Fesman - Général

Général

BCA RSS Syndicator

Fesman2009

Music
musiqueIf there is one area of cultural heritage which the black world can be proud of, in terms of its contribution to universal civilisation, it has to be music. The extraordinary musical wealth of Africa, drawn from traditional sonorities and registers, has been the basis for the emergence of major musical currents beyond the continent (the Americas, Antilles, etc.), giving rise to blues, jazz, calypso, samba, salsa, zouk and many other styles including rap, reggae, etc.

The early 20th century saw the arrival of Western instruments to the continent along with the sonorities of jazz and Cuban music. Owing to the creative genius of African artists and pioneers who have turned resolutely to fusion, new musical styles arose and became highly popular: Makossa (traditional rhythms from Cameroon and soul), Afrobeat (fusion of traditional yoruba rhythms, jazz and funk), Highlife (West African traditions and pop-jazz), Soukouss (mixture of traditional styles from the Congo and Cuban rumba), mandingue music (mixture of mandingue and blues rhythms, folk) etc.

The two FESMAN competitions in Dakar in 1966 and Lagos in 1977 enabled artists from across the Atlantic, who have made significant contributions to African and contemporary music, to measure in situ the influence of African rhythms on their own music.

Fesman 2009

FESMAN 2009 will celebrate all musical genres and provide an opportunity to build bridges between the major musical trends in the black world, from Africa, the Americas and Europe, in a spirit of intergenerational communion.
During the competition, musicians will defend their countries’ colours, each in their own style, at an event where the watchword will be originality and creativity of performance, on the theme of African Renaissance.

The invited artists, major international Jazz, R&B, Reggae, Makossa, Afrobeat, Rap, Salsa, and Mbalax stars, will perform on stage for three weeks throughout Senegal, with other famous and lesser-known musicians, providing unforgettable emotional moments. This will be an opportunity to discover new duos and to appreciate emerging artists, whose innovative musical aesthetics will perhaps become the precursors of future music.