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"Bernard Fines’ voice is placed, and we go as well along with it, in the middle of a crossroad with the sweet multiple influences where we feel balanced within happiness in a mist of Nougaro, Jonasz and a Brazil of yesteryear, with no nostalgia though. However, Bernard Fines is not lost in his many references, on the contrary, he explores them brightly teaming with top musicians." David Linx « The bossa nova becomes my impossible dream, and after some brave attempts, I began to taste the pleasure of interpreting standards like One Note Samba, Black Orpheus and others like Meditation ... But later my path will cross the MPB, Brazilian Popular Music, more precisely in 1992 when I quit my country to go to Brazil, where I had the chance to live for twenty-two years. A total immersion, linguistic and cultural, punctuated by the concerts in bars, in the conservatory of Curitiba, the lessons of singing and theater and of course, learning the sweetness of life ... Samba de Gringo is a reinterpretation of my Brazilian life, mentioning profound humanly themes, like: limitless love, impossible love, a sense of celebration, tolerance, friendship, the place of music in society, the basic beauty of black and white photography, the rain in the rainforest, the emotion of writing on a blank page, the deserted beaches, the concrete jungle, and of course the « saudade ». Julio Bittencourt, with whom I had the chance to tour for eight years on the Brazilian roads, always introduced me as the most Brazilian French he has ever met. And somehow it touches me, because afterall it's quite true. The last but not least, I would like to thank my father, who lent me his pen, my mother, who gave me her musical ears, my wife who took me to Brazil in her suitcases, and all of my musician friends and Brazilian music lovers who taught me the art of Brazilian swing ... Without you, Samba de Gringo would never have existed. I was 15 when I discovered bossa nova in my native Ariège. My initiator was a summer camp monitor, recently landed from Paris, with the legendary LP of Getz/Gilberto in his suitcases/luggage. Love at first sight, I’ve listened and everything became so clear: by the point of my guitar’s arm, the founding notes of everything I could glean from the ambassadors of Brazilian music in France at a time when the term world music did not yet exist: Nougaro, Lavilliers, Nino Ferrer... » Bernard Fines

Supported by this popularity and recording albums that were more and more daring, in 2004 Djavan celebrated his independence with the launch of his own label, Luanda Records, through which he released his next albums. The agent Djavan Caetano Viana is born. But, what does Djavan, the businessman, expects from the artist? He expects to see him go from swing to blues, to flow through ballads and through his extremely professional way of doing samba, always keeping his characteristic right hand on the acoustic guitar, inspired by the daily life to enrich his lyrics. And also that Djavan, the artist, releases new albums with original songs – next to interpretations of his own work to other environments, like it can be seen in “Na Pista”, or daring to use his privileged voice to sing songs by other song writers, like he does in “Ária”. May he continue the unremitting search for roads that renew his way of making music. With the ears and excitement of that boy from Maceió who one day chose music over football, and the emotions of a son in awe with his mother who made vocal arrangements while washing clothes by the river bank. Hugo Sukman Read the all biography here

Bab El West In 2011, the singer-guitarist Habib Farroukh met drummer Marc Dupont and travelling companion, bassist Clement Vallin. Through the wild jam sessions set up in numerous squats and concert across Paris, a strong bond formed between these three musicians from the west, guided by their love for adventure and groove.  At the crossroads where Maghreb folk, soul and Afro music meet, the music of Bab El West ("the West Gate") took shape in 2012. Playing equal parts traditional and modern-day music, the trio coalesces around guitarist Hamza Bencherif, who lends his blues rock touch, and Nidhal Jaoua, a virtuoso on the qanun, the eastern ancestor of the harp.  To wide acclaim from both the press and public for their first album Douar, released in 2017, Bab El West returns to the source: the road. Two years touring and nearly a hundred concerts later, the band recorded Houdoud, an ode to life on the road and all their latest encounters, slated for release on November 29, 2019.   Houdoud "The word frontier is a one-eyed word, humankind sees the world with two eyes". This quote from Eluard serves as inspiration for Bab El West's new album, Houdoud. "Houdoud" means "frontier", where worlds join together, while also marking their limit: joyful and threatening at the same time, complex and dual-fold in nature.  Their first album, Douar, meaning "the village", earned critical acclaim, won the SACEM prize for self-production and laid the foundations for an imaginary village, the cradle of the band and its roots. Houdoud, for its part, is steeped in asphalt, celebration and cross roads. Having ripened while on the road, it bears the imprint of the music scene and their fruitful encounters: with the talented Shiels, former members of the Irish band Sons of the Desert; the ever-present side man Yannick Jory, a Breton saxophonist with gypsy inflections; and Jean-Luc Thomas, an exceptional flautist in the Breton tradition, with African, Arabic and South-American sensibilities.  From stopover to stopover, Celtic influences mingle with the Chaabi and Gnawa sounds of North Africa, from which the band drew when recording Houdoud, the ever-changing frontier. Behind it all, a common heritage: rock, pop and Afro music.  The sound engineer Leo Fourastie set up a mobile studio in a large wooden building on the banks of the Jaudy estuary in the Cotes d'Armor, the band's historic stomping ground. The live recording of all the tracks, from voice to percussion, lends the album its cohesion and unique warmth. Deeply organic and by turns a poetic western, a fable, a quest story, Houdoud leads the living through catchy melodies to the outer reaches of human, animal and plant worlds. 

Sorry, this entry is only available in French. For the sake of viewer convenience, the content is shown below in the alternative language. You may click the link to switch the active language.Le 23e Festival de l'Imaginaire se tiendra cette année du 10 octobre au 31 décembre inclus, en partenariat avec Télérama, Mezzo, La Terrasse, Qué Tal París?, Artistik Rezo et L'Étudiant.   Convoquer les esprits L’esprit qui fait vivre le Festival de l’Imaginaire est coriace ! Contre vents et marées il s’entête, depuis plus de 20 ans, à créer les conditions de la découverte et de l’étonnement devant l’inépuisable diversité des formes d’expression à travers le monde. Les esprits qui s’incarnent à travers le festival sont pluriels : esprit des ancêtres, réels ou mythiques, qui habitent le chanteur et poète cap-verdien Mário Lúcio, en ouverture du festival dans un solo inédit en France ; esprit de fête du bal fandango de la région de Sotavento, au Mexique. Esprit du merveilleux qui anime les marionnettes budaixi de Taïwan, de la musique que TM Krishna, figure emblématique de la scène carnatique, ou Fargana Qasimova, ambassadrice virtuose du mugham d’Azerbaïdjan, partagent dans la communion avec leur public. Esprits de la nature invoqués lors du Donghaean byeolsingut, ce rare rituel chamanique pratiqué tous les trois à dix ans par des communautés de pêcheurs de Corée. Poupées-esprits des cultes vaudous ou de fertilité qui prendront possession de l’exposition du Festival…  Esprit des lieux, enfin. Prestigieux, surprenants, intimes, patrimoniaux, ceux qui accueillent le festival sont divers et chacun a son identité propre, créant l’alchimie avec les artistes et le public. Grâce à la diversité de ces partenaires, le festival poursuit sa route à la rencontre des habitants de tous les territoires, urbains et ruraux, à Paris, en Seine-Saint-Denis, à Lyon, en Bretagne… Ce 23e festival recroise le chemin de grands maîtres que la Maison des Cultures du Monde a invités jadis ; il révèle de jeunes disciples auxquels ces derniers ont transmis leur art. La transmission et la relation maître-élève seront d’ailleurs en filigrane du colloque international « Diversité des imaginaires, traditions et arts du spectacle vivant » comme de la Journée du patrimoine culturel immatériel cette année dédiée à la musique. Le festival renforce ainsi ses collaborations avec les jeunes chercheurs et étudiants, pour des moments réflexifs autour des patrimoines vivants, de formation ou d’échanges musicaux avec les artistes, notamment grâce aux liens tissés avec les partenaires de la Communauté d’Universités Paris-Lumières. Je voudrais rendre hommage à tous ces esprits, ancêtres et grands maîtres qui ont fait et font le festival, et leur demander de nous accompagner longtemps encore. Séverine Cachat, directrice de la Maison des Cultures du Monde, Centre français du patrimoine culturel immatériel

Fives voices, five personalities and memorable songs intense with emotion singing of the many roads women have travelled. La Mòssa in Italian means movement. In Naples, La Mossa describes the enticing swing movement of the hips ending on a famous final swing, first originated by Nini Tirabouchon in the 1920’s. La Mòssa is a wide-eyed, inquisitive woman exploring the world around her. Ears and eyes open and awake, ready to capture an inspiring moment of truth, ready to tell the world about her unique moment, ready to sing her experience. In her small handbag she carries, with elegance and with precaution, the songs that have moved her. La Mòssa laughs and dances with the agility of the tarentella. Songs of haunting memories from times gone by in Italy, in the Limousin, from the Réunion, from Brazil, even from Albania...She shi- vers and shakes with each memory she transmits. La Mòssa also interprets certain songs sung by men and enjoys looking for other nuances, other interpretations. Playing with these influences, La Mossa intergrates homegrown roots and musical passion. And when La Mossa strikes her tambourines and speaks, you realize that La Mossa is a coherent group of five women, five voices uniquely knitted together by the love of music.

Fawaz Baker  A lifelong musician, Fawaz Baker was a professional architect before devoting himself exclusively to music. From accompanying singers on the accordion as a child, to the keyboards and then double bass, he has explored various music spaces (hard rock, jazz, blues) and devoted years to studying musicology and the multiple influences of Aleppine music (Ottoman, Iranian, Armenian, Indian and Central Asian, including the Sufi tradition). The war ended up tearing this Oud player away from hometown and from everything he had built, though he has long sought to continue in solidarity with his people: he led the Aleppo Conservatory of Music for several years where, he said, "the greatest challenge was composing between the teaching of Western classical music and that of traditional Eastern music.". Beyond the joy and sadness, the music allows him to build new sentiments and create a new memory. As part of his commitment, Fawaz Baker spends much of his time in Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon passing on his passion for music to children, showing them how to re-learn silence, far from the noise of war. He is an associate artist at Quartz in Brest until 2020.  Ensemble Fawaz Baker The passing on of music from one musician to another and from one soul to another continues, echoing ancient melodies that used to be heard throughout the city, in churches and cafes; in the mosques and courtyards of stone-carved buildings. These tunes, in Arabic, Syric, Armenian, Turkish and Kurdish, have been passed down from one generation to the next, their beauty serving as the sole weapon against falling into oblivion. Their one common denominator is, for Fawar Baker, their constant innovation within the constraints of traditional structure. Easter music offers myriad possibilities in terms of rhythm, melody and improvisation. It is what is referred to as modal music: composed of musical phrases, not tones or notes like most compositions in the West since the eighteenth century. Eastern sound is based on improvisation and polyphony; a freedom that allows two melodies to evolve simultaneously within a complex architecture, letting each musician interpret and improvise. How, then, might a balance be struck between written and improvised music, between modal and tonal? The challenge is no small feat, but it does illustrate how music - and art in general - is capable of creating a dialogue between contradictory forces, one where ideology falls short.

Gharnata - The Album : "Gharnata means Granada in arabic. Why this choice? By being a Granadian, I am aware of the legacy left by this extraordinary civilization at his peak. Al Andalus has given us an example of coexistence, an art of living and a huge and deep culture, « with capital C», either in painting, poetry, craftmanship, science and especially in music. Considering I am self-thaught, I like to think that this skill for painting, writing, composing and performing has been bequeathed to me, as it has been inlaid by my genes in a specific feeling, like a genetic memory which gives me a pulse to unearth something which has already been, has existed. The texts of my lyrics are a tribute to the values of great importance, essential to humanity historically: respect, coexistency, tolerance, generosity, willingness, faith, goodness and the most important love, love of fellow beings, of life, of earth, of nature... Love with capital L : values which are as essential as oxygen for life. Values which tend to disappear and for which we have to fight in order to preserve them. Together, they are the basis of Human Rights. However, I also felt the necessity to approach the importance of our roots. The reference which is guiding us towards the future remembering where we came from and who we are. The familly, fundamental pilar of a healthy and strong morale that provides us to live in harmony with ourselves. Environment and his modern issues are also a global fact which puts every life in danger. Finally, it’s also a tribute to the memory of great geniuses who are Federico García Lorca, Antonio Machado and the great Bizet. This constitues an inescapable and unforgettable heritage for humanity. " Luis De la Carrasca Luis de la Carrasca : This Andalusian from Granada, arrived in France in 1991, is currently the artist flamenco recognized and one of the references in the flamenco world. He is self-taught and has inherited his gift for "el Cante" from his ancestors. Plenty of directors, like Thomas Le Douarec, Jean-Luc Paliès, Prosper Dis, Serge Barbuscia appealed to his talent. Luis de la Carrasca composes music for the production and has integrated Flamenco in dramatic and classical plays (Le Cid la légende Flamenco, Signé Pombo, Théorie et Jeu du Duende, El Cordobés, Ola Federico, Carmen Flamenco....). Since 1991 at every Avignon Fringe Festival, creates a new show (Théâtre du Chêne Noir, Théâtre des Corps Saints, Théâtre du Balcon, Théâtre La Luna, Théâtre de l’Oulle...). In 2020 he will celebrate his 30rd festival. Thanks to his company, from the very beginning he had an approach to support young artists towards professionalization, and introduced them to the audience : Juan Cortes « Chulo », La Moneta, Melinda Sala, Manolo, Sabrina Romero, Manuel Gutierrez, Santiago, Enrique Santiago, Kuky Santiago, Ana Pérez...

It is at a random station that guitarist and composer Matia Levrero meets one of his acquaintances, Tcha Limberger. Tcha is a luminous artist, from a large family of gypsy musicians, multi-instrumentalist, blind at birth, whose ever-growing fame goes far beyond the borders of Belgium. But it is above all someone very open, which multiplies appearances with artists from very distant worlds, from legends of Bulgarian music to contemporary jazz musicians of Aka Moon.  During the last two years, from Brussels to Transylvania, through the south of France, Matia and Tcha meet regularly to share moments of music and life. Together, they play their compositions, tinged with Balkan music and exchange on traditional Greek, Turkish and Romanian music, but also on jazz and improvisation. Soon, a musical color appears and both share the desire to build a group around a jazz that has its roots in the Mediterranean region. To this duo are added two rare musicians, the saxophonist, accordionist and sound engineer Guilhem Verger, true "soul brother" of Matia and Simon Leleux, Belgian percussionist, former student of the Turkish master Misirli Ahmet. The quartet meets several times in Brussels and Montpellier and performs its first concerts in 2017. Today the quartet is devoted to new compositions while constantly strengthening its work around Mediterranean rhythms and patterns. Matia Levréro (Montpellier) guitar : Guitarist, composer and arranger is an artist open to the world; without preconceived ideas, he is only guided by his emotions ... He refines his musical style through his stage meetings, mixing jazz, Mediterranean and African music, with renowned musicians like Julien Lourau, Tcha Limberger, Fabrizio Cassol ... You can discover him on stage with Free River (in the company of Central African singer Emma Lamadji), Les Anes of Palinkov (jazz fanfare of the Balkans), the Melquiades Quartet (with guest saxophonist Julien Lourau) or Le grand ensemble Koa. Tcha Limberger (San Sebastian / Brussels) Violin, Singing : The gypsy Tcha Limberger is one of those men who seems to have had many lives. He is a violinist, guitarist, singer, composer ... he is also fluent in seven languages! He shines in terribly demanding musical styles, such as Transylvanian music (Kalotatszeg Trio), Hungarian music (Budapest Gypsy Orchestra), Django music (Brussels violins), contemporary jazz (Aka Moon), and Greek music (Tatavla Trio). The list is long of the great masters whom he shared the stage with (Jordi Savall, Dimos Vougioukas, Misirli Ahmed, Stephane Galland, Bireli Lagrene, Magic Malik, Sivaraman ...).

Collectif Medz Bazar : Collectif Medz Bazar, an ensemble born in Paris in 2012, comprises musicians with Armenian, Turkish, French and American backgrounds. Drawing on their respective traditions as well as those of neighbouring cultures, the members of the collective create together, writing original arrangements for folk songs as well as their own compositions, which tackle social questions and challenge political and cultural boundaries.  On stage, they offer a fruitful balance between tempered instruments and music of modal traditions, Middle Eastern percussion and voices with influences going from Asia Minor to Iran, from Caucasian rabiz to Thracian rhythms, from Latin American music to operette, crossing through hip-hop, swing and bluegrass. Singing love and justice by way of their multi-dimensional music and bursting energy on stage, the voices of Medz Bazar resound to appease, mesmerise or ignite the audience, in an invitation to traverse as many sounds and rhythms as questionings on the other and on oneself. O - The Album This album is dedicated to love in all its forms: to those who love each other, to those who part, who discover themselves through others, who yearn for their freedom, to those who are hurt, to those who hide their tears. To disillusionment, to the will to grow, to the beauty of lying to oneself just a little bit and being able to admit it. To our ability to look at each other in the eyes, and to be a little less afraid.  Music composed and arranged by Collectif Medz Bazar. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Thomas Vingtrinier at Studio Sequenza (Montreuil).

Trio in Uno was born from the friendship between the Brazilians Pablo Schinke (cello) and José Ferreira (7-string guitar) and Italian Giulia Tamanini (saxophones), forming a new ensemble full of energy and partnership. By combining the flavor and spontaneity of popular music with the expression of classical music, they arrange and interpret the music of great Brazilian composers such as Egberto Gismonti, Sergio Assad, Hermeto Pascoal, Marco Pereira and Radamés Gnattali. Together, the three musicians built a solid sound where the cello, the 7-string guitar and the saxophone blended into a unique, vigorous and refined body, crystallizing Trio In Uno in 2014. In July 2015, they released their first album entitled “Lilas“. The opus was enthusiastically received by the public and acclaimed by critics in France and internationally (Trad Magazine, Guitar Classique, Paris Guitar Foundation); they have been invited to radio and television programs, including RFI (Radio France Internationale, France), Super Radio Brasilia (Brazil), FM Cultura (Brazil), TV Globo (Brazil). In 2017, Trio in Uno inaugurated its newest project “Trio in Uno and Orchestra”. With their own arrangements, the trio brings a new dressing to this great repertoire. Ovationed by the public, they performed concerts with the Chamber Orchestra Ulbra (Porto Alegre) and the Goiania Symphony Orchestra. They have performed and collaborated with renowned artists such as Vincent Segal, Nicolas Krassik, Marcos Sacramento, Sergio Assad, Paulo Pereira, Paulo Bellinati, Cristima Azuma and Daniel Murray. In addition to performing, Trio in Uno gives workshops and masterclasses to share their experience and passion for music. Since 2015, the Trio has regularly toured in Brazil and performed in prestigious concert halls and festivals in Europe.

¡YAPUNTO! was born in March 2015 of the love of musicians for traditional Colombian and Afro-Peruvian music. Then, they created an association to promote South American culture through the artistic expression and diffusion of the band ¡ YAPUNTO!. These rhytmical tunes combind with inspired and catchy melodies result from the mix of three great cultures : Amerindian, Spanish and African and are perfectly suited for dancing. It results of a meeting between distinguished musicians who cultivate their differences in order to exalt their words. Through its texts, it denounces the consequences of our consumer society which lead to the depletion of biodiversity and inhibit our ability to move forward together. The album deals with everyday life in ordre to put the emphasis on « common people » who still believe in a better world. This band, inspired by Totó La Momposina, ale Kumá and Lucho Bermúdez, suggests a new impetus in the artistic landscape of Afro-Colombian music. The album features seven original compositions sung by Alejandra CHARRY, including one with Nidia GONGORA (quantic, Grupo Canaln) featuring the title “Malo Comeo”. There is also an instrumental piece with tribal influences and a nod to Jossie Esteban “a Lo Loco”. These tunes are composed by : Boris Nokora, Stéphane Montigny, Jakub Trzepisur and Adrien Garrido. The lyrics are written by Nancy Murillo. The designer Marina Poncet imagines the art work in collaboration with the painter Jean-Michel PROST as well as the graphic line of Yapunto. The photographs are made by STHUL. 

His new album Sika Mila, which means «preserve your culture», comes out on April 26, 2019. A recording that features Mahoran culture on an island undergoing a transformation ever since it became the 101st department of France in 2011. To him valuing his culture, his roots, identity is a necessity that must not be lost to the detriment of a culture that is not his own, or else fall into oblivion.  Ten tracks, on which traditional percussion from Mayotte, such as the taris and the n’goma, share the stage with electric guitars, banjo and the harmonica. An album with tight arrangements and heady melodies, an absolute gem, a journey taking you from the islands of the Comoros archipelago all the way to Mississippi.  His intense and lively voice and guitar-playing are sure to leave no one indifferent.  Listening to him is one thing, but experiencing him live in concert is another. It is on stage that everything comes forth, he is joined with his Reunionese musicians for a powerful groove, with flavorings from the In- dian Ocean.  After several notable performances, including those at the Womex in 2002 in Essen, Germany and the shows at IOMMA, in Reunion and at The Atlantic Music Expo in Cape Verde in 2016, M’Toro Chamou will be touring Africa, the Indian Ocean and on the mainland to present his new Album in 2019.  Originally from Mayotte, M’Toro Chamou combines the transcendent vibes of his island’s traditional rhythms, such as the M’Godro, the Shigoma and even the Chengue, with Western-style sounds. A wholly unclassifiable style that he defines as Afro M’Godro Rock.  Just like in «Chengué Langu», which means «My Shengué», M’Toro Chamou gives us his modern take on this ancestral Mahorais rhythm.