PAN M 360 asked its partners to provide a list of the top 3 albums of 2023. Several artistic directors graciously agreed!
Mr.Touré! Malick Sagewondah Touré- is DJ and co-founder of Ausgang Plaza, a multimedia performance venue on Saint-Hubert Street, of which he is General and Artistic Director. Born in Montreal to Guinean and French parents, Malick Touré graduated from UQAM in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in communications, specializing in cultural and media production strategies. From the age of 15, he devoted himself to his passion for music, producing a compilation of Montreal rap. A versatile initiator, in the 2000s he organized and promoted events of various kinds: the Quebec hip-hop improvisation league (LIHQ), rap concerts, graffiti festivals (Meeting of Styles, Can You Rock). At the same time, he was a graffiti artist for a dozen years, and since 2003 has been performing as a DJ under the names Sagewondah and Mr. Touré! at Piknic Électronik, Igloofest, the Jazz Festival, Les Francofolies de Montréal and the Shambhala Festival (British Columbia). From 2015 to 2019, he hosted the renowned Qualité de Luxe party nights with DJs Poirier and Kyou. In 2017, he became general and artistic director of Ausgang Plaza (formerly Artgang). Fervent adepte de la vie nocturne montréalaise, il siège depuis 2020 au comité Clubs, bars culturels et salles de spectacles du Conseil de nuit, un organe de consultation de MTL 24/24 qui travaille à la mise en place d’une première politique de vie nocturne. En 2021, il devient membre du comité consultatif pour l’album francophone de l’année des prix Juno.
Nas / Magic 3 / Mass Appeal/ Mass Appeal Records (hip-hop)
“With Magic 3, Nas brings to a close a series of albums produced by the prolific Hit-Boy, with whom he managed to release 6 full-length projects in 3 years. He proves to his detractors that it’s possible to make mature rap even at the age of 50. You can feel him mastering his art with as much passion, if not more, than when he first started out.”
Kali Uchis / Red Moon in Venus / Geffen (soul/ R&B, latino)
“Bewitching and delicate, Kali Uchis’ voice seduces me every time. Listening to her album, I feel as if I’m taking a break from everyday worries and stress and entering a meditative, dreamy state. The album is perfect for a little moment with your lover or to disconnect a little.”
Adi Oasis / Lotus Glow / Unity (soul/R&B, funk)
“This album is as good live as it is in the studio. An outstanding bassist, the Afro-Caribbean artist knows how to surround herself with first-class musicians. She brilliantly masters funk, soul and R&B. Her musicality is timeless, and you can tell that her musical background is vast. I give her an extra star for finishing her pregnant tour of several months with such breathtaking energy.”
Otherwise, several other projects caught my eye that deserve to be mentioned:
Sofiane Pamart , Lil Yachty, Hamza, Amaarae“
