JAZZ À LA VILLETTE 2025

TSHEGUE

Born from the meeting of Kinshasa-born singer Faty Sy Savanet and Parisian drummer Nicolas Dacunha in the mid-2010s, Tshegue breaks down musical boundaries with a liberating energy. Across three EPs, the duo has built bridges between Kinshasa and Paris, blending rock, electro, funk and African rhythms in songs sung in Lingala. Released in fall 2024, Argent pushes hybridization even further and takes a political turn, questioning our relationship with money and how it infiltrates our personal connections. In 2025, Tshegue drives the point home with the incendiary Plus de place nulle part, an “agit-pop” single with sharp guitars responding directly to current events. Their raw and organic sound, both abrasive and captivating, shines powerfully on stage.

SEUN KUTI & EGYPT 80

Seun Kuti made a name for himself long ago, having learned so much alongside his father, the pioneer of afrobeat in the 1970s. This explosive blend of funk, jazz, Nigerian folk and highlife — the soundtrack of a proud and independent Africa — shaped his childhood in Lagos. At the age of 12, Fela Kuti’s youngest son began performing as a saxophonist and percussionist with Egypt 80, eventually taking over the band after his father’s death in 1997. Since then, Seun Kuti has tirelessly carried forward this rich musical and political legacy, while expanding it with his own repertoire. Following the release of the powerful and committed Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head) in 2024, the king of modern afrobeat is back on stage, still burning with a sacred fire.

JALEN NGONDA

With a golden voice and velvet arrangements, American singer Jalen Ngonda proudly upholds the tradition of timeless and sophisticated soul.

In the radiant sky of today’s soul music, where stars from every generation shine, each with their own connection to modernity, Jalen Ngonda has appeared like a comet with a particularly bright shine. How many can combine such confident songwriting, lush arrangements, and a falsetto rich in nuance and breaks? Discovered by Daptone Records, which released his debut album Come Around And Love Me in 2023, Jalen Ngonda grew up in Maryland in a music-loving family. He trained in piano, violin, and guitar, played the organ at church, and immersed himself in his father’s Motown collection, discovering Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson, whom he follows as a worthy heir. Soon after, he crossed the Atlantic to study at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. From the Beatles’ hometown, where he has lived for over a decade, the thirty-something artist is now looking ahead. A series of classy, romantic singles released in recent months is paving the way for a highly anticipated new album.

Opening act : ISAIAH COLLIER Parallel Universe

A pillar of the Chicago scene, saxophonist Isaiah Collier captivates with his psychedelic soul jazz.

In just ten years, Isaiah Collier has established himself as a key figure in the vibrant Chicago scene, where the new generation has taken up the torch of the Art Ensemble of Chicago. The saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist shares with his predecessors a passion for blends and psychedelic explorations, which also connects him to the giant Pharoah Sanders. The free and cosmic flights of his albums with the band The Chosen Few are mirrored by the incredible melting pot of Parallel Universe, an album released in 2023, where Isaiah Collier simultaneously conjures funk, gospel, African connections, and a spirit of resistance rooted in both a spiritual and political vision.

NDUDUZO MAKHATHINI

In just over a decade, pianist Nduduzo Makhathini has established himself as one of the greats of today, at the forefront of the revival of spiritual jazz, which he approaches in a personal and informed way. In the uMgungundlovu district, where he grew up in the east of South Africa, Zulu traditions have long connected music, healing, and spiritual practices. His exposure to various churches and then to the records of John Coltrane’s classic quartet – with the master McCoy Tyner – also shaped his playing and powerful style. Discovered in 2016 as part of Shabaka and The Ancestors, Makhathini has since signed with Blue Note, where his last three albums, including uNomkhubulwane in 2024, have been critically acclaimed. This ambitious three-movement suite, where piano, voice, drums, and bass carry legends, a history, memories, and traces of ancient rituals.

CONSTELNATION
Angel Bat Dawid, Magic Malik, Richard Comte, Nick Macri & Toma Gouband

Since 2013, the network The Bridge has been fostering new forms of collaboration between French and North American musicians – particularly those from the vibrant Chicago scene. Nearly 140 instrumentalists, organized into quartets or quintets, enjoy an invaluable luxury: the extended time for exchange and creation, realized through tours on both continents. The quintet ConstelNation brings together bassist Nick Macri and clarinetist, pianist, and vocalist Angel Bat Dawid, both based in Chicago, along with three French musicians: flutist Magic Malik, guitarist Richard Comte, and drummer Toma Gouband. Between spiritual incantations, wandering polyrhythms, noisy bursts, and psychedelic escapes, a sense of absolute freedom overwhelms the audience as they witness these daring musicians – exemplified by Toma Gouband’s augmented drumming, where branches, stones, and objects serve as spells.

SONA JOBARTEH

Coming from a prominent Gambian griot family, Sona Jobarteh is not only one of the few female professional kora players but also an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer. Born in London, she was introduced to the kora at a young age by her older brother, Tunde Jegede, one of the masters of the instrument, before studying at the Royal College of Music in Kensington and then at the Purcell School of Music. At the crossroads of her Manding heritage and European education, the musician plays elegant and complex folk, showcased in two critically acclaimed albums: Fasiya in 2011 and Badinyaa Kumoo in 2022, featuring guests such as Youssou N’Dour and Ballaké Sissoko.

SALIF KEÏTA

In his 50-year exceptional career, during which he has blended Manding music with pop sounds and influences, Salif Keïta had never recorded a fully acoustic album. However, So Kono, released in the spring of 2025, feels like a natural progression—an exquisite, stripped-back masterpiece where the “golden voice of Africa” performs classics and new compositions, accompanied simply by guitar, ngoni, and percussion. Both vulnerable and powerful, Salif Keïta’s voice carries the marks of a rich and intense life shared between Bamako and Montreuil, traveling the world through countless tours. In fact, it was in a hotel room in Japan that the Malian singer recorded these songs, inspired by the spirituality of a Zen temple. In Manding, So Kono means “in the room,” and it is within the intimate setting of an acoustic concert that Salif Keïta invites us to rediscover his magnificent repertoire.

SHABAKA

Now focused on a repertoire composed for a vast collection of flutes, the English musician SHABAKA unveils on stage the delicate wonders of his album Perceive its Beauty, Acknowledge its Grace.

It’s a journey like few others, both dazzling and unique. Discovered in the mid-2010s, Shabaka Hutchings naturally established himself as one of the greatest saxophonists of his time, thanks to the virtuosity of his playing and the vast territory he explored with his various projects: the spiritual jazz of Shabaka and the Ancestors, the incredible percussive energy of Sons of Kemet, or the incisive electronics of The Comet is Coming. This dizzying activity took a toll on the musician’s health, leading him to leave behind his instrument of choice and turn to flutes and new sonic territories. Released in 2024 under the Impulse! label, and the result of a patient study of the Japanese shakuhachi, Brazilian pifanos, and Native American flutes, Perceive its Beauty, Acknowledge its Grace is an album of great gentleness. A collection of 11 meditative and sophisticated tracks, the album was recorded with a handful of guests, including Floating Points, Saul Williams, and Lianne La Havas — a sign of a spirit more than ever open to the sounds of the world around him.

Opening act : CNSMDP

Details to come.

DONNY McCASLIN + ISHKERO

An electric quintet formed over ten years ago in Paris, Ishkero honed its modern groove before recording its first album. Released in 2023 and greeted with enthusiastic praise, Shama follows the legacy of crossover jazz, born in the 1970s from the fusion with rock and world sounds. Between hypnotic tracks and psychedelic sweetness, the band uses its powerful cohesion to explore music open to its time. This talent caught the attention of saxophonist Donny McCaslin, who has made electric fusions the main thread of his recent albums, reflecting the shift in the American musician’s style since 2014 and his collaboration on David Bowie’s Blackstar. With the jury of the Talents Adami Jazz 2025 program, Donny McCaslin chose Ishkero to create an exclusive live performance, presented for the first time at three partner festivals, including Jazz à la Villette. The promise of a fiery encounter between jazz and rock.

ANNE PACEO “ATLANTIS”

What an exceptional journey it has been for drummer and composer Anne Paceo since the release of her first album in 2008! Beyond the numerous accolades and widespread success, it is the breadth of her musical exploration and the originality of the projects she has worked on over time that truly impress. Her style, both organic, abundant, and generous, unfolds at the intersection of jazz, pop, and electronic music, guided by a curiosity for sounds and cultures from around the world. Anne Paceo returns today to unveil Atlantis, her 8th album, just a few days after its release on August 29. In this album, the composer delves into her relationship with the ocean, inspired by the legend of Atlantis—the mythical island submerged by the wrath of Zeus—but also by her experience of scuba diving and the stories of solo sailors and navigators. Electronics, keyboards, rhythms, brass, and vocals follow powerful, warm currents.

REJJIE SNOW

A talented prodigy recognized fifteen years ago with his first tracks, Rejjie Snow revealed his skills to a wider audience in 2018 with a debut album reflecting an already rich journey. Born in Dublin to a Nigerian father and a Jamaican mother, he was still a teenager when he flew to Florida on a sports scholarship to play football. After a detour in Savannah to study cinema, Rejjie Snow returned to Ireland and fully dedicated himself to music. Growing up in a neighborhood where he was the only Black person, discovering life and the world in the same breath—these are experiences that permeate Dear Annie, marked by a sharp sense of storytelling. In 2021, Baa, Baa, Black Sheep explores a sound that is both more soulful (with samples, percussion, and analog synths) and more pop (with a melody-driven style reminiscent of American rapper Tyler, The Creator). In 2024, Peace 2 Da World blossoms in radiant eclecticism, where the most languorous soul mingles with rhythms and sounds drawn from Brazil.

JACOB BANKS

After four highly acclaimed records released between 2013 and 2022—marked by poignant songwriting, a striking voice, and an audacious talent for blending soul, folk, and pop—Jacob Banks has, in recent months, completed an ambitious project that looks both backward and forward. With the Yonder EP trilogy, the British singer, songwriter, and producer of Nigerian origin continues his exploration of themes such as identity, love, and social issues, all while maintaining a dazzling stylistic breadth. The first volume draws on his African roots, the Afrobeat of the 1970s, and the soul of Motown; the second ventures into more contemporary sounds; and the final one focuses on folk classicism with gospel inflections. This wide-ranging palette takes on even more vivid and profound tones on stage, where Jacob Banks’ presence is nothing short of magnetic.

JORDAN RAKEI

Following The Loop, his ambitious fifth album where his modern, poignant soul takes on a panoramic mode, Jordan Rakei provides his exceptional voice with a tailor-made setting.

Born in Australia, Jordan Rakei has lived in London for ten years, where he has carved out a place at the heart of the vibrant jazz and hip-hop scene, multiplying collaborations as a producer and releasing a handful of albums – initially under the Ninja Tune label and now with Decca (UMG) – perfectly balanced between soul and stripped-down R&B, enhanced with electronic touches. Moving away from the DIY charms that fueled his success so far, the singer now embraces the allure of a broad, densely orchestrated soul. Released in 2024, The Loop showcases this spectacular transformation, with a dozen sublime songs where his voice – pure and rich in nuances – flourishes within lush arrangements (brass, strings, enveloping choirs). Jordan Rakei steps into new territory where timeless soul classicism coexists with a modern pop sensibility – at times reminiscent of Radiohead – in complete harmony.

Opening act : AMG

A young Parisian quartet on the rise, AMG plays with labels to develop a free and open jazz.

Piano, saxophone, double bass, and drums—AMG’s quartet follows a classic format to explore its full plasticity. Formed in March 2022 on the stage of the Sunset in Paris, AMG recorded its debut album in the spring of the same year. Reissued at the end of 2024 in a reworked version titled AMG Extended, the long format shatters boundaries in a maelstrom that alternates between feverish and serene. The band feels just as comfortable with the legacies of McCoy Tyner or Pharoah Sanders as with Cuban percussion, sitar, or hip-hop. Their music is thoroughly of its time, driven by cultivated and instinctive improvisers: their name says it all, an acronym for Autophysiopsychic Music Gate, borrowed from a theory by musician Yusef Lateef describing spontaneous collective composition, ranging from blues to abstraction. With such a promise, AMG stands at the threshold of a beautiful journey.

RITA PAYÉS

At the crossroads of jazz, traditional Spanish music, and bossa nova, Catalan singer and trombonist Rita Payés explores the beauty of everyday life with an enveloping delicacy and a subtle sense of rhythm.

At just 25 years old, Rita Payés has already traveled a remarkable path, marked by encounters, collaborations, recordings, and performances that map out a unique sound influenced by a wide range of styles. She grew up in Vilassar de Mar, northeast of Barcelona, in a family of musicians, and studied trombone at the Higher School of Music of Catalonia. Alongside her mother, the renowned classical guitarist Elisabeth Roma, she recorded two highly acclaimed albums – Imagina in 2019 and Como la piel in 2021 – and performed concerts across Europe. As a solo artist, Rita Payés has released three stunning albums, including De camino al camino in 2024, where the blend of Spanish classical heritage, bossa nova, and jazz is particularly refined. Her smooth voice and lush arrangements illuminate the delicate, melancholic melodies in a thousand shades.

Opening act : ALA.NI

Six years after her last album, English singer ALA.NI finally returns with new songs.

Revealed in 2015 with a series of EPs where a sumptuous voice and breathtaking songs left little doubt about her extraordinary talent and sensitivity, ALA.NI released her debut album, You & I, in 2016. The singer then embraced the velvety elegance of classic soul, where jazz is never far behind. In 2019, ACCA explored more minimalist soundscapes, where her voice takes center stage, often in its purest form, layered in various textures, with sparse rhythmic accompaniment here and there. Although she hasn’t been inactive since (two short Christmas song collections were released in 2020 and 2023), ALA.NI is now preparing for her grand return with new compositions, which will be premiered at Jazz à la Villette.

KNOWER [FULL BAND]

Attention, Knower is back (with many facets) after having already wowed the Jazz à la Villette audience three times, following an unlikely decreasing pattern: quartet in 2018, duo in 2022, and solo in 2024, with a set by vocalist Geneviève Artadi. Following KNOWER FOREVER, their expansive and ambitious fifth album released in 2023, Louis Cole and his partner kick off their wild electro-pop flights, soaked in modern, colorful funk. Expect a spectacular sound and visual fireworks display, perhaps even a dance of candles, as the duo celebrates their 15th anniversary since forming in Los Angeles, where they remain at the heart of a vibrant, postmodern, and inventive music scene.

CIMAFUNK

A major Cuban revelation in recent years, Cimafunk ignites an original blend of funk, hip-hop, and Afro-Caribbean and Cuban music. A former medical student who switched to music before completing his studies in Havana, Erick Iglesias Rodríguez experienced a meteoric rise—first with Terapia in 2017, then globally with El Alimento in 2021. A spectacular stage performer, surrounded by his band La Tribu, the singer now presents his third album, released last summer. With Pa’ tu cuerpa, rich in contrasts and featuring notable guests (such as the Afro-Colombian group Monsieur Periné and funk legend George Clinton), Cimafunk adds new colors to his groove palette, drawing influences from reggaeton and salsa. It’s a festive and sensual music, promising emancipation.