter Gabriel’s Real World label: the encounter between Malian singer Rokia Koné, one of the most beloved new voices in her country, and American producer Jacknife Lee, who has worked for stars like U2 , REM or The Killers. They recorded their disc remotely, Covid obliges, between Bamako and California, and will meet in real life for the first time in Banlieues Bleues…” (April 22 in Aubervilliers)
Banlieues Bleues Festival, from March 26 to April 22, 2022
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