Nuits d’Afrique Productions | Zalam Kao, Grand Prize Winner of the Syli d’Or

My friend Alain Brunet and I were at the 2026 Sylis d’Or Finals on Thursday night at the National. Three bands were in the running: Zalam Kao with their blend of Latin, groove, and hip-hop; Bastin Band with their effective raï fusion style; and Tamboréal Samba Bloco with their spectacular festive and Carioca energy, mixed with rhythms from the Northeast and even rock riffs (Smoke on the Water as a fun nod in one of the songs). The voting results (a combination of the public’s choice and a professional jury’s evaluation) awarded the gold medal to Zalam Kao, the silver to Tamboréal, and the bronze to Bastin Band.

My friend and I are, to say the least, surprised by this ranking, as our ears did not perceive the three performances in the same way as the announced result.

Zalam Kao’s performance suffered from vocals that lacked stability and were often off-key. At least two of the three, that is, since Mohamed Magri’s voice was very solid. The young man, it seems to me, comes from a jazz background. In addition to delivering a few successful vocal performances, he also played the keyboard, the flute, and a piccolo cornet! He is undoubtedly the most accomplished musician in the group. The guitar, bass, and drums were adequate, though they didn’t have to demonstrate particularly demanding technical skills. Zalam Kao’s strength, perhaps, lies in having presented entirely new material. They certainly deserve praise, but they’ll need to refine several interpretive details if they hope to build something lasting.

Bastin Band delivered a stronger performance at a National venue with poor sound quality. The sound lacked definition in both detail and color. During the semifinals at Balattou, I could hear much more clearly. Yesterday, more often than not, I felt like I was being hit with a thick wall of sound. Still, Bastin Band’s Algéro-Kebs brought a lot of energy, focusing largely on covers from their repertoire, ranging from an Arabic version of “Sympathy for the Devil” to Cheb Mami. Lots of stuff you’ll hear at the next North African wedding. Not exactly original, but they do it well.

It was the group of some fifteen musicians from Tamboréal that, at first glance, seemed to us to be the most likely to win the grand prize. They played mostly samba-style percussion, the kind you hear at the Rio Carnival or in the Northeast! Leader Carlos Enrique Feitosa added bass and cavaquinho to the mix. Here again, the lack of originality (it was essentially “classic” samba) likely worked against the group. It’s a shame in the sense that he seemed to us to be the one best suited to lead a full concert, outdoors or indoors, while meeting minimum standards of musical quality—and not just prioritizing novelty at all costs (which in no way detracts from our appreciation of originality in general).

The audience and the jury have made their choice. Let’s see what the future holds.

Photo Credit : Peter Graham