HARPASAZ DUO
Virtuoso, passionate, curious, attracted by the unknown: these are just some of the adjectives that are used to describe Cumali Bulduk, the nomadic bard of modern times. Immersed in traditional Turkish music, he has been singing and playing the saz since his earliest childhood, seeking to bring this Turkish lute to a European audience. He will be accompanied by Japanese harpist and flautist Emi Shiraki. The encounter of their musical worlds gives rise to a subtle cocktail of varied influences, with the bewitching , distinctive sound of the saz as the common thread. Evocations of impossible love, memories of hillside rebels and the melodies of troubadour songs intertwine in a mystical poem that evokes the humanity that drives the duo’s music.
CHAPULINES
Jarocho fusion sound. Date Heure Lieu Description Chapulines brings all the energy of Latin music to the stage. Born in Ghent, but with musicians from Mexico, Cuba, Spain and Belgium, this group brilliantly fuses the sounds of the jarocho, cumbia, merengue, reggae and rumba. Their repertoire spans between original compositions and inspired rereadings, always in […]
CARTE BLANCHE TO ZAP MAMA
A Belgian icon with mixed roots, Zap Mama is not an artist: it’s a movement. Since the 90s, Marie Daulne – founder and soul of the project – has been overturning codes, merging languages and making voices the driving force behind a deeply organic groove. Her art is nomadic, borderless and free. A musical polyglot, Zap Mama has imposed an original vocal aesthetic, combining African polyphony, beatbox, soul, jazz and R’n’B. She has collaborated with renowned artists such as Questlove, Erykah Badu, Meshell Ndegeocello or David Gilmore, while cultivating a style of her own that is generous, bold and sensual. For Les Polysons Festival, we’re giving her carte blanche. It’s an invitation to imagine, bring together and improvise. A stage for her to summon her partners in crime, explore new territory, share her singular vision of today’s world of sound. With Zap Mama, exploration is always at the heart of the journey. Expect raw vocals, a body that resonates, a rhythm that pulses, beauty at its best. This concert is a manifesto for music that is alive, cross-disciplinary and profoundly contemporary.
ALFAIA
Carried by Verónica Codesal’s deep, soulful voice, Alfaia combines oud, viola, cello and traditional
percussion to explore the common resonances of popular music from southern Europe and northern
Africa. Rich in reinterpretations and original arrangements, the repertoire revisits traditional songs with a
contemporary, elegant and poetic touch. The group traces an intimate and generous musical map where
borders fade away in favour of a vibrant and luminous dialogue between cultures.
AHMED HAWWASH DUO
Ahmed Hawwash’s music is a memory. A Palestinian clarinettist based in Belgium, his music will
resonate in the silence of the stones of the Couvent des Frères Mineurs, like a discreet echo of his
wounded country. With his duo Whispering Ruins, he will present his new album Eternal Homeland: a
weaving of personal compositions, oriental jazz with melancholic accents and reminiscences of
traditional Palestinian songs. It is told in the same way a story of a people is passed on. On stage, he will
be accompanied by oud player Moufadhel Adhoum.
El Balcon
An explosive new wave Latin band from Quebec, El Balcón is a festive hurricane that bewitches and thrills everyone in its path. This concert, inspired by traditional Latin American tunes, will take you on a journey between frenzy and sweetness. A jarana, a requinto, a violin, a double bass, a cajón and a tarima accompany songs and acoustic harmonies.
You won’t want to miss their eccentric generosity and their love of asymmetrical rhythms. This festive cocktail never fails to get crowds of all ages dancing; El Balcón sows precious memories in its wake.
NENA
Oscillating between new Latin song, folk and flamenco rumba, Nena draws her inspiration from the poetry of the great traditional singers and combines it with her love for bare songs with exhilarating Iberian rhythms.Nicknamed “The little pasionaria” from an early age by her family, Nena was born in Seraing, by the Meuse, in a family of Spanish political exiles. The singer has rebellion in her blood from an early age, and it grows with her as well as her creative process.
Nana Benz du Togo
Nana Benz from Togo are five musicians who embody union and symbiosis, like the five fingers of a hand, striking instruments but caressing the planet. They have strong characters and they advocate ecology and voodoo (earth, water, fire, air and nature), with their fully recycled instruments, made from PVC pipes for David Kasanku’s “Gassed Pipe” or their grandmothers’ cooking pots to invent Toto’s “DIY Drums”. This set, filled with the energy of their ancestors, brings to life an organic groove bursting with infrabass and complex polyrhythms, enhanced by the formidable female electro-soul vocals of Lady Apoc, Izealedu and Parus Kekeli, and an old vintage Korg keyboard.
Altacc
Elise Rens and Mathilde Dedeurwaerdere, playing the viola and the diatonic accordion, form a close-knit duo, offering a musical repertoire that blends with the travelling folk music. In the heart of the Convent, they will tell the story of Graine de perroquet, an unusual, poetic and biodegradable storytelling concert! An intimate moment to share with the whole family to travel, laugh or cry.
To this date, they have collaborated with a range of international artists such as Snarky Puppy, Nubya Garcia, Chinese Man Records… and continue to tour and share numerous stages while preparing a new album.
3’Ain
3’Ain is a vibrant trio combining trumpet, double bass and accordion in a creative repertoire of jazz and Middle Eastern music. Their name is unique, based on the Arabic letter ع which symbolises the encounter between Eastern and Western culture. It’s all there, in this encounter between two Belgian musicians and a musician from Aleppo, who rehearse in a room on the Port of Antwerp whose half-sea, half-industrial view will inspire their first album Scrambled Ensor (2023). This fresh and refined trio is characterised by gorgeous melodies, unfailing minimalism and a great pleasure in producing a sound that blends so well together.