Osheaga, Day 3 | Hamza, from Belgium to Montréal

by Jacob Langlois-Pelletier

“Saucegod, Saucegod, Saucegod!” shouted the many festival-goers as Hamza arrived on stage. For several years, the Belgian rapper has had a wonderful relationship with Montrealers; another chapter in this beautiful story was written Sunday night at Osheaga.

Last year, Hamza earned a special place in our top 100 albums with Sincérement , a superb offering combining trap and R&B. It was with a string of tracks from this project that the Belgian began his set, starting with the excellent Codéine 19 . Although he started with his most recent material, he didn’t hesitate to dip into his classics such as Gasolina and FADE UP . There’s nothing wrong with the selection of tracks, a good mix highlighting the diversity of his discography.

Where the shoe pinches is in what is offered on stage. What is played is mostly pre-recorded soundtracks to which Hamza adds his grain of salt, autotune of course at the rendezvous. Don’t get me wrong, the eternal lover still offers a good show, but without artifice.

Regardless, the style of performance offered by the rapper did nothing to dampen the crowd, who were jumping from start to finish. The 30-year-old artist’s honeyed flow and catchy choruses are in a class of their own, here is another demonstration.

Crédit photo: Benoit Rousseau

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Disco / Funk / Soul/R&B

Osheaga, Day 3 | Party time with Jungle

by Jacob Langlois-Pelletier

Shortly after rapper Hamza’s last words on the adjacent stage, numerous beams of light gave festival-goers an orange hue, the color of Volcano, Jungle’s most recent project. On the notes of Busy Earnin’, a 2014 hit, the British soul-funk band made their entrance in remarkable fashion.

From the very first moments, the band’s different impulses had the crowd dancing. The music of Tom McFarland, Josh Lloyd-Watson and, most recently, Lydia Kitto, is one of the liveliest and most festive around. It’s no surprise that inflatables and balloons roamed among the fans throughout the performance; the mood was festive, to say the least. Jungle has a way of making us enjoy the moment.

The balance between recording and live creation couldn’t have been better. The three protagonists get involved vocally and contribute with various instruments such as guitar and synthesizer. The arrangements are danceable, and the vocals as bewitching as on record. Two percussionists and a bassist rounded things off brilliantly.

On two occasions, artists appeared on the big screen for the duration of a song. This was the case for Erick the Architect during the disco hit Candle Flame, a song on which the crowd burned a lot of calories, rest assured.

Several times, the band addressed the fans in both English and French. The Brits seemed delighted by the welcome they received from Montrealers, who responded by singing along to their various choruses and clapping their hands. There’s no doubt that Jungle’s appearance was one of the highlights of the weekend’s festivities.

Crédit photo: Benoit Rousseau

Osheaga Day 1: Beating the Heat with The Japanese House

by Lyle Hendriks

As the (truly oppressive) heat of the day set in, we were treated to an utterly phenomenal set from The Japanese House, a British dream pop group led by the magnetic Amber Mary Bain. Supported by an exceptional band for this show, Bain took us gently by the hand and pulled us into her world.

Never afraid to get a little slow and sentimental, The Japanese House put on a show for swaying. The band mainly played tracks off their latest album, In the End It Always Does (Dirty Hit, 2023), which heavily features acoustic guitars, laid-back rhythms, stunning four-part harmonies, and of course, the captivating, perfectly imperfect vocals of Bain herself.

Vulnerable and stripped bare, there’s a careless gentleness to The Japanese House that comes across so plainly in a live setting. Each member of the band stays strictly in their lane, and yet the music comes flowing in like a friendly tidal wave—soft, sweet, and all-encompassing.

Bain radiates kindness in between tracks, truly seeming like she was happy to be there and share her songs. She even halted the show mid-song at one point when someone collapsed from heat exhaustion in the crowd, not restarting the show until she saw a medic reach the scene. Skill aside, these moments of compassion and gratitude only added to the measured beauty of the performance as a whole.

Photos by Benoit Rousseau

Osheaga, Day 1: Fcukers Does It with the Lights On

by Lyle Hendriks

For most musical acts getting their start, receiving a call from Osheaga one day before opening would be a dream come true. But for NYC house three-piece Fcukers—who have apparently managed to catch the attention of Beck, Clairo, Yves Tumor, and Julian Casablancas, as well as toured four continents within their first ten shows—I imagine securing a slot in Canada’s biggest festival to sub in for Sleater-Kinney’s cancellation at the eleventh hour felt like business as usual.

This confidence radiated from each member as they bounced around the stage, with breathless breakbeats and sexy basslines getting things started on a rather sultry tone for an afternoon performance. This is hot people music, best enjoyed reverberating off the walls of a dirty club bathroom while you do something illicit in a stall.

Lead vocalist Shanny Wise looked to be having the time of her life as the crowd began to amass in front of her, putting on her best valley girl-esque accent as she announced their name (it’s just pronounced “Fuckers,” by the way) between songs. The drums provided by Ben Scharf were truly immaculate, a graceful, measured hybrid between booming 808s and live percussion that brought these club tracks into an irresistible live mix. Meanwhile, we had an exceptional combination of analog bass and synthesizer from DJ/producer Jackson Walker Lewis, who was like a Gen Z Terminator in his wraparound shades and cold-as-ice performance.

Overall, Fcukers came to party. And while they no doubt deserved a late-night show to truly get their freak on, they look good with the lights on too.

Photos by Benoit Rousseau

Pop / Punk / rap / Rock

Osheaga, Day 2 | The Smashing Pumpkins, Denzel Curry, Olivia Dean & New West

by Jacob Langlois-Pelletier

Nostalgia, when you hold us

The Smashing Pumpkins’ performance at Osheaga on Saturday couldn’t have come at a better time; just over 48 hours ago, the prolific American group released Aghori Mhori Mei , their 13th album. Contrary to what one might expect, Billy Corgan and his band ignored this release and opted for a selection of their greatest classics, much to the delight of the fans crowded in front of the two biggest stages of the festival.

Dressed in a black cassock, Corgan enveloped Parc Jean-Drapeau with his melancholic rock and his nasal voice that we know so well. Alongside him are his long-time colleagues James Iha on guitar and Jimmy Chamberlin on drums as well as Kiki Wong, a guitarist recruited a few months ago.

On stage, the Smashing Pumpkins exude the same determination and desire as they did 30 years ago. Too bad this state of mind does not translate into their recent releases.

With just a few minutes to go, dusk begins and the first notes of the famous “1979,” taken from the excellent Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, are heard. This is when the crowd got loudest and the result was sublime. The euphoria provoked is yet another proof of the power of nostalgia. The Chicago band’s greatest hits will definitely never die, and neither will their influence on alternative rock.

Photo credit: Tim Snow

Denzel Curry, flawless, but not brilliant

If there’s one rapper who never stops reinventing himself with each release, it’s definitely American Denzel Curry. In mid-July, the Floridian released King Of The Mischievous South Vol. 2 , a mixtape overflowing with collaborations following a first volume released a dozen years ago. In this opus, he explores the dirty south, a subgenre from the Southern United States.

At 29 years old and with several high-quality projects under his belt, it is now fair to say that Denzel is one of the most important pawns in current rap. Brimming with energy on stage, the MC raps each of the rhymes of his songs with precision and finesse. The festival-goers received exactly what they get on his albums.

Throughout his performance, Curry multiplied the interactions with the crowd and displayed a fascinating ease.

The curtain-dropping set of his most popular tracks Ultimate and CLOUT COBAIN | CLOUT CO13A1N was met with a very loud reception from the crowd, which had been quite discreet since the beginning. It must be said that placing the rapper after the punk group Rancid and before the Smashing Pumpkins and Green Day was perhaps not the best idea…

Regardless, the proposal from the member of the famous Freshman class of 2016 was honest and well-balanced. However, his offering lacked that little something to not fall into oblivion.

Crédit photo: Tim Snow

Olivia Dean, a breath of fresh air in the middle of a heat wave

While exploring the lineup for the 2024 edition, Olivia Dean’s name really piqued my curiosity. As I looked through her slim, young discography, I discovered a soul singer inspired by the great ladies of this musical genre. The British singer cites Carole King, Amy Winehouse, The Supremes and Lauryn Hill as inspirations for her music.

Accompanied by a small orchestra, the 25-year-old artist is dressed in a very colorful dress and takes her place at the front of the stage. “If this is the first time you’ve seen me perform, I have one rule. You have to have a good time!” she says between her first two songs. It was largely material from Messy, her only album of her career, that the London native introduced to the crowd. She also took the opportunity to perform her most recent release entitled Time , a song in which she explores more rock avenues than usual, which suits her like a glove.

Olivia Dean exudes an aura that is not of our time. Jazz, R&B, soul, pop; everything is mobilized. Visibly captivated, the festival-goers scrutinized her actions and then responded vocally. The 45 minutes of performance passed in the blink of an eye and we would have liked it to never end.

Photo credit: Benoit Rousseau

New West, Toronto’s New Sensation

With the huge success of their title Those Eyes , the Canadian collective New West no longer needs an introduction. This year, the Torontonians had the task of opening the ball at 2 p.m.

Taking advantage of an impressive crowd for an early afternoon due to the imminent arrival of the star Chappell Roan, the band formed by Kala Wita, Noel West, Lee Vella and Ben Key will offer an inspired and colorful performance.

Winner of a Juno for “New Group of the Year” in 2024, New West offers a diverse sound that includes jazz, R&B and indie, among other things. On the festival’s main stage, Kala Wita gave it their all, moving from left to right, singing lying on the floor and offering moments on the piano. This performance allowed us to discover more about the personalities of the different members of the group.

Vocally, Wita is right and envelops us with tracks like “Stevie Nicks” or “Guessing Game.” The sample is thin, but the future seems promising for New West.

Photo credit: Tim Snow

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OSHEAGA 2024: Mannequin Pussy Chews Us Up and Spits Us Out

by Stephan Boissonneault

God, do I love seeing a band that is unafraid or unapologetic while taking a crowd through their political and deeply personal beliefs. Enter Philadelphia thrash punks, Mannequin Pussy, a rowdy four-piece that combines ’90s punk and speedy/sludgy thrash guitar music under a whirlwind of drums, fuzzy bass, and the lead vocals of Marisa “Missy” Dabice.

This is a band with a message; one of loving yourself and saying a tremendous Fuck You to anyone who disagrees with the sentiment. Normally I dislike a band who really drives their message throughout a set, but for Mannequin Pussy’s Osheaga set, it was needed and part of the spectacle. Instrumentally, there are many bands that sound reminiscent of Mannequin Pussy—Amyl and The Sniffers (who are funny enough, playing on Sunday), Gouge Away, the ’90s Live Through This era of Hole, and even Montreal locals Whoredrobe—but no one can really match the tenacity and stage presence of Dabice.

The woman has a way with words and her lead-up to songs on the newest album, I Got Heaven, were masterful and playful. She uses a healthy combination of sex appeal, unbridled rage, and a prom dress to draw you in; sometimes with a sexy call girl whisper or an angry femme punk gravitas with screams that sound utterly painful. She wants to turn you on, make you think you have all the power, and then quickly snatch it away for herself. The woman could easily be a cult leader, so let’s be happy that she is spreading a positive, anti-capitalist, anti-war and fuck the patriarchy message. Mannequin Pussy has a platform right now and they are aware of it. Dabice’s rhetoric about the church’s hypocrisy was also palpable before diving into “Split Me Open,” and her vicious takedown of rich white males was literal music to the ears. More on her vocal style, she sounds like she is reading you a tantalizing bedtime story and then ushers a mournful scream. It’s like ASMR pushed through a sputtering woodchipper. There’s no way of saying it differently at this juncture.

The other members of Mannequin Pussy also deserve some praise. Bass player Colins Regisford is tight as sin and had his own vocal moment that felt very Bad Brains-y. Guitarist Maxine Steen has that hyper grunge, thrash metal style that feels a bit Anthrax, but then bursts out into discordant drones. I could honestly watch her play guitar for hours. The bed of sonic chaos is held together by drummer Kaleen Reading, allowing Dabice to really freak out at times.

I’m curious to see what the new album sounds like on recording and I sincerely doubt it will come close to witnessing the church of Mannequin Pussy live.

Photos Courtesy of Osheaga

Blues / Bossa Nova / Brazilian / Gospel / Jazz / Soul

A Choir at Balattou for Bïa Ferreira

by Sandra Gasana

“The last time I was here, I said I was going to come back to Montreal and speak French. But I still don’t speak it. But I ordered my supper in French!” Brazilian singer Bïa Ferreira proudly shares in English, as she begins her second concert in Montreal. And just as she did the first time, she divided her concert into two parts, one dealing with love and the other with activism.

“If you leave here different from when you arrived, then I’ll have done my job,” she adds. And it’s off to a prayer-like start, as whistling, voice and guitar mingle to deliver a beautiful sonic cocktail. Indeed, she may be alone on stage with her guitar, but at times it feels like there are five of them.

She also serves us Xote, a Brazilian musical rhythm often danced in pairs. “When I wrote this song, I was very much in love. But I was the only one in love,” she reveals. With her powerful voice and distinctive timbre, she masters her relationship with the microphone, knowing when to step away from it and when to approach it. With my friend Juliana, who’s just as much of a music lover as I am, we thought her music was a mix of blues, jazz, soul and gospel, all with a Brazilian flavour. Her signature is the whistle, which recurs in several songs and which she masters very well, as well as the many other noises she makes with her mouth, in addition to beatboxing. In fact, on one of her tracks, she adds a bit of Lionel Richie’s Easy Like a Sunday morning, which is a surprise but an instant crowd-pleaser.

“The last time I was here was in February and it was very cold. So I thought I’d come back in the summer. And here I am!” to applause from the audience.

On the track Saudade, you sometimes get the impression of hearing cajón and sometimes piano, whereas she does it all with her guitar. She then finishes with a bossa nova rhythm, which adds depth to the track. “It’s hard to translate Saudade. It’s not ‘I miss you’! It’s something else, it’s a feeling that makes you sick!”

Bïa Ferreira is also an excellent storyteller. She takes the time to explain all the songs, but even during certain tracks, she tells us stories, sometimes with a very rapid but always theatrical vocal delivery. This is notably the case on Molho Madeira, which will feature on Ellen Oléria’s forthcoming album, mixing passages where she talks and raps, waltzing between gentleness and aggression, banging on her guitar which serves as percussion.

“Every church has a choir. So to end this first part, I’ll need your help on the raggamuffin-tinged Levante a bandeira do amor (Raise the flag of love).

The second part, more committed and political, kicks off with an a capella rendition of Seu Jorge’s Zé do Caroço, a classic of Brazilian music.

After a tribute to Leci Brandão, the queen of samba, she kicks off the second half with a rhythmic reggae track, with a bit of beatboxing, which sets the tone for what’s to come. She first pays tribute to women around the world in Não precisa ser Amélia, in which she screams at times, showing off her vocal cords in full action.
The high point of the evening, in my opinion, came with the song Diga não (or Say no!), in which she denounced silence in the face of the genocide raging in Palestine. “By remaining silent, you are choosing a side. Your silence helps the oppressors! The audience takes its role as choir very seriously, especially on the song A conta vai chegar (or the bill will arrive), alluding to the debts linked to colonization.

She ended on a high note with Sharamanayas, the principle of keeping what’s good for you, and getting rid of what’s bad. One thing’s for sure, Bïa Ferreira’s concert was good for the people who came to see her, even if I would have expected a fuller house, as on her first visit. Having just come out of the Festival Nuits d’Afrique, this event may well have slipped under the radar of many a fan of her music.

Photo Credit: Inaa

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Yannick Rieu launches his latest album, Symbiosis

by Vitta Morales

The evening of July 26th would see Yannick Rieu launch his latest album, Symbiosis, at Dièse Onze. Accompanied on stage and on the record by strong players younger than himself, (a tested practice seen in the careers of Art Blakey and Miles Davis), the musical interactions between players did, in fact, seem to border on a type of symbiosis elevating the music and the experience of listening to it.

Compositionally, Rieu explains in the liner notes of the album, that the songs of Symbiosis were inspired by the music of Brahms, which has always moved him. Rieu has sought, however, to invoke the spirit of Brahms without necessarily restricting himself to the harmonic and formal vocabulary one would expect from such an exercise. As a result, I must admit that I discerned only a tenuous resemblance; and I suspect this is only because I was told beforehand of the goal to channel the German romantic.

Regardless, the playing, (and composing), was done at a very high level with Johnathan Cayer, Rémi-Jean Leblanc, and Louis-Vincent Hamel all contributing their skills to the music of the veteran saxophonist. Some highlights include Leblanc’s impressive dexterity on his bass; the solid comping of Cayer’s locked hands voicings; the powerful tone of Rieu; and the dynamic drumming of Hamel who, with micro movements in his wrists and fingers, was able to achieve patterns bordering on Drum & Bass at times. All this was conducive to an appreciative crowd that filled the club nearly to capacity. I would therefore say that Rieu’s latest launch of modern jazz inspired by romantic music went as well as could be expected.

Classical

Festival d’art vocal de Montréal 2024 | A gala full of promise

by Alexandre Villemaire

Singers from the Class of 2024 of the Canadian Vocal Arts Institute (CVAI) kicked off the first concert of the twentieth edition of its Vocal Arts Festival last Sunday. Gathered in the Salon Richmond, a former church converted into a sumptuous reception hall, the cohort of young artists from the new generation presented a gala concert under the banner of love and exuberance, performing several well-known pages from the operatic repertoire, whether duets, trios, quartets or large choruses. The venue’s neat, pastoral setting was matched by a good-natured energy embodied by both the performers and Étienne Dupuis, co-artistic director, and Nathalie Deschamps, the concert’s stage director and ICAV artistic coordinator, in their introductory remarks. The complicity between them – she taught Étienne Dupuis when he was a student at Cégep de Saint-Laurent – set the tone for the afternoon with humor and light-heartedness. Above all, their speech reminded us that the festival, beyond being an artistic event, this festival and the institute’s related events remain an opportunity for training and work, as well as a platform for experimentation for these young vocal performers who come to perfect their skills. They were accompanied by a small string ensemble led alternately by two young conductors-in-training, Daniel Black and Madeleine Krick, as well as experienced conductor Simon Charette and accompanying pianists also in training at the institute.

The overall vocal quality of the performers was given an introductory number as they processioned towards the stage, singing Richard Rodgers’ “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” from the musical The Sound of Music. Symbolically illustrating the road travelled and the road still to be travelled to reach one’s dreams, it was rendered with force, power and energy. This was followed by a series of varied pieces, ranging from Mozart opera to bel canto, verismo, French opera and operetta. The “Bella Figlia Dell’Amore” quartet from Rigoletto is one of the most striking numbers. The voices of Abigail Sinclair (soprano; Canada), Maddie Studt (mezzo-soprano; USA), Sébastien Comtois (tenor; Canada) and Keunwon Park (bass; South Korea) each offered fine vocal harmony.

One of the most experienced participants in the cohort, Canadian baritone Geoffrey Shellenberg hit the bull’s-eye with every performance, as much for his vocal mastery as for his interpretive skills and stage presence. His duet with mezzo-soprano Natalia Pérez Rodriguez, “Pronta io son” from Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, extremely lively, sparkling and casual, contrasted with the vindictive character of his Belcore in the aria “Venti Scudi” from L’Elisir d’Amor sung with Mexican Jair Padilla, a tenor with a clear, brassy voice. Other memorable performances included two excerpts from Menotti’s Consul, performed with roundness of tone and musicality; excerpts from Bizet’s Carmen, whose “Mêlons, mêlons!” trio introduced us to Isabella Cuminato’s deep timbre; and numbers from Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and Cosi fan tutte, which showcased an ensemble of singers who are seasoned both vocally and in terms of stage presence. As a surprise on the program, Étienne Dupuis performed Rigoletto’s aria “Cortigiani, vil razza dannata” with intensity and exhilarating mastery. The evening ended with a performance of the chorus “Brüderlein und Schwesterlein” from Die Fledermaus, sung in French, to extend the invitation to the opera’s performance on August 10 and 11.

We came away from this concert by the ICAV’s 2024 cohort with a fine impression, despite a few minor weaknesses in projection and diction on the part of some of the performers, as well as some uneven direction from the podium. But there was nothing to throw the concert off balance. It takes a lot of determination, investment and, above all, a good dose of pleasure to bare one’s vocals. For a show that took three days to put together, each and every one of them displayed fine vocal qualities that we look forward to helping you discover in the festival program.

photo: Tam Photography

For the program of the Festival d’art vocal de Montréal, click here

Africa / Congolese Rumba / Cumbia / Folk / Soukouss

PAN M 360 at Nuits d’Afrique 2024 | Final Evening With a Congolese and Colombian Flavour

by Jacob Langlois-Pelletier

Around 6pm on Sunday at the Festival international Nuits d’Afrique, it was the turn of Blaise LaBamba, a Congo-Kinshasa-born artist who has been based in Montreal since 1999, to take the big outdoor stage. From the outset, the 2022 Syli de Bronze winner’s intentions were clear: LaBamba would get the crowd dancing to infectious Congolese rumba, zouk and soukous.

On stage, the former member of General Defao’s Big Stars is accompanied by a host of musicians, dancers and backing singers. The Congolese singer’s various offerings are enhanced by guitar, drums, keyboards, synthesizers, percussion and numerous whistle blasts. The latter dictate the many swaying movements of the dancers on stage and people in the crowd.

The frenetic pace of the performance certainly charmed the impressive throng of festival-goers lining the TD – Radio-Canada stage. Clapping their hands on numerous occasions, the crowd showed their appreciation for the long instrumental flights of Blaise LaBamba and his band. It was hard to ask for a more festive offering to kick off this final evening of FINA 2024 activities.

Stephanie Osorio charms us with some cumbia

After having had a blast with Blaise LaBamba, fans on hand were treated to a gentler, more controlled offering from Stephanie Osorio, Colombian and Quebecer by adoption. Established in Canada in 2010, the singer-songwriter has been on the road for over a decade, and recently reaped the rewards of her efforts. In addition to being crowned “Female Artist of the Year” at the Latin Awards Canada in 2022 and 2023, Osorio has shone internationally thanks to her contribution to the theme song of the popular American series The White Lotus.

In March 2023, she released Fruta del Corazón, her first solo album at the confluence of cumbia, pop, folk and Afro-Latin. A large proportion of the tracks on this project were performed at her show.

Dressed in a long, colorful skirt, Osorio is confident on stage, maracas or guitar in hand. Like LaBamba, the singer is well surrounded; saxophone, bass, guitar, drums, various percussion instruments and flutes. A few minutes after her entrance, the Colombian compared her music to fruit. “There are a lot of different flavors and smells in what I do,” she explains.

Although she draws some of her inspiration from her Carthaginian roots, Osorio incorporates many contemporary elements into her music. Towards the end of her performance on the Loto-Québec stage, the singer offered a superb a cappella moment. The crowd fell silent in admiration, lulled to sleep by her hushed voice.

With no glitz or glamour, Stephanie Osorio took us to a place where it’s hotter than Montreal on this July evening.

Crédit photo: André Rival

Afropop / Caribbean / Dancehall / Kompa / Soul/R&B

PAN M 360 at Nuits d’Afrique | A Look Back at Rutshelle Guillaume’s Closing Triumph

by Rédaction PAN M 360

When Rutshelle Guillaume filled the Rialto last spring, it was a community show. That’s a thing of the past. Presented on the main stage of Nuits d’Afrique in front of a packed house, the Port-au-Prince singer’s show (relocated to Florida) went beyond the market of the Haitian diaspora, most of whom were already loyal to her… and very present on this Sunday evening.

A decade of hard work has brought Rutshelle Guillaume to this altitude. If her business is done right for the future, this genuine conqueror could possibly reach the upper echelons of international pop.

Her most fervent fans have crowned her the “queen of konpa”, and we listened carefully to her repertoire, performed on stage with choreography, to see that konpa, the Haitian groove par excellence, is this time combined with other Caribbean, African and North American influences: dancehall, ragamuffin, afrobeats, power ballads and soul/ R&B are all part of this global konpa, expressed above all in Haitian Creole.

With a stage presence like this, Rutshelle Guillaume ticks all the boxes of the globalized superdiva. Scheduled for release before the end of the year, her next studio album will tell us a lot about her professional future. In another sign of recognition, on Monday, July 22, at Montreal City Hall, she was awarded the Prix Nuits d’Afrique pour la Francophonie “given to an artist of international renown, who embodies a unifying vision of the Francophonie and the diversity of cultural expression in the international French-speaking world”.

And it comes from Haiti! Whatever you think of the chaos there, you need to have traveled there to perceive its immense cultural and artistic virtues. From a distance, is it unthinkable that such global pop could flourish in the rubble? Probably not. Up close, on the contrary, we know it’s possible. Here’s further proof! At a time when Haiti is in the worst of its difficulties, this is certainly a token of hope and pride from the Magic Island.

It’s hard to imagine a better closing to the 38th Nuits d’Afrique.

On this occasion, PAN M 360 brings you a cross-report: Keithy Antoine, Haitian-born broadcaster and PAN M 360 contributor, chats with Alain Brunet on site, during the concert. Here’s the text exchange!

AB : Big variety machine!

KA : Yes, she’s powerful.

AB : It’s incredible that such an artist has developed in such a difficult context.

KA : Yes, but she’s traveled a lot, and she’s well surrounded.

AB : No artist from Port-au-Prince has had the impact she will.

KA : That’s what she’s working for! It’s wonderful.

AB : She’s the diva Haiti’s been waiting for.

KA : She’s popular, but not yet an icon.

AB : There are Haitian artists from Port-au-Prince who are icons, but none have made such an impact abroad, so quickly.

KA : We’re in a different era, so it’s hard to compare. But I’m not downplaying her popularity.

AB: In quantitative terms, it’s clear that she exceeds the standards of her era.

KA : Yes. I’m not downplaying it.

AB: It’s also the revenge of konpa in the recent history of West Indian music. Konpa was very strong in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Now it’s back with a vengeance.

KA : You could say. Or its real rise.

AB: Konpa can be seen as the foundation of modern Creole groove. With Rutshelle, it can get big.

KA : To each his own! But trying to win over a wider audience changes the sound too.

AB : But the basics are still there. The Farfisa organ sounds, the guitars, the congas – in short, all the typical elements of konpa are there when she goes in that direction.

KA : But it’s not pure konpa either. And konpa has to change like other styles.

AB: Not pure konpa, yes. It’s more like konpa-based global pop.

KA : With a veneer of variety. In fact, I had a lot of fun, not a lot of fun. This pop is clean clean.

AB : Exactly. It’s pop-variety. There are some nice reforms, but it can be perceived as skimming. Artistically, at least, it’s not yet striking.

KA : That’s not bad. It’s good, it’s very good, it pleases a lot. Bon dodo!

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Africa / Central African traditional music

PAN M 360 at Nuits d’Afrique – Les Aunties, from Ndjamena to Montreal

by Sandra Gasana

Nine women, quite ordinary, in the image of other Chadian women, mothers, all dressed in orange skirts and black tops, sitting in a circle, each with her microphone and calabash.

In fact, they always massage their calabashes before tapping them. And despite heavy rain from the very first minutes of the concert and for a good part of it, the audience remained on hand, with their umbrellas or raincoats, for those who had planned ahead.

Depending on the song, one of them starts singing, while the other eight respond in unison. Sometimes, they walk in circles, with one singing and the others providing backing vocals. At other times, one of them sings, another starts dancing around her, and the others stay behind. In short, we had several configurations on stage, but all of them captivated the audience’s attention, fascinated to see these ladies of a certain age on stage.

Right next to the stage, I could see the great Chadian star Afrotronix, who had come to encourage his compatriots. It was only at the end of the show that we learned that he was behind the group. “It’s a movement that’s just beginning. We grew up seeing our mothers, and it was these women who made us what we are today,” he says, mentioning in passing that his mother is in the audience.

Les Aunties often talk about women and their right to education in several tracks that evening, as well as domestic violence. “Montreal woman, how are you doing ?” asks one, then replacing Montreal, with Kinshasa, Cameroon and Ndjamena. At this point, we hear applause from the crowd, and it soon becomes clear that Montreal’s Chadian community is represented.

At a certain point in the show, they all wear a traditional Chadian dress, over their original skirts, and continue to sing together, seated or standing, with or without calabash, in a circle or in a row. During a song, the title of which I don’t know, the music is quieter and they line up as if going to a mosque for prayer, before taking off their traditional dress and returning to their initial attire. Sometimes, one of them takes center stage, and all the women around her encircle her, addressing her sympathetically and obviously singing for her.

At some point during the concert, each of them takes the floor and addresses the audience in their native language. This is where Afrotronix takes on the role of translator, translating the words into French.

No way!” she says to the applause of the crowd. It’s clear that these women are not afraid of words, and that they speak from experience in their desire to break the silence. From that moment on, it was madness on stage: we witnessed dance performances by several members of the Chadian community who came to perform traditional dance steps, in the center of the circle formed by Les Aunties.
The step they often performed consisted of moving shoulders and chest movements, rather like Ethiopia’s Eskesta. A percussionist also joined in, improvising on one of the tracks, while one of Les Aunties was at the turntables, headphones on and console in front of her. From time to time, Afrotronix came to adjust buttons on DJ Aunty’s console. In fact, the entire Chadian artistic community was on hand to contribute to the success of this original group on Saturday night. Moral of the story: there’s no age limit to following your dreams. If Les Aunties have done it, then anyone can.

Publicité panam