Nuits d’Afrique: The Legacy of a Festival That Has Become a Must-See Event

Interview by Sandra Gasana
Genres and styles : Africa / Amérique latine / Caribbean

Additional Information

As we do every year, the PAN M 360 team is getting ready to cover the Nuits d’Afrique International Festival, one of the highlights of our summer. But this year will be special, as it marks the 40th edition, and the organizers intent on making it a memorable one. For the occasion, we spoke with Suzanne Rousseau, Executive Director of Productions Nuits d’Afrique and co-founder of the Nuits d’Afrique International Festival. She is therefore uniquely positioned to give us an overview of the past 40 years, sharing the highlights, the defining years, the festival’s evolution, and the reasoning behind this year’s programming. A first this year: the anthem created especially for the 40th anniversary, with music composed by Meiway and featuring collaborations from several artists—a sort of “We Are the World” to mark this milestone. With Oumou Sangaré opening and Tiken Jah Fakoly closing—both of whom made their debut in Montreal with Nuits d’Afrique—this reflects the richness of this special program. Our reporter Sandra Gasana spoke with Suzanne Rousseau for PAN M 360.







Latest 360 Content

Nicolas Ellis, Elizabeth St-Gelais, and the Orchestre de l’Agora at Bourgie: Under the watchful eye of the Moon, angels pass by

Nicolas Ellis, Elizabeth St-Gelais, and the Orchestre de l’Agora at Bourgie: Under the watchful eye of the Moon, angels pass by

SAT / Making Time | When Friendship Becomes a Happening

SAT / Making Time | When Friendship Becomes a Happening

SAT/ Making Time |Aurora Halal’s One-hour Hardware Live Set Upcoming

SAT/ Making Time |Aurora Halal’s One-hour Hardware Live Set Upcoming

Flux 2026 | 1st week-end according to Peter Burton

Flux 2026 | 1st week-end according to Peter Burton

Between Shostakovich and improvisation, Gabriela Montero speaks of freedom

Between Shostakovich and improvisation, Gabriela Montero speaks of freedom

Joep Beving: Imagination and Reflection First

Joep Beving: Imagination and Reflection First

Codes d’Accès | Battements: Geneviève Ackerman presents “Rimes défaites par le Sphinx”

Codes d’Accès | Battements: Geneviève Ackerman presents “Rimes défaites par le Sphinx”

SAT / Making Time | Olof Dreijer Beyond The Knife… The Drums !

SAT / Making Time | Olof Dreijer Beyond The Knife… The Drums !

Bozzini Quartet plays the quartets of an icon of avant-garde jazz: George Lewis

Bozzini Quartet plays the quartets of an icon of avant-garde jazz: George Lewis

The “Bring Your Own Wine” concerts by the Voxpopuli Quartet: where serious listening is combined with pleasure

The “Bring Your Own Wine” concerts by the Voxpopuli Quartet: where serious listening is combined with pleasure

Pop MTL | 3 Final Picks for Sunday 27th & Monday 28th

Pop MTL | 3 Final Picks for Sunday 27th & Monday 28th

Sharon is (also) Jazz!

Sharon is (also) Jazz!

Janina Fialkowska: for the first time at Maison symphonique… to bid farewell

Janina Fialkowska: for the first time at Maison symphonique… to bid farewell

Pop MTL 2026 | 3 picks for Saturday 26th

Pop MTL 2026 | 3 picks for Saturday 26th

From his Mirador, Jean-Michel Blais casts a tender gaze on the child within us

From his Mirador, Jean-Michel Blais casts a tender gaze on the child within us

Oper’Actuel Main Show: Multilayered, Deep, Eclectic,  Entertaining

Oper’Actuel Main Show: Multilayered, Deep, Eclectic, Entertaining

POP MTL 2026 | 3 Picks for Friday September 25

POP MTL 2026 | 3 Picks for Friday September 25

POP MTL 2026 | 3 Picks for Thursday September 24

POP MTL 2026 | 3 Picks for Thursday September 24

POP MTL 2026 | 3 Picks for Wednesday September 23

POP MTL 2026 | 3 Picks for Wednesday September 23

Opér’actuel | From Grief Comes Creation: Rachel Krehm’s Journey Through Her Opera Come Closer

Opér’actuel | From Grief Comes Creation: Rachel Krehm’s Journey Through Her Opera Come Closer

POP MTL 2026 : 25 Years of Artistic Vision and DIY

POP MTL 2026 : 25 Years of Artistic Vision and DIY

Opér’actuel becomes a biennial festival: we discuss it with the artistic director Marie-Annick Béliveau

Opér’actuel becomes a biennial festival: we discuss it with the artistic director Marie-Annick Béliveau

POP MTL 2026 | haha Laughing All the Way to the Bank

POP MTL 2026 | haha Laughing All the Way to the Bank

The Four Seasons of Quebec: Interview with François Dompierre

The Four Seasons of Quebec: Interview with François Dompierre

Subscribe to our newsletter

Inscription
Infolettre

"*" indicates required fields

Type of Suscribers