In Seine-Saint-Denis, the Banlieues Bleues festival has become an unmissable spring event. All the greatest musicians have performed there, with the intention of bringing some of their cultural wealth to an audience often neglected outside Paris’ borders. So Miles Davis, Chuck Berry, Art Blakey, Al Green, BB King, Abbey Lincoln, Dizzy Gillespie, Miriam Makeba, Nina Simone and so many others came to delight the ears of the Sequano-Dionysian audience. However, the task of discovering talent must not be avoided. Xavier Lemiter, artistic director of this major musical event, blows out the 40 candles on the birthday cake with us!
Looking into the future is a prerequisite if we do not want to fall into sterile nostalgia. This credo animates the creative spirit of many jazz musicians, whose repertoire must reflect the spirit of the times. Through daily encounters with all these instrumentalists who value originality, Xavier Lemiter has instilled the desire to surpass himself by boldly programming musicians innovative enough to arouse the audience’s interest and curiosity. Opening the 2024 edition of Banlieues Bleues with the delicate harmonies of a young aspiring harpist, Sophye Soliveau, is dangerous, but this calculated risk is based on solid experience proven over decades.
This editorial choice is not accidental. It’s part of the festival’s DNA. In order not to get lost in the labyrinth of memories, it is important to reflect on current stylistic developments. The images of legendary concerts will certainly remain in our memories. How can you not immerse yourself in the distant echo of rhythmist Max Roach from 1992? How can we not shudder at the mere mention of the great Ahmad Jamal’s pianistic prowess in 1999? How could we not feel privileged to have attended a celebration in New Orleans in 2009 accompanied by saxophonist and conductor Donald Harrison, chief of the Congo nation? All these fleeting moments have fueled the legend but also the ruthlessness of this turbulent festival.
Rest assured, the intent is not elitist. Xavier Lemiter, project manager of this forty-year-old barn, makes it a point to offer an always exciting poster whose boldness we simply have to accept. Staying open and alert is the key word for organizational teams. Welcoming the intrepid pianist Amaro Freitas requires serious and joyful listening, for this Brazilian virtuoso seems imbued with an ancient spirituality. In Banlieues Bleues everything is Creole, like our 21st century. This observation may be a political statement, but it is also and above all reality. A good example of this is the Lagon Noir collective. Maloya from Reunion Island follows the traditions of Burkina Faso. Interracial marriage captivates us and sweeps us along. We can bet that this universalistic desire will withstand the test of time and that we will cherish these multicultural musical encounters for a long time to come.
See you in Seine-Saint-Denis from March 8th to April 5th, 2024.
► The website of Blue Banlieues Festival.
