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Special reports



Groundbreakers of the ghetto

13/01/2011 -

At a time when the big names in the record industry are worrying about their future, how are small community production outfits pulling through?

Aboulaye Koné at Nuits d’Afrique

Marie Mello

22/07/2010 -

From 13 to 25 July, the Nuits d’Afrique festival returns to enchant the city of Montreal for its 24th edition. Starring the Senegalese singer Omar Pene, the festival features artists from Quebec and elsewhere, and a wide musical palette...

Gipsy Kings in Singapore

Jean-François Danis

29/03/2010 -

The Gipsy Kings were the headline act for the opening night of Singapore’s Timbre Rock and Roots Festival (26-27 March), alongside the likes of The Fray, Buddy Guy and the Buena Vista Social Club...

Jean-Michel Jarre’s retro-futurism

Nicolas Dambre

26/03/2010 -

Jean-Michel Jarre, the French pioneer of radio-friendly electronic music, is back on the road. His March 25 concert in Paris struck a nostalgic note, showcasing old hits...

Ooh la L.A., French music goes to L.A.

DR

28/09/2009 -

French music arrived in California in style with the "Ooh la L.A." festival (23 - 25 September), showcasing a host of contemporary French artists in Los Angeles. As organisers whip up support...

Camille Louvel: championing the Burkina Faso sound

Alexandre Varlet

10/07/2009 -

A true authority on the trends and currents of Burkina Faso’s music scene, as well as a key underground figure, the young Camille Louvel has now moved into the production side of the business with the launch of Chapa Blues Records...

"Musiques Métisses" honours Guinea

Musiques métisses

01/06/2009 -

This year, the 34th "Musiques Métisses" festival held in Angoulême (29 May - 1  June), is flying the flag for Guinea, showcasing artists from across the generations. World ...

The 8th Mawazine festival

20/05/2009 -

Morocco's capital city, Rabat, is normally a quiet, business-like place. But between 15 and 23 May 2009, the city has been partying to the "rhythms of the world" ...

10 years of Bisso na Bisso

27/03/2009 -

A decade after their groundbreaking debut album, Racines, Bisso na Bisso are about to release a follow-up. Africa United is not due for release until June 15th, but RFI Musique brings you ...

Meet Me in Saint-Louis!

23/01/2009 -

Senegalese musicians in the old colonial city of Saint-Louis have had a hard time getting themselves heard. Local talents are regularly overshadowed by their more famous compatriots in Dakar ...

Senegalese hip-hop

13/01/2009 -

The Senegalese music scene has been buzzing in recent years as local rappers have forged their own unique style of flow with lyrics bordering on poetry.

2008 RFI Découvertes Award for Mikea

14/11/2008 -

On 13 November Madagascar’s capital Antananarivo played host to the final of the 2008 RFI Découvertes (new talent) Award. And it was a Madagascan, ...

Serge Gainsbourg in Japanese

27/10/2008 -

The Cité de la Musique is currently celebrating the life and work of the influential French music icon Serge Gainsbourg. Apart from photos, film, video extracts and artworks owned,...

GAMIQ celebrates Quebec's indie artists

25/09/2008 -

Six weeks before the 30th edition of ADISQ (Quebec's mainstream music awards), underground artists got to stage their own indie celebration at the GAMIQ.

Sakifo, the travelling festival

11/08/2008 -

This year the Sakifo festival kicked off at Port-Louis, Mauritius, before moving to Saint Pierre on the south end of Réunion Island. The festival's six stages played host to over fifty different concerts. Sakifo's success ever since its debut is largely down to its balanced and consistent programming.

20th anniversary of ‘Les Francofolies de Montréal’

31/07/2008 -

The 2008 edition of Francofolies is bigger, better and more charged with history than ever. RFI Musique joins in the fun as French Canada marks ...

The Djoliba National Ballet

© E. Chabasseur

28/02/2008 -

The Djoliba National Ballet, a veritable institution in their native Guinea, are currently back on stage with a new show, ...

Techno Parade 2007

18/09/2007 -

Techno Parade, Paris’s annual procession of carnival floats pounding mega-decibels and explosive dance beats, wound up at Place de la Bastille early on Saturday night ...

Youssou N’Dour and the Retour à Gorée Jazz Project

10/07/2007 -

On 6 July 2007, Senegalese m’balax idol Youssou N’dour made a radical departure from his usual style, opening the Montreux Jazz Festival with his Retour à Gorée Jazz Project.

Band of Gnawa

28/06/2007 -

One of the highlights of the 10th Gnawa Festival in Essaouira, Morocco, was the creation of Band of Gnawa, an ambitious project masterminded by one of the festival’s artistic co-directors, ...