Nuits d'Afrique celebrates 40 years with cosmopolitan sounds across continents
Wednesday night's outdoor show transported the crowd from Somaliland's blues-rock to Senegal's griot tradition and Congo's afrofuturist electro-pop.
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The second outdoor night of the Festival international Nuits d'Afrique brought cosmopolitan sounds to Montreal, with performances that traced sonic routes from the Horn of Africa to West Africa to Central Africa and beyond—a fitting soundtrack for the festival's 40th anniversary.
Sahra Halgan opened the evening with Somaliland blues, a blend of touareg tradition and garage rock. Flying the flag of Somaliland—a state that claims independence from Somalia—she commanded the stage with a powerful voice and the defiant energy of an artist singing from the margins.
The Frères Sissokho, Montreal-based musicians from a griot lineage, performed with Élage Diouf, whose career began nearly 30 years ago at Nuits d'Afrique. Griots are West Africa's historians, musicians, and storytellers. The quartet's performance honoured that legacy of oral tradition and family musical heritage.
Zalam Kao, a Montreal collective, mixed jazz, funk, soul, and world beat. The virtuoso MoMo alternated between flute and keyboard, sliding rap verses into the instrumental "Tournesol." The group won the 19e édition of the Syli d'or de la musique du monde, a recognition that underscores the festival's role as a discovery platform.
Kizaba, from Kinshasa via Montreal, performed in full afrofuturist regalia—a black suit studded with rhinestones, white face paint accenting his features. His music fused electro-pop with traditional Congolese sound. Kizaba embodies the sape, a Congolese cultural movement defined by extravagant, elegant dress and artistic self-expression. A large crowd gathered at the main stage to dance to his groove.
The Kalabanté street troupe, active since 2017 and a "classic" of the festival, presented their new show "Afrique en cirque," combining acrobatics, dance, and live music. Sebastian Gerardo Cervantes Calle (known as Marisol), a Montreal-based Peruvian artist, opened the evening with "Dale," fluently mixing Spanish and English rap in a single breath—a perfect note for a festival built on movement between worlds.
The details
When did this performance take place?
Wednesday, July 16, 2026 (the second outdoor night of Festival international Nuits d'Afrique).
Who performed at the festival?
The lineup included Sahra Halgan, The Frères Sissokho with Élage Diouf, Zalam Kao, Kizaba, The Kalabanté street troupe, and Marisol. Sahra Halgan opened with Somaliland blues-rock; The Frères Sissokho performed West African griot music; Zalam Kao mixed jazz, funk, and soul; Kizaba presented afrofuturist electro-pop from Kinshasa; The Kalabanté troupe showed their new production 'Afrique en cirque' combining acrobatics and dance; and Marisol opened the evening with Spanish and English rap.
