Sweet Nuits

Highlights at this year’s Nuits
d’Afrique festival

COAST TO COAST: Dobet Gnahoré

By ERIN MACLEOD

After the Jazz Festival ends, the 22nd edition of the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique begins, bringing some of the world’s most interesting and exciting acts to our fair city. The range of acts is huge—but Africa is a huge continent, and this means that there is a little sonic something for everyone. Here’s a rundown of some of the best this unique festival has to offer.

BOOTS AND ROOTS: Black Umfolosi

Though Côte d’Ivoire’s amazing Dobet Gnahoré will be channelling the sounds of Cesaria Evora, Miriam Makeba and Angelique Kidjo at her performance on July 8, Algeria’s Idir is the official opening concert on July 10. Presenting the beautiful simplicity of Kabyle music, Idir shines with just himself and a guitar. But that’s not all. On the same night, there’s soukous to be heard courtesy of Shimita El Diego. Changing gears again, the next day, fans of the incredible desert blues band Tinariwen won’t want to miss Niger’s Etran Finatawa, another example of the musical richness of Touareg culture.

Demonstrating the versatility of the kora, Zal Idrissa Sissokho shares the stage with various performers over the course of three days. On July 13, it’s Brazilian guitarist Celso Machado, fellow kora virtuoso Toumany Kouyaté on July 14, and flamenco dancer Hedi Arquillère on July 16.

On July 15, Zimbabwe’s Black Umfolosi is not to be missed. This group of musicians, singers and dancers, established to provide training in the arts for young people, still perform in support of programs for youth. Their shows have impressed audiences in Zimbabwe and around the world for over a quarter century.

The sounds of les Go de Koteba are showcased at le National on July 16. They may be based in Côte d’Ivoire, but this female trio also represents the sounds of Mali and Guinea, among others. Also demonstrating a range of cultural influences, Tribo de Jah, a group that began at a school for the blind in Sao Paulo, present their brand of Brazilian-Italian-Lebanese reggae on July 17.

CHEZ KORA: Zal Idrissa Sissokho BLISTERING PAULISTAS: Tribo de Jah

The trance music of Hajamadagascar & the Groovy People is on stage July 18, and listeners can learn about the music for free at an instrument workshop to be held the following day. On July 19, witness Fallou Dieng & le DLC, members of the new generation of Senegalese musicians, as they perform their updated version of the mbalax sound made internationally famous by Youssou Ndour.

Also, between July 17–20, the Village des Nuits d’Afrique kicks off—meaning free concerts, delicious food and a market of traditional crafts, all found at Place Emilie-Gamelin. Every day there are dance and instrument workshops held on site from 10:30 a.m. to half past noon. After that, the music starts. Some of the highlights of the free stage include the infectious compa groove of Togo’s Nikel on July 19, and Zon Del Barrio, who bring the flavour of Puerto Rico to the streets of Montreal on the night of July 20. Montreal’s multiple cultural connections are also shown throughout the free program—on July 18, check out the genre-bending Bambara Trans, who mix Andalusian, Arab, Gnawi and African sounds with electronica, and Nomadic Massive, whose name indicates both an attitude and the cross-section of cultures that blend together to create their own world-travelling brand of hip hop.

For more information, go to
www.festivalnuitsdafrique.com