43rd edition of the Banlieues Bleues jazz festival in Seine-Saint-Denis. On the program tonight: Etuk Ubong (Nigeria), Konono n°1 & Montparnasse Musique (Democratic Republic of Congo, Algeria, South Africa).
-Etuk Ubong
“One of Lagos’s most exciting new discoveries”—that’s how Seun Kuti hailed the rise of this Nigerian trumpeter, composer, and bandleader. Following in the footsteps of prestigious predecessors, he is forging his own unique musical identity. His Earth Music—a funky, hybrid jazz, infused with Afrobeat, Highlife, and Ekombi (the ritual rhythms of the Efik people), punctuated by fiery improvisations—is also a philosophy, advocating peace and love while fiercely denouncing corruption.
He carries this message to Lagos, at his club The Truth, which has become a hub of the underground scene, and then to London, where he joined the Steam Down artistic collective and the transdisciplinary jazz re:freshed laboratory. He comes to Banlieues Bleues to present his new album, What If, before taking the major festivals of the African continent by storm this summer. Temperature: incandescent.
- Konono n°1 perfectly embodies the “traditional-modern” blend. With their handcrafted instruments—whistles, electrified likembes, robust guitar, raw vocals, and layered analog loops—they have created a powerful sound with a hypnotic groove that has conquered the world, even captivating Björk, Herbie Hancock, and Batida, who have featured them on their albums.
For their grand return after several years of silence, the tireless masters of Kinshasa’s groove join forces with two producers with pan-African sensibilities: South African Aero Manyelo and Franco-Algerian Nadjib Ben Bella, both long influenced by their unique sound. Together as a preview of a future album, they deliver a seismic shock at the end of Banlieues Bleues, an immersive experience designed to put us in a trance, from head to toe.
>>> Standing room only.
“One of Lagos’s most exciting new discoveries”—that’s how Seun Kuti hailed the rise of this Nigerian trumpeter, composer, and bandleader. Following in the footsteps of prestigious predecessors, he is forging his own unique musical identity. His Earth Music—a funky, hybrid jazz, infused with Afrobeat, Highlife, and Ekombi (the ritual rhythms of the Efik people), punctuated by fiery improvisations—is also a philosophy, advocating peace and love while fiercely denouncing corruption.
He carries this message to Lagos, at his club The Truth, which has become a hub of the underground scene, and then to London, where he joined the Steam Down artistic collective and the transdisciplinary jazz re:freshed laboratory. He comes to Banlieues Bleues to present his new album, What If, before taking the major festivals of the African continent by storm this summer. Temperature: incandescent.
- Konono n°1 perfectly embodies the “traditional-modern” blend. With their handcrafted instruments—whistles, electrified likembes, robust guitar, raw vocals, and layered analog loops—they have created a powerful sound with a hypnotic groove that has conquered the world, even captivating Björk, Herbie Hancock, and Batida, who have featured them on their albums.
For their grand return after several years of silence, the tireless masters of Kinshasa’s groove join forces with two producers with pan-African sensibilities: South African Aero Manyelo and Franco-Algerian Nadjib Ben Bella, both long influenced by their unique sound. Together as a preview of a future album, they deliver a seismic shock at the end of Banlieues Bleues, an immersive experience designed to put us in a trance, from head to toe.
>>> Standing room only.
