This selection of concerts and documentaries showcases the extraordinary cultural diversity of the first continent.

Traditional North African rhythms are magnified by Tinariwen and the Gnaoua brotherhoods of Morocco alongside the maâlem Mahmoud Guinea. West Africa, a land of tales and legends, is embodied by the Malian queen Oumou Sangaré, Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté. And the central, southern and eastern regions are represented by true legends including Papa Wemba, Manu Dibango, Hugh Masekela, the pan-African muse Miriam Makeba and the dynamic Reunionese singer Danyèl Waro.

Imbued with tradition or modernity, this odyssey attests to the musical influence on the international scene; whether via Latin American countries such as Colombia, Brazil and Peru; in connection with the fascinating Caribbean scene across its syncretic, spiritual islands; and above all in contact with the United States via jazz, a two century-old repertoire for which Africa undoubtedly remains the central influence.

Vincent Caffiaux