Osheaga : Sammy Virji au parc Jean-Drapeau

by Rédaction PAN M 360

Sammy Virji produit et mixe une variété de musiques de danse pleines d’entrain et d’exubérance, en particulier le bassline et le UK garage. Il débute en 2017 avec un son espiègle et effervescent issu de la scène bassline, avant de s’orienter vers un style garage plus mélodique et raffiné, notamment avec des sorties sur le label Kiwi Rekords de Conducta. Son album auto-produit Spice Up My Life paraît en 2020, et il collabore avec des artistes comme Flava D, Ragga Twins ou salute, se faisant également remarquer grâce à son remix du hit on & on de piri & tommy. La notoriété de Virji explose après une prestation virale pour DJ Mag en 2023, et son single If U Need It entre dans les charts britanniques. Il enchaîne depuis avec plusieurs collaborations, notamment avec Chris Lake, Joy Anonymous et Interplanetary Criminal.

Sammy Virji produces and spins several styles of giddy, exuberant dance music, particularly bassline and U.K. garage. Debuting in 2017, he soon transitioned from the cheeky, rambunctious sound of the bassline scene to a more refined, melodic garage sound, with releases on Conducta’s Kiwi Rekords. Virji’s self-released album Spice Up My Life appeared in 2020, and he collaborated with artists such as Flava D, Ragga Twins, and salute, additionally earning attention for his remix of piri & tommy’s hit “on & on.” Virji’s popularity increased considerably after a 2023 set for DJ Mag went viral, and his single “If U Need It” hit the U.K. charts. He’s since issued singles with Chris Lake, Joy Anonymous, and Interplanetary Criminal.

POUR ACHETER VOTRE BILLET, C’EST ICI!

Ce contenu provient d’AllMusic et est adapté par PAN M 360

période romantique

Lanaudière Festival | Metropolitan Orchestra/Yannick Nézet-Séguin/Marc-André Hamelin: When Nature Drives the Concert

by Frédéric Cardin

Nature, and human nature in general, had the last word this Sunday at the Lanaudière Amphitheatre for the concert by the Orchestre Métropolitain (OM) conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, with the imperial Marc-André Hamelin on piano. Let’s remember that it was the young sensation Yuja Wang who was supposed to be there, but sick for a few days, she had to withdraw. In Lanaudière, miracles do exist, according to the artistic director Renaud Loranger. He may not be wrong, because replacing an artist as intense as Wang at the last minute with an absolute master of his art such as Hamelin is indeed a blessing.

With the OM and Yannick, the two Ravel piano concertos were on the menu, the one for the left hand and the one in G, of course. From the outset, we knew that we had not lost anything in the exchange, because the Quebec pianist seized the Concerto for the Left Hand in D Major, without ever letting up the pressure for a moment, so explosive in its contrasts, so nervous and urgent in its motifs and melodies, so fragmented in its references, moving from jazz to military music, modernism and lyricism. Hamelin controlled the entire discourse and pacing of the work, with unwavering confidence, to which Yannick and the OM submitted with grace, infusing their musical part with very beautiful colors, feverishly drawn by the conductor. This kind of music is second nature to the Quebec pianist, as if he never needs to think about it, just let his instinct and essential Self take over.

The Concerto in G major, more substantial in content though not much longer in duration, is an absolute marvel, which is part of our collective music-loving psyches. Here, if we could feel a slowness to “get into” the game from Hamelin, but quickly resolved. The two external movements demonstrated a beautiful mastery of the textural play in the orchestra, by Yannick, and of the pointillist discourse by Hamelin. A few rare flights seemed less clear in their execution than those of the concerto for the left hand, no more. It was in the central movement, which is one of the most beautiful musical passages in history, that the pianist showed inspiring poetry and benevolent gentleness. Not better than the best, but not worse either. In short, a high-quality reading, of the kind we expect from the best artists in the world. If the OM did well in this movement, it missed the step towards an absolute standard, particularly in the woodwind solos that precede the great and wonderful English horn soliloquy. Some aesthetic clumsiness was noticeable in a wrongly placed flute breath and a slightly vulgar clarinet attack. The English horn solo itself, although very beautifully sung by the excellent Mélanie Harel, could have been projected with more force and stately presence in front of the orchestra. In short, it is in these infinitesimal details that the difference between the OM and the OSM is noticeable. A notch, a very small notch, but one that makes the difference for those who listen carefully.

Hamelin was almost heroically greeted by the audience, to whom he offered magnificent Jeux d’eau by the same Ravel. Another Lanaudois miracle: it was exactly at the climax of the piece that thunder and rain began to fall, in a spontaneous symbiosis as wonderful as it was funny. We would have wanted to program it, but we could probably never make it happen.

As an opening piece, Yannick had chosen a very pretty impressionistic score by Lili Boulanger, D’un matin de printemps, which set the table nicely for what was to come, namely a festival of orchestral colors.

As if the musical density had not yet been maximized enough, the concert ended with the substantial Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43 by Sibelius. This time, nature did not collaborate kindly with the musicians. After a few minutes of settling into the first movement, the audience and artists had to take a break from the musical communion because the downpour, not only noisy, even made its way onto the stage due to the strong winds, risking damage to the performers’ instruments, especially the strings.

We were destabilized by the resumption, which did not take place at the beginning of the work, as announced, but roughly where we had left off. With stability restored in our minds, we paid attention to the unfolding of these sublime pages from the symphonic repertoire. Yannick succeeded where, I find, he did not entirely satisfy in his Atma label recording. In the latter, he draw an almost mineral, chthonic vision, whereas I believe that this symphony requires an airy approach, without neglecting the grounding in the soil. It’s a bit of what we got as the sky finally lit up. The Finale was adequately held and sustained in its celestial and luminous ascent so emblematic, so mystically powerful. Satisfaction, despite the initial disagreements of Mother Nature.

REVIEW OF THE ALBUM SIBELIUS, SYMPHONIES 2 AND 5

Classical

Festival de Lanaudière | Sol Gabetta : Queen of the cello meets les Violons du Roy

by Frédéric Cardin

Friday evening, the Lanaudière Festival welcomed the Argentine cellist Sol Gabetta, for the first time in Canada, said the press release. In the introduction to the concert, the artistic director Renaud Loranger rather mentioned a “first time in Quebec.” I tried some research, but I can’t say if it’s “Canada” or “Quebec.” If you know, let me know.

In the end, all of this is of little importance in light of the spectacular performance that the Swiss-based artist offered to the fairly large audience. Spectacular, certainly, but not in the sense of a show-off who wants to accelerate the allegros systematically into Mad Max-esque furiosos. Rather in the sense of a technique so precise that it forces admiration and provides excitement by itself, and that is also supported by a warm singing of the phrases that lets all the notes flow with undeniable naturalness. I am thinking particularly of Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major, Hob. VIIb/1, of which I have rarely heard such a clear and touching reading. In this sense, Gabetta (and the Violons du Roy, of course) expressed with excellence the spirit of Empfindsamkeit, or the “sensitive style” of the late 18th century, a precursor of Romanticism in that it favored a freer expressiveness, while remaining framed by still very precise and coded forms. No urgency or disheveled propulsion of rhythms, then, nor aggressive attacks that seek to force “energy.” Only a calm narration, but one that exudes a communicative sparkle, all within a technical execution that reaches stylistic perfection. It was a very great moment of music.

The other concerto played by Ms. Gabetta (there were two, since she was with us…) was that of Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, the very pretty Wq 172 in A major, one of my favorites in the repertoire, although still relatively unknown to the general public. The cellist admitted in the interview granted to my colleague Alexandre Villemaire that she had not touched this piece since 2014. We noticed, as a result, that the lady did not have this score as instinctively “in her fingers” as the Haydn, even though in the end she still gave a solid lesson in musicality to anyone who would like to try it.

I don’t know if Bernard Labadie’s Violons hadn’t been in contact with this concerto for several years either, but the fabulous clarity demonstrated in the first part of the concert (in addition to the Haydn, Mozart’s Symphony 29, which I’ll tell you about below) wasn’t quite as crystalline in this CPE Bach. Oh, for any other ensemble, it would have been an accomplishment in itself, but after what we had heard previously, the bar had just dropped by an infinitesimal micron, nevertheless perceptible.

READ THE INTERVIEW WITH SOL GABETTA (in French)

From the very beginning of the concert, and as mentioned just now, Bernard Labadie gave a Symphony No. 29 in A major, K. 201 perfectly balanced with steady rhythms and finely drawn phrases. All this in a relaxed and elegant style. Already, we had an idea of the aesthetic choice proposed for this concert. In the end, it was at the end of the program that the Quebec conductor showed a little more vigor with Haydn’s Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp minor, “The Farewell,” to which he breathed a dynamic that we had not felt before. A convincing conclusion that did not deviate from the spirit of the evening’s general. A great success.

We only hope that these are not “goodbyes” that Sol Gabetta is leaving us with, but only a “see you later,” because this fabulous performer absolutely must come back to us quickly. We dream of hearing her at the Maison symphonique or at the Bourgie hall!

Brazilian / Samba

The “rodas de samba” That Never End

by Sandra Gasana

Montreal’s best-kept secrets are the “rodas de samba,” or samba circles, a gathering of improvisational song and dance. These legendary evenings have traditionally been held for several years at Sans-Taverne, a brasserie in the heart of Building 7 in Pointe-Saint-Charles, but this time it was at Brasseurs Avant-Garde in Hochelaga.

The concept is simple: several musicians and singers sit around a table, and together they create magic around samba and other Brazilian rhythms, while the audience sings along and dances around the table. This concept is an initiative of Roda de Samba Sem Fim, a Brazilian collective masterfully led by Yussef Kahwage, himself a musician and singer. He is supported by the great singer and guitarist Lissiene Neiva and Bianca Huguenin, both part of the hard core of the roda, alongside Daniela Bertolucci, Bruno Lima, Gabriel Vacc, Márcio Rocha and Luís Santo.

It was often Yussef who started with his instrument, before the other musicians joined in, with different kinds of percussion and other traditional Brazilian instruments such as cavaquinhos. Otherwise, it was Tobias and his seven-string guitar who started, to get the music going.

As soon as I arrived, I noticed the presence of the great Brazilian singer Bïa dancing around the musicians, who sang a few samba songs before being sung “Happy Birthday” by the whole room. Another person who had come to celebrate her birthday that evening was Daiana Santos, from Bouchées Brésil.

A few minutes later, Thaynara Perí arrives, a bit rushed, before going to sit around the table, one of the singers that evening. This artist is a ball of energy, she is slowly becoming a must-see in Montreal, with all her involvements as a solo artist, but also in the collective Tamboréal Samba Bloco, or even as a guest artist during the samba rodas. As soon as she gets behind the microphone, the atmosphere rises a notch in the room, singing several old and more recent classics such as Banho de Folhas by Luedji Luna, or Figa de Guiné by Alcione.

Meanwhile, beers and cachaça flow freely, keeping this roda festive and interactive, and all around the table, the circle formed by the public becomes larger and larger.

These events are often sold out and this was the case this evening, with several people being turned away when they had not purchased their tickets in advance.

Among the classics mentioned were, among others, Mal Acostumado, Não Deixa o Samba Morrer and Serà que é amor, by Arlindo Cruz, which I particularly like. As the evening progressed, the audience sang louder and louder, letting themselves go completely.

A Jamaican DJ who was discovering rodas for the first time told me that he felt a strong sense of the spiritual side of this circle. He found it interesting that everything didn’t revolve around a single artist, but that everyone created together.

After a few minutes of break during which the famous DJ Tati Garrafa set the spacious venue on fire, the roda continued with even more intensity during the second part of the evening. Thaynara returned with more songs, as did Yussef and other singers around the table. The atmosphere was so good that I challenged myself to sing at my first roda de samba. Challenge accepted!

When I left the party around midnight, the dance floor was still packed. The event lived up to its name: the samba roda that never ends, or at least ends very, very late.

DJ set / Indigenous peoples

Présence Autochtone : DJ C. Wikcemna Yamni Sam Wanzi à la Place des Festivals

by Rédaction PAN M 360

DJ C. Wikcemna Yamni Sam Wanzi est un DJ et artiste autochtone basé à Québec. Membre de la Sioux Valley Dakota First Nation et Québécois, il crée des sets immersifs qui célèbrent la musique autochtone urbaine — rap, pop, électro, dance et traditionnelle — accompagnés de visuels puissants et de messages culturels. À travers sa démarche artistique, il utilise la musique comme outil de sensibilisation, de mémoire et de transformation sociale. Depuis ses débuts au Festival Paléo en Suisse en 2019, il multiplie les performances à travers le Canada et l’international.

DJ C. Wikcemna Yamni Sam Wanzi is a DJ and Indigenous artist based in Quebec City. A member of the Sioux Valley Dakota First Nation with Québécois roots, he creates immersive DJ sets that blend Indigenous urban sounds — rap, pop, electro, dance, and traditional — with striking visuals and cultural narratives. Through music, he raises awareness and fosters change, using sound as a bridge between past, present, and future. Since his debut at Switzerland’s Paléo Festival in 2019, he has performed across Canada and internationally.

CE SPECTACLE EST GRATUIT!

Ce contenu provient de Présence Autochtone et est adapté par PAN M 360

Indigenous peoples

Présence Autochtone : Cérémonie d’ouverture avec Sedalia Fazio à la Place des Festivals

by Rédaction PAN M 360

CE SPECTACLE EST GRATUIT!

Ce contenu provient de Présence Autochtone et est adapté par PAN M 360

Deep House / Electronic / House / Tech-House

Off Piknic with Gorgon City, Dennis Ferrer, Riordan, and Linska

by Marc-Antoine Bernier

Last Saturday, Jean-Drapeau Park pulsated to the beat of British club sounds during a themed evening organized by Realm Records. If you’re not yet familiar with this record label, it was founded in 2018 by English duo Gorgon City, who headlined this OFF-Piknic event, accompanied by Linska, Riordan, and Dennis Ferrer. Although Ferrer is not affiliated with Realm, but rather with Defected Records, his presence added a touch of legend to this already exciting evening.

To kick off the event, Linska delivered a set rooted in dark and driving tech house/techno. Her thick, rumbling textures evoked the golden age of British house in the 1990s, while drawing on the electro-house of the 2010s, a formative period of her adolescence. Sample choices such as Gorillaz’s Dare transported us to a decidedly British universe—a sound imprint that would mark the entire evening. Linska’s infectious energy behind the turntables, under the bright July sun, contrasted nicely with the nocturnal tones of her music. The sustained rhythm of her set drew festival-goers to the modular wooden dance floor set up in front of the stage. In the final minutes of her set, Bad Boy, her best-known track with melodic techno sounds, clearly announced that this promising artist of the new generation is only just getting started.

The baton was passed to Riordan, a DJ from Sussex, England. The first half of his set explored a more traditional vein of house music, carried by melodic build-ups and a more airy structure. Quickly, the energy level rose a notch: a high-energy vibe took hold, characterized by a catchy groove and softer hi-hats, less compressed than those typical of techno. The opening of the set, marked by MC-style energy samples, reaffirmed the British identity of the clubs, which was omnipresent that evening. Linska’s deep, timbred basslines are transformed here into more melodic and rhythmic textures under Riordan’s hand. As new festival-goers arrived on site, they seemed to be quickly drawn in by the DJ’s infectious groove. Halfway through, Riordan brought the energy to a peak, leading the audience to a moment of intense collective tension, released in a euphoric drop that literally lifted the crowd off their feet. The second half of his set navigated between darker tracks, reminiscent of Linska’s vibe, and more energetic, uptempo passages, keeping the momentum at its peak.

After Riordan’s set, the arrival on stage of American veteran Dennis Ferrer marked a notable change in tone. With him, the groove took root in classic deep house, tinged with tech house elements that allowed for a seamless musical transition. From the very first minutes, some of the samples used by Ferrer plunged us into the world of European house music from the 2000s—a nostalgic nod that perfectly suited this beautiful summer day. The decision to include Dennis Ferrer in the lineup was particularly wise. With over 30 years of experience, this seasoned DJ brought a unique perspective to an evening focused primarily on the next generation. For the younger audience who came to cheer on Gorgon City, it was an opportunity to discover a pillar of the global house scene. And this experience was evident throughout his set, particularly through his references to disco, visible in his selection of tracks with funky bass lines, blending disco and electro-disco. Songs like ABBA’s Lay Your Love On Me and Diana Ross’s Upside Down resonated throughout the venue, appealing to both younger generations and older fans, who were fewer in number but just as present. At over fifty years old, Dennis Ferrer is bursting with energy. He was seen dancing from start to finish, sometimes tapping on the speakers near him, raising his arms in the air, and constantly interacting with the crowd. His charismatic stage presence added a human and festive dimension to his performance, proving that passion for electronic music knows no age.

To close this immersive evening, London duo Gorgon City took to the stage, adorned with their iconic visual featuring the Parthenon in Athens. Warmly welcomed by the audience, they began their performance gently, gradually establishing their pop-infused house sound, a more accessible and unifying signature sound. This feeling of communion was particularly evident in the recurring use of sung passages, which infused the crowd with a warm and emotional atmosphere. These vocal passages were often followed by drops with typical tech house sounds, carried by deep, roaring mid-low frequencies—that famous “rumble” that gives the track body and power. As the set progressed, the rhythm became more pronounced: the beats hit harder, the bass drove the whole thing, creating a feeling of irresistible movement, particularly palpable on tracks like 5AM at Bagley’s. Their formula was based on a masterful alternation between soft, sung tracks and more energetic, danceable sequences—a well-honed balance that kept the audience’s attention and momentum going throughout their two-hour performance.

The second half of the set took on a more contemplative energy, with several touching moments where the duo sang in unison with the crowd, creating a rare intimacy for an outdoor event. Some tracks echoed 90s house music in its most pop-oriented forms—diva house, garage house—bringing a retro and festive vibe to close the show in style. At 10 p.m. sharp, this musical journey came to an end to the enthusiastic applause of a captivated audience, who were treated to an ideal evening at Jean-Drapeau Park, filled with communion, groove, and electronic celebration.

For fans of Defected Records, one of the oldest independent record labels in the United Kingdom, take heart: Piknic Électronik programmers have planned a themed evening on October 10 featuring MVNGO, DJ Holographic, Melé, and Meduza.

Publicité panam

Saharan Blues

Nuits d’Afrique 2025 | The next global star of Tuareg blues is born, and it is in Montreal

by Frédéric Cardin

As you will learn in the interview linked below, Boubé has been living in Montreal for just over a year, but has already won the heart of the city. His desert blues, that of the Tuaregs, a nomadic people from whom he comes (more specifically from Niger) is rooted in the great tradition of Moctar and Bambino, artistic sources from which he has drawn, is authentic, dynamic, catchy and exciting. On the Balattou stage, Sunday night, in front of a large audience packed tightly into the small space, which gives the Montreal club all its personality and appeal, Boubé ran through his already rich repertoire of hits and earworms that we like to hear as often as possible.

Excerpts from his first and only album to date, the aptly named Voyager, (READ MY REVIEW HERE), the tracks followed one another in a crescendo of intensity, spread over two well-crafted sets, leading to a finale overflowing with energy and sublimated by totally invested musicians: Sylvain Plante (ecstatic drums!), Carlo Birri (quiet but irrepressible force on bass), Ibrahim Seydi (with flights of percussion), Vincent Duhaime Perreault (excellent guitarist whose fiery duets with Boubé have something of the great rock shows of lore), and of course Boubé himself on guitar and vocals. We had already perceived the talent and potential at the 2024 Syli d’Or, where he received the silver award. But since then, the progress has been quite rapid, and I feel that the opening of the doors to the international market is not far off. Vincent Duhaime Perreault, the band’s guitarist and also Boubé’s manager, promises us important projects to come, without naming them yet. We are very, very excited, because, starting from Montreal, which he says he loves very much and where he has found a family and a warm home, Boubé has everything he needs to become the next international star of Desert blues.

LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW CONDUCTED WITH BOUBÉ BY MY COLLEAGUE KEITHY ANTOINE

Africa / West African traditional music

Nuits d’Afrique | Manamba Kanté, An Undeniable Diva

by Sandra Gasana

I’ve rarely seen the Loto Québec stage so full. Usually, at the start of the 7pm concert, it’s crowded but rarely packed. Here, even before the Guinean diva appeared, festival-goers had arrived early, hoping to get a closer look at their idol. The woman dubbed the new star of Guinean soul was accompanied by the same musicians as her husband Soul Bang’s the day before, at Balattou.

With them, she opts to open with a reggae-style song, and immediately the assembly starts singing the lyrics in unison. Dressed in a red sequined outfit with canvas sleeves, the griot descendant of the legend Mory Kanté has nothing to prove: talent runs through her veins. With a new album released in June, Mousso Chapitre 1, which means woman in Bambara, she plays African maracas throughout the show, on which she brings her microphone closer when necessary.

On the more rhythmic tracks, she reveals her talent as a dancer, and on the calmer ones, her voice transcends us. “This song is for moms. But I don’t want to do it in a sad way, but I want to do it in the joy of living,” she warns us before the eponymous song Mousso. At times, her voice reminds me of Oumou Sangaré’s, especially when she goes high.

It’s not always good to compare, but in this case, the traditional touch is more present than in the register of her husband, who played the day before. She inserts some modern elements into her music, but she does so while retaining the traditional Guinean essence.

The song Bhouloundjouri was a particular hit with the audience, who knew every word and kept asking for more, even after the song was over. An expression I often hear at concerts in West Africa is: “Il faut bisser”, meaning you have to play the song again. I heard this expression in the crowd on Saturday night.

She played several tracks from his most recent album, such as Mon Roi, but also several of his singles, such as Ké Douma Suma. As mentioned during my interview with the couple, there was talk of Soul Bang’s making an appearance at his wife’s concert, as she had done the day before at Balattou. He did just that, appearing in traditional-modern garb, matching hat and sunglasses.

Barely on stage, he took control and Manamba faded into the background for a few songs, before taking her place again in an exchange with the audience as only griottes know how. It was as if she were preaching, with a few powerful melodies to accompany. “I am the heiress of Soumaoro Kanté, my ancestors were blacksmiths, griots. The balafon comes from Guinea, and it’s the Kouyatés who play it,” she teaches us.

A woman nearby seemed to nod in agreement with what the artist was saying, and then Soul Bang’s added its soulful touch.

There were only 4 minutes left, which could have been enough for one last Manamba song before closing, but Soul Bang’s preferred to play his song Djere Lele, which he had played the day before at Balattou. He was thus able to feel the emotions his wife had experienced for almost an hour that evening.

Publicité panam

Africa / Afro Latin / Electronic / latino

Nuits d’Afrique | El Gato Negro, A Feline Like No Other

by Sandra Gasana

Nothing to do with the famous cabaret Le Chat Noir in Paris, the artist was christened “El Gato Negro” during his stay in Latin America, as he was described as “a nocturnal animal, an alley cat, slightly brigandish on the edges”. This name has never left him, even some twenty years later.

He begins with vocals, then starts dancing, before adding a huge flute with a black tip. He then returns to his console to throw us a fusion of African, Latin American and electro rhythms, all nicely arranged.

My favorite is clearly Mundo Cae, a duet with Assane Mboup, a Senegalese artist he praises. Taken from the album Tigre qui pleure, released in 2024, we notice his penchant for felines. What’s more, he masters the art of staging, embodying a character during his performances, combining theater, dance and song.

In impeccable Spanish, he addressed the audience in that language, which many seemed to understand. In between songs, he paid tribute to the Colombians in the audience.

“You look strange, Montreal, and I like that!” he asserts before playing a song that advocates difference.

A highlight of the evening was during Bombon de canela, from the 2019 album Ouvre la porte, on which he includes the famous line “Como si fuera esta noche la ultima vez” in Besame Mucho. He gives us a feint at the end of the song, remaining motionless for almost 2 minutes, before returning with the danceable rhythm.

In Marie-Claire, the woman who “shoots bad husbands”, we savor a blend of ancient Latin rhythms, but brought up to date with electro and other ambient sounds added by the artist. In a way, this is El Gato Negro’s universe: Afro-Latin rhythms, revisited by electronics, but with the addition of sounds such as the balafon, the kora or the tama.

Special mention was made of Cosmovision, the label behind the invitation. This label demonstrated the breadth of its network, helping us to discover a number of nuggets during this edition of Nuits d’Afrique.

Photo Credit: André Rival

Publicité panam

Gnawa

Nights of Africa 2025 | A gnawa fusion reactor named Saïd Mesnaoui

by Frédéric Cardin

The Montrealer Saïd Mesnaoui may not have been born in the city and may now divide his time between it, Paris and Morocco, but after living there for a dozen years and having built up a network of unfailing friends, it is always a bit like coming home each time he comes to give a concert. It is partly thanks to Montreal that the artist developed and built his post-gnawa trad style, which the name of his group Transe Gnawa Fusion effectively betrays.

Mixed with reggae, funk, rock, jazz, and who knows what else, his gnawa, a classical and sacred musical genre of great spiritual power, itself born from a fusion of Islam, possession rites (exorcism), and practices from descendants of slaves in the sub-Saharan region of Morocco. A genre with precise codes and reserved uses, therefore. But the expressive power of this music quickly convinced people, including foreigners, to pay attention to it and even to practice it outside of strictly religious circles. There are, in Montreal, artists who play pure gnawa music. But Saïd Mesnaoui, once he had put down his suitcases in Montreal in 1986, wanted to modernize the approach, and the result was what we have been hearing since with Transe Gnawa Fusion.

LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW WITH SAÏD MESNAOUI (in French)

Last Friday, at the Fairmount Theatre, the spicy and vigorous stew concocted by Mesnaoui once again fulfilled its promises, lifting the spectators from their seats, who danced and swayed their hips to the various underlying rhythms used by the experienced artist to propel his vision of the gnawa tradition. Some great classics, which can be heard on existing albums, many of which come from the most recent opus, Al Maddloum (The Oppressed), but some songs that betray a new program to come in a possible recording.

We had fun, we really absorbed all the vibrant energy from the musicians on stage, and we left satisfied.

Aziz Badi – Percussions

Pascal Bujold – Guitar

Jean-Christophe Carette – Piano

André Désilets – Wind instruments (brass + wood)

Gabriel Lajoie – Bass

Saïd MESNAOUI – Vocals

Sylvain Plante – Drums

Rachide Salamatte – Percussions

Kora / West African traditional music

Nuits d’Afrique 2025 | Sousou and Maher Cissoko: benevolence and complicity

by Frédéric Cardin

The concert by Sousou and Maher Cissoko, a Senegalese-Swedish guitar/kora/vocal duo, had a benevolent and entirely appropriate vibe. For the third time in their career, the man and woman, a couple in real life, took the stage at the Balattou club last Thursday. We knew what to expect, as their albums give a good idea of the sound and atmosphere, which are well respected live. A few new songs were offered, those that are most likely to be found on a future album (we don’t know when yet). Sousou had actually promised us this in the interview she gave me before the concert.

READ THE INTERVIEW WITH SOUSOU CISSOKO

The two artists are life and music partners, and you can tell. The looks are sincere, imbued with love and tenderness, but not ostentatiously so, as if to hammer the point or play a part. No, it’s just something that one detects and feels. This energy is carried by and within the music, always with equal energy, like a companion to the stroll through the time and space of the African griots’ world. A few pieces stir the air of the Balattou a bit more, but it remains essentially music that caresses, that does not seek to outdo urgency and excitement. Music that feels incredibly good in a time of frankly exhausting ambient stress.

A music that, by its very nature, but also thanks to its authentic and inspiring pair of performers, border-crossers and bearers of humanism, fills us with hope and optimism.