A WORLDWIDE MUSICAL JOURNEY
Thirteen days of emotion and discovery, with no jet lag…

Montréal, May 29, 2018 – Open wider to the world than ever, the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique invites you on a musical journey around the planet from July 10 to 22, 2018, in Montréal. Thirteen days of emotion and discovery with no jet lag: nearly 700 artists from 30 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America, 125 concerts and activities, eight series, six indoor venues and six days of free outdoor performances from July 17 to 22 on the Parterre of the Quartier des spectacles. A cultural destination marked by authenticity. A concentrate of festive delights for the entire family

Unique and unifying, the festival promises memorable evenings, irresistible favourites and magical moments. From top names on the international scene to new generations of artists, each concert is an event in itself and a musical destination, from the official opening concerts with Femi Kuti & The Positive Force (Nigeria), July 12 at 8:30 p.m. at the MTelus, to the closing concert with the great Sekouba Bambino (Guinea) on the TD – Radio-Canada outdoor stage, July 22 at 9:30 p.m.

FESTIVAL SPOKESPERSON
To reach a broad audience of all ages and origins, the festival has entrusted the role of spokesperson this year to Eddy King, a humourist and musician of Congolese origine, who will also be seen on the outdoor stage as DJ during the Escale Tropicale TV5.

“Sharing one’s culture is also an opportunity to rediscover oneself.” — Eddy King

To convey the essence of the festival, we add the voice of Herby Moreau, well known journalist, presenter and friend of the festival for many years, who now embraces the role of ambassador.

“I am truly flattered and pleased to extend my collaboration with Nuits d’Afrique, as the festival’s ambassador. This is a position that will enable me to continue adding to the renown and outreach of this event that I have cherished for so many years. Long live Nuits d’Afrique.” — Herby Moreau

A DIVERSE PLURAL AND CONTEMPORARY PROGRAM WITHOUT BORDERS
Like world music styles – diverse, contemporary and borderless, the 32nd edition of the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique will again be exciting, exhilarating and festive!

WOMEN’S VOICE
Because the world sound is also borne by highly talented women – singers with spectacular voices and seasoned musicians – a female aura, rich in character, emerges this year from the program. In addition, the Voix du monde series is 100 % female this year with concerts by Djazia Satour (Algeria), Barbara Guillaume (Haiti-Québec), Votia (Réunion) and Banda Kakana (Mozambique).

Also noteworthy are the astonishing Meklit (Ethiopia) in the Grands événements series indoors and on the outdoor stage, Flavia Coelho (Brazil), Ladama (Colombia-Brazil-Venezuela-U.S.), Artiz (Haiti), Naxx Mwa Ndaya (Congo-Québec) and The Peptides (Ontario). Moreover, we present other female voices marking our current musical landscape: Djely Tapa (Mali-Québec) in the Étoiles Nuits d’Afrique series, DJ Yaya (Senegal-Québec) in the Soirée Afrohouse and the K-Iri duet (Burkina Faso-Éthiopia-Québec). An inspiring
selection highlighting the musical journeys of diverse women.

NEW CURRENTS
This 32nd edition is also marked by the growing presence of the generation of artists who draw upon sounds of African descent and urban music styles, opening up genres and labels. Among these current artists offering new musical aesthetics are, in indoor venues, the Afro-futurist world of AfrotroniX (Chad-Québec) at the Soirée Future Tribe, followed by Poirier, Mr Touré! and Yaya gathered in the electrifying Soirée Afrohouse, not to mention reggaeman Naâman (France) with his DJ Fatbabs

On the outdoor stage, the Zalama Crew collective (Colombia) arrives with its Afro-Colombian grooves, along with Degg J Force 3 (Guinea) with his contemporary and committed Afro-rap, and Boogát (Mexico-Québec) with his urban beats set to Latino sounds.

“I am seeing world music evolve, and I tell myself that the work we have done over the last 32 years is paying off. Mixtures are increasingly accomplished, and cultural encounters are more and more original, but artists have not forgotten tradition. On the contrary, they pay tribute to it. It is exciting to see all the change going on, to see people moving closer to one another and getting to know each other through music, as we always desired.”
— Lamine Touré, founding president of the festival

Amadou & Mariam (Mali)
July 13, 2017 – 8:30 PM at MÉTROPOLIS
Festival International Nuits d’Afrique 2017

59 Ste-Catherine Est (corner St-Laurent), Montréal, QC
more info at: www.metropolismontreal.ca

After achieving worldwide success with the song Dimanche à Bamako, Amadou & Mariam are back in Montréal to present their new album. Bofou Safou, the lead title, evokes the nickname given to “anyone who is holding a baobab and who likes dancing better than working.” And why not? Especially since the Afro-disco beats from this famous Malian couple, who have appeared on the world’s greatest stages for nearly 40 years, are irresistible for anyone with fun-loving hips. Not to be missed!

Amadou & Mariam are names that have become familiar even to people with only a limited knowledge of world music. Behind their worldwide success and the songs that skilfully blend tradition and modernity, Afrobeat, pop, rock and even electronic music, there has been a long journey and an extraordinary love story, along with perseverance and enormous passion.

Mariam Doumbia, born in Bamako, developed a remarkable talent as a singer at a very early age, memorizing songs from Malian and French stars she heard on the radio and singing at community events. At Bamako’s Institute for Blind Youth, this young lady, who lost her right at age five, taught song and dance to other pupils. Amadou Bagayoko also grew up in the Malian capital. As a child, he learned percussions, harmonica and flute before discovering his favourite instrument, the guitar. He also went blind, in his teenage years, though this did not stop him from taking part in various musical groups, including the Ambassadeurs du Motel, with which he achieved success and travelled abroad. At age 21, he entered the Institute for Blind Youth, where he met Mariam. Sparks flew between them, and it was the start of a great duo venture.

With the Institute, they took part in musical shows and organized awareness campaigns on the lives of blind people. In 1980, the year of their wedding, Amadou & Mariam gave their first concert as a duet at the Bobo Dioulasso stadium, in Burkina Faso. In 1981, Amadou became the head of Miriya, a group consisting of blind musicians. In the years that followed, Amadou and Mariam became increasingly well known in Mali. In 1986, they left for Côte d’Ivoire and, in the course of a few years, produced many cassettes that achieved huge success. As their fame grew across Africa, they gave a growing number of concerts.

In 1997, they recorded in France their first CD, Sou Ni Tilé (Night and Day), released the year after. The song “Mon amour, ma chérie” spread like wildfire. More CDs soon followed: Se Te Djon Ye the same year, then Tje Ni Mousso (Man and Woman) in 1999 and Wati (Time) in 2002. They began appearing at major international festivals: the Eurockéennes, Los Angeles, Montreux…. Their talent seduced French musician Manu Chao, and an album emerged from their collaboration: Dimanche à Bamako (Sunday in Bamako), which won the award for best world album at the Victoires de la musique in 2005.

Several albums later, Amadou & Mariam remain at the top of their game, participating in prestigious events such as the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Barack Obama and the opening of the football World Cup in South Africa. Politically committed and always keen on solidarity, they are sought all over the world. Recently, they even appeared in a Québec film, Le cœur de Madame Sabali, by Ryan McKenna. In 2012, they recorded the energetic and captivating album Folila in Paris, New York and Bamako, bringing together artists from all backgrounds whom they have encountered during their career. This year, the anticipation surrounding the release of their new EP, La Confusion, confirms that Amadou & Mariam remain true masters!

“Aimez-moi comme un beau rêve,
votre vie la nuit,
mon espoir le jour,
comme une pièce d’argent
sur terre ne m’en sépare,
et pour le grand voyage
fidèle compagne;
comme la calebasse,
intacte sert à puiser l’eau,
en morceaux, chevalets pour valiha.”

From: “Vulgaire chanson d’amant” by Flavian Ranaivo (Madagascar)

“Love me like a lovely dream,/your life at night,/my hope by day;/like the silver coin/I keep close on earth/and on the great voyage,/a faithful companion;/like a calabash,/intact, for drawing water/in pieces, bridges for my lute.” (Translation from the French by Ellen Conroy Kennedy).

From the 11th of July to the 20th of August, 2017 aficionados of the world music, which like all humanity itself rose to eminence in Africa, will descend upon Montréal, Québec, Canada, for the 31st edition of Le Festival International Nuits d’Afrique. Sadly, I will not be there this year, but being body (partially) and soul (wholly) from Africa, I am being transported there each day whether I switch on my radio, record player, tape recorder or CD player.

Maleem Mahmoud Ghania

Even now, as I write this in the setting sun on the 5th of July, I can hear – resounding in my head – the poetry of Flavian Ranaivo, David Diop, Birago Diop, Christopher Okigbo, Jean-Baptiste Tati-Loutard, Léopold Sédar Senghor and many other giants that once walked the earth, I feel elevated to a rarefied realm, just as I always am listening to the music of the legendary Maleem Mahmoud Ghania, one of the greatest of Gnawa musicians from Essaouria, the great Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti “Fela Kuti” or Hassan Hakmoun, Ahmed Djamil Ghouli of Djmawi, or the hypnotic guitar and vocals of Sanou Ag Ahmed of Terakaft, or the high and lonesome wail of Ousmane Ag Mossa’s guitar and voice as it spills out of Kidal.

There is no escape from the mesmerism of the poetry and the music of all of that music, nor would any escape be willed or attempted. Paul Bowles, Jane Bowles, William Burroughs and many others came and were seduced and lived and passed into oblivion in Africa. My journey back has just begun. Thankfully, I am starting home from Canada, a country that is – despite its many faults – welcoming of its brothers and sisters from the rest of the world especially, in these dark days, from the African continent, Middle East and the Mediterranean. Unlike our cousins, south of the border, where the official party-line is a big fat “No!”, Canada says yes to immigrants, wise, perhaps, to the fact that even our brothers we now call “native” and “aboriginal” were first immigrants just like us, only thousands of years ago, in the second and third waves of immigrants from Mother Africa.