10 can't-miss shows at Montreal's Nuits d'Afrique festival

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Suzanne Rousseau has a game she likes to play. When listening to new music from around the globe, she tries to guess the origins of the myriad influences she hears. 

“Sometimes something sounds South African or Congolese and on top of it is a new sound,” the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique general director said, “but underneath, the roots are still there.” 

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There’s no better place to play that game than at the 38th edition of Nuits d’Afrique, running July 9 to 21, which brings together hundreds of artists from over 30 countries for both ticketed indoor shows and, during the last six days, free outdoor concerts at Place des festivals. 

This year’s lineup features fewer international superstars of world music who have played the festival in other years. 

“There’s no Angélique Kidjo,” Rousseau said, referring to the Grammy-winning Beninese-French chanteuse who lit up Nuits d’Afrique last year.

Instead, there’s an eclectic array of young artists, many of whom have experienced considerable success in their homeland yet will be appearing in Montreal for the first time. 

“It’s the next generation, bringing new styles of music,” Rousseau said. “What’s exciting is that there’s something for all tastes that makes it accessible. If you like jazz, blues, classical music or rock, you’ll find something you like at the festival. We travel the world.” 

Guiding the festival’s programming with a mentor-like assurance that comes from a lifetime of experience is festival founder Lamine Touré, whom Rousseau describes as “a musical encyclopedia. … Mr. Touré is our ear.” 

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Nuits d’Afrique’s free outdoor programming has expanded to two stages in recent years — one at Place des festivals, at the corner of Jeanne-Mance and Ste-Catherine streets, and the other around the corner at the Esplanade tranquille at the corner of Clark and Ste-Catherine. The additional real estate leaves ample room for the festival’s many family-friendly activities, including its Timbuktu market, Promenade des saveurs food court and dance workshops. 

“It’s a complete immersion of the Quartier des spectacles into the Village des Nuits d’Afrique,” Rousseau said. 

To help guide you through the abundance of entertainment offerings, with a little help from Rousseau, here are 10 must-see shows at the 38th edition of Nuits d’Afrique: 

Kirá (July 9, 8:30 p.m., Club Balattou, $25). Hailing from the culturally rich northeast of Brazil, Kirá Chao is the son of Latin groove folk hero Manu Chao. He has acquired his dad’s knack for an infectious hook, blending hints of reggae, samba and maracatu with a troubadour’s spirit. 

Kin’Gongolo Kiniata (July 10, 8:30 p.m., Club Balattou, $20). Using percussion instruments and guitars fabricated from discarded household items and trash, this Kinshasa collective delivers an electrifying brand of Congolese Afro-pop steeped in the chants and rhythms of the streets.

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Afrique en cirque with Kalabanté (July 10, 8:30 p.m., Olympia Theatre, $38 to $58.) Nuits d’Afrique is offering a free ticket for every ticket purchased to what has become an annual tradition: the African circus extravaganza of Kalabanté. Led by Yamoussa Bangoura, who has worked with Cavalia, the world-touring troupe mixes West African music, dance, theatre and acrobatics into a feast for the senses. 

Def Mama Def (July 11, 9 p.m., Le Ministère, $25). This Senegalese female duo (also spelled Defmaa Maadef) is an alliance between singer Defa and rapper Mamy Victory, who match their fiery vocalizations with strident drumbeats. “Senegal is a pioneer of the hip hop sound in Africa,” Rousseau said. “Def Mama Def is very avant-garde, and they’ve never come here before.” 

Pahua (July 15, 9 p.m., Le Ministère, $25). Pahua is Mexican DJ, singer and composer Paulina Sotomayor, who combines folk melodies with Afro-Latin and club grooves in a laid-back and entrancing style. “She has a nuanced approach to folktronica,” Rousseau said. Montreal bass beat-maker Poirier this year put a trippy twist on Pahua’s flute-accented dance floor jam Espantapájaros. 

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Bombino (July 16, 9:30 p.m., TD–Radio-Canada Stage, free). Born in the nomadic Tuareg encampment of Tidene, Omara “Bombino” Moctar’s family fled to Algeria before returning to Niger, then fleeing again, but to Burkina Faso. The singer-songwriter-guitarist embodies the bluesy ambience of the Sahara. His second album, 2013’s Nomad, was produced by the Black Keys’s Dan Auerbach. His 2018 album Deran made him the first artist from Niger nominated for a Grammy. 

BCUC (July 17, 9:30 p.m., TD–Radio-Canada Stage, free). “Direct from the townships of Soweto,” Rousseau highly recommends BCUC, aka Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness. The group draws inspiration from Indigenous music, ritual songs, shebeen (illicit bar) songs and church songs, rap, rock and electronic music. The result is rousing. “It’s fresh,” Rousseau said, “traditional music brought forth in a completely new way.” 

Takana Zion (July 20, 9:45 p.m., TD–Radio-Canada Stage, free). Nicknamed the “African Sizzla,” after the Jamaican conscious-dancehall star, Guinean singjay reggae artist Takana Zion sings in English, French, Susu and Malinké. He has collaborated with Jamaican acts Capleton and Bunny Wailer, and with Ivorian legend and Nuits d’Afrique regular Tiken Jah Fakoly. “For years, Tiken Jah has been telling us to bring Takana Zion here,” Rousseau said. The time has come. 

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Sia Tolno (July 21, 8:30 p.m., Club Balattou, $25). A native of the Guinean town of Guéckédou and survivor of the Sierra Leone war, Tolno was raised in a refugee camp before she was taken under the wing of famed Afro-beat drummer Tony Allen. Her approach to the male-dominated genre is airy, vibrant and bright. She has been compared to greats including Angélique Kidjo and Miriam Makeba. “People from Guinea can’t believe she’s coming,” Rousseau noted. 

Rutshelle Guillaume (July 21, 9:30 p.m., TD–Radio-Canada Stage, free). With her long gowns, extravagant jewelry, perfect makeup, hair and glitter, Haitian kompa queen Rutshelle Guillaume exudes the confidence and cool that have made her a rising star in the Caribbean and beyond. “She’s like the Yemi Alade of Haiti,” Rousseau said, referring to the Nigerian singer who played Nuits d’Afrique last year. “For us to close the festival with her shows what we’re doing this year. It’s new talent breaking through internationally.” 

AT A GLANCE: The 38th Festival International Nuits d’Afrique runs from July 9 to 21. For tickets and information, visit festivalnuitsdafrique.com. 

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