The Montreal International Jazz Festival (FIJM) unveiled the full programming of its 45th edition on Tuesday, which will be held from June 26 to July 5. The Legend of New York Rap Nas will be passing through, just like the young Nigerian sensation Ayra Starr and the local star Elisapie.
The names announced on Tuesday are added to a series of concerts unveiled earlier this year, including that of the American actor and pianist Jeff Goldblum with his musicians from the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra and several events in tribute to Oscar Peterson, who would have been 100 years in 2025. In all, the FIJM offers this year 350 shows outside or in the room, of which two thirds are free.
The legendary rapper NAS, pioneer of the hip-hop scene of the American east coast, will make a rare detour to the metropolis as he continues his tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of his first album Illmatic. The last time he came to Montreal was in 2023 with Wu-Tang Clan and Soul, for the tour N.Y. State of Mind.
Son of the jazz musician Oli Dara, Nas integrated several elements of this style from his beginnings in his music, in particular by means of samples. The rapper will be in concert on June 29 at the Wilfrid-Pelletier room in Place des Arts.
Another concert not to be missed: that of Ayra Starr, a rising star of Afropop and R’n’B. At just 22 years old, the Nigerian singer-songwriter already has nearly 18 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
After publishing its first composition Damage On Instagram, the singer and model drew the attention of Don Jazzy, founder of the Nigerian label Marvin Records, who took her under his wing. She has since published two albums, participated in the final of Nigerian Idol and was appointed to Grammys in 2024.
Elisapie, Esperanza Spalding etc.
For several years, the Fijm strives to rattle wide on the musical level, faithful to its objective of bringing back music lovers from all horizons. Elisapie will come to bathe the metropolis of her vaporous folk, with her vast repertoire of songs in French, English and Inuktitut.
Recall that his fourth album, Inuktitut (2023), made a big splash with his covers in his mother tongue of songs that marked his childhood, from Led Zeppelin to the Rolling Stones via Queen and Blondie. The artist also received the Juno prize from the alternative adult album of the year for this opus last March.
The singer and double bass player of American jazz Esperanza Spalding will also enchant the Montreal public with her warm voice and her mixed compositions, which earned her four Grammy prizes. The artist is accustomed to major meetings: she was notably invited by Barack Obama to play during the ceremony of the Nobel Peace Prize, in 2009.
Another interesting socket of programmers of Fijm : The mythical and mystical Sun Ra Arkestra, a American jazz group formed in the 1950s by the keyboardist Sun Ra, a pioneer of Afrofuturism deceased in 1993.
Led since 1995 by the saxophonist Marshall Allen, the training from Philadelphia has contributed to popularize more experimental jazz forms, such as Free Jazz and Space Jazz, with a penchant for free improvisation and non -traditional structures. With its flamboyant costumes, the group is renowned for its colorful services.
A concert and an exhibition for the centenary of Oscar Peterson
In addition to celebrating its 45th anniversary this year, the Fijm will underline the centenary of Oscar Peterson. Several events will evoke this anniversary, starting with the Oscar Peterson centenary gala : Canadian suiteon July 4 at the symphonic house.
The evening will take place in two stages, with performances by the Oscar Peterson Centennial Quartet and the Oscar Peterson Centennial Jazz Orchestra, which will interpret the famous Canadical suite de Peterson, under the direction of John Clayton.
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Pianist Oscar Peterson, born August 15, 1925 in Montreal, died in 2007.
Photo: with the authorization of the TIFF
Festival -goers and festivals will also be able to discover a free exhibition devoted to Oscar Peterson, presented in collaboration with ICI Musique. She will highlight rare photos taken by the pianist himself and will offer an overview of her life, her career, as well as the history of jazz thanks to exclusive audio content prepared by Ici Musique.
These archive extracts and exclusive interviews will also be broadcast as part of a special program on June 22 at 7 p.m. (HAE) on the waves by music.
Complete 45th programming Fijm is accessible on the festival site. Tickets for paid concerts will be sold Thursday at 10 a.m. Montreal time.
