Banquet Kréol : Akiyo·Karaïb Kollectif Ensemb·Sun Goes Down

AS PART OF THE 30TH EDITION OF THE VILLES DES MUSIQUES DU MONDE FESTIVAL KREOL BANQUET with Akiyo & Karaïb Kollectif Ensemb & Sun Goes Down Opening night — 30 years of the Villes des Musiques du Monde Festival × 10 years of the Mois Kréyol Festival Opening night — 30 years of the Villes des Musiques du Monde Festival × 10 years of the Mois Kréyol Festival To open this anniversary edition, Villes des Musiques du Monde invites you to a grand Kreol Banquet: an evening where food, dance, and music intertwine across the big top, the Halle, and the open-air space of Le Point Fort. Under the Halle, the Creole banquet and its community food court are in full swing alongside activities by the collectives Les Poussières and Fer à Coudre and the vernissage of two exhibitions, before the night transitions into the grand concert by Akiyo, led by François Ladrezeau and his guests, ending with a massive koud tambou. Under the big top, the evening opens with a tribute to Claude Kiavué (aka Jimmy) who created "Fêtes et Forts" in 1984, the first major hip-hop and dance festival in France. This pioneering event took place at Fort d'Aubervilliers, before making way for master percussionist Roger Raspail and his Karaïb Kollectif Ensemb. Meanwhile, the open-air area hosts Sun Goes Down, featuring Horde, to keep the party going until midnight.

Akiyo — François Ladrezeau + guests An iconic figure of the Guadeloupean carnival cultural movement, Akiyo will be exceptionally represented by three of its members who traveled specially from Guadeloupe, surrounding François Ladrezeau. Alongside the Difé Kako company, musicians from the Île-de-France region, and invited accomplices, they will share a repertoire drawn from carnival music: chants and rhythms of mas a Sen Jan, the pulse of Gwo Siwo, symbolic masks — the living heritage of a popular culture born from resistance. A musical journey between Guadeloupe, Africa, and France, weaving a vibrant bridge from one shore of the Atlantic to the other.

Roger Raspail & Le Karaïb Kollectif Ensemb Since the 1970s, Roger Raspail — nicknamed Wojé in Guadeloupean Creole — has been one of the pillars of gwoka, alongside Guy Konket and Erick Cosaque. Initiated in his adolescence by master Rudolphe Coppry, he then crossed the Parisian scene of the 70s and 80s under the wing of percussionist Guem, before putting his art at the service of a constellation of major artists: Sam Mangwana, Pierre Akendengué, Papa Wemba, Kassav, and Cesaria Evora. A percussionist and state-certified traditional music teacher, he was elected best French percussion musician 2023/2024 by Jazz News and Jazz Magazine.

Today, he leads the Karaïb Kollectif Ensemb project within the Racine Caraïbe collective: seven artists — Annette Nicolas (vocals, percussion, dance), Gildas Lutin (lead vocals, dance), Nerlande Bazelais (backing vocals, percussion, dance), René Burin (boula drum, backing vocals), Jean-Mary Louissaint (lead vocals, Haiti drum), Roger Raspail (makè drum, backing vocals), and Martinican bèlè drum master Jean-Philippe Grivalier. Tested on numerous stages in France and Europe — from the Philharmonie de Paris to Cabaret Sauvage, from Le Tamanoir in Gennevilliers to Metro 54 in Amsterdam — the collective celebrates the musical and choreographic traditions of the islands in a spirit of sharing, transmission, and connection with the public.

Sun Goes Down Born in Martinique 9 years ago, Sun Goes Down are Deep House, House, and Minimal events. In the sunny setting of Le Carbet beach, and sometimes in a more jungle-like universe at the heart of a villa nestled in tropical vegetation, Deep House takes center stage for the duration of a sunset and an evening. The intensity of these locations, with their rootsy and colorful vibe, gives the electro house atmosphere its full depth and emotion. Sun Goes Down distills powerful rhythms and the deep melodies of House and Deep House.