Montreal Cultural Calendar

Côte d’Ivoire – QC

DR Congo – QC

Pretty much everyone can recognize, from the first few bars, the famous melody of “El Cóndor Pasa,” which was composed at the start of the 20th century by Daniel Alomía Rob and has since been covered thousands of times, most notably by Simon & Garfunkel. It is into this world that Mestizo takes us—the world of Andean popular culture, which is rooted in the festive music of pre-Columbian times. Inspired by neo-folk groups such as Los Kjarkas and Illapu, Mestizo skillfully blends the classic wind and string instruments to carry irresistible traditional rhythms like Saya, Huayno, Sanjuanito, Tinku, Cueca, Carnavalito and Trote.

“Boubé follows in the footsteps of several other Tuareg musicians who have emerged over the past 25 years, such as Tinariwen, Etran de l’Aïr, Imarhan, Bombino and Mdou Moctar,” (La Presse, 2025). The magnetic rhythms of his desert blues powerfully resonate with the sun-drenched spirit of Saharan nomads and the Tamasheq assouf; a repetitive, direct, and unpretentious groove, shaped by peace, travel and freedom, and carried by blazing guitars, hypnotic percussion and a deep, captivating voice. It’s like experiencing a gentle breeze shifting between soothing moments and the vibes of rock. Boubé’s latest album, Voyager (Disques Nuits d’Afrique, 2025), showcases the unique style of this charismatic guitarist and accomplished drummer.

After all these years, this inseparable trio still gets great pleasure out of making music together. You can hear it, feel it and see it. It would have been unthinkable to celebrate the Festival’s 40th anniversary without Jab Djab, especially since their cover of the hit “Hot Hot Hot” remains an undisputed favourite at Club Balattou, the Festival’s headquarters. Since its formation in 1973, Jab Djab hasn’t aged a bit. With its festive spirit, playful energy, thrilling improvisations and immense talent for getting the crowd on its feet, it is even more dynamic, generous, joyful and explosive than ever. From start to finish, the group serves up a hearty helping of wild calypso, soca and reggae. For this special occasion, they will be joined by King Shadrock, who co-wrote the tribute song for the Festival’s 35th anniversary, and whose raw and powerful voice adds intensity to a reggae-dancehall sound guided by the core principles of Rastafarianism.

It’s Joyce N’sana’s stage presence that first catches your attention. Strong, compelling and captivating, she leaves no one indifferent. But it is her powerful voice, with its soulful inflections, that defines her highly charged performances bursting with reggae, gospel, Afrobeat, R&B, hip-hop, jazz and Afro-blues. All these influences come together in a musical universe steeped in Congolese traditions, which she calls Afrobluehop. This Révélation Radio-Canada 2021–2022, who has experienced civil war first-hand, sings in French, English, Lingala, and Lari to exorcise the dark chapters of her country’s history, with luminous, vibrant music that conveys a message of peace, love and harmony. Her album Télama (2024), a resolutely pop record inspired by the greatest female vocalists, is a unifying force.

“La Vida Es Un Carnaval” sang the legendary Celia Cruz, whose songs the group has covered. That phrase pretty much sums up its musical ambition. La Murga Ensamble is always raring to go at Montreal’s most popular Latinx events. Rooted in the feverish rhythms of salsa dura, boogaloo and other Afro-Caribbean vibes from the ’60s to the ’80s, the collective gathers together some of the city’s best Afro-Latinx musicians. Backed by sizzling brass, thunderous percussions, and authentic vinyl records, they take to the stage with the promise of an all-out party and an invitation to dance all night long.

For almost sixty years, they have been making hips swing around the globe, and they are still going strong. In 2014, Tabou Combo closed the 28th edition of Festival International Nuits d’Afrique with abandon. They returned in 2016 to help celebrate the Festival’s 30th anniversary, playing at the former Metropolis, and then again in 2019 to mark their 50th anniversary, playing to a full house each and every time. A cornerstone of the Haitian music scene, Tabou Combo is THE legend of kompa, a music genre that embodies the Pearl of the Antilles from the very first notes and was recently inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Their sophisticated sound, infused with rara, merengue, funk, rock, and soukous, showcases edgy guitar and dazzling brass, driving a syncopated groove that brings people of all ages together and gets them dancing. A happening steeped in history!