The Mois Kreyol Festival has already existed for 8 years. A festival that has continued to grow, despite the obstacles and difficulties it has had to overcome. Because culture, and in particular that resulting from diversity, often remains the poor relation and the variable for adjusting public policies even if everyone agrees that “the power of culture can inform politics ».
Suffice to say that it is a real feat that this festival of Creole languages and cultures created in 2017 by the dancer, choreographer and director of the Difé Kako company, Chantal Loïal, has been able to maintain and develop, which moreover, by proposing ambitious projects. But, it must be said that like its founder, whose commitment and determination have never wavered, the Mois Kreyol Festival draws its strength from this fierce desire to promote and defend, through the events proposed, the intangible cultural heritage of overseas territories and more broadly of Creole cultures beyond their geographical borders around a strong moment “ friendly, generous, inventive and demanding”, as Chantal Loïal points out.
Tribute to Maryse Condé
And this 8th edition is part of this desire and ambition with the choice to highlight Guadeloupe and the rhythms of Gwoka percussion “the lung of the Guadeloupean soul ”, as some say. Constitutive of Guadeloupe and its cultural identity, the Gwoka has a very significant historical and cultural impact on Guadeloupean society and its representation remains in almost all events, whether political, social, festive or memorial. Listed for 10 years as UNSECO’s intangible cultural heritage, it embodies the theme “ Born where our heart beats chosen for this 2024 edition which will also pay a vibrant tribute to the famous Guadeloupean author Maryse Condé, former godmother of the Festival, who died last April.
A rich and eclectic multidisciplinary program
It is from this common thread of Gwoka that the public is invited to discover the rich and eclectic multidisciplinary program concocted for this 8th Kreyol Month Festival. A Festival which extends season after season and which, through its different French stages (Paris and Ile-de-France, Roubaix, Lille, La Rochelle, Nantes, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Marseille, Toulouse, Authiou), international ( Montreal, London) and overseas (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyana from January 2025), will offer dance, music, theater and cinema shows, workshops, meetings and conferences.
Different artistic expressions as actors, dancers such as Max Diakok, Léna Blou, or musicians like Arnaud Dolmen, Julien Coriett, Roger Raspail, Christine Salem, Ymelda Marie-Louise, Grégory Privat, Elise Kali, Bannzil Kreyol, Gaël Horellon, Christophe Chassol, Stéphane Hoareau, Rodolpho Saksbo, Nourou Deen Eniola, Manzel Loomaa and other artists will contribute to highlighting and transmitting to allow these multiple identities, this musical, choreographic, theatrical and cinematographic heritage to resonate and radiate very far away and for a very long time to come.
E.B.
8th Mois Kreyol Festival edition
From October 4 to November 25, 2024
Roubaix and Lille: October 4 to 17, 2024
Authiou: October 5, 2024
Paris and Ile-de-France: October 14 to November 25, 2024
Grand Est and surrounding areas: October 14 to November 14, 2024
La Rochelle: October 25 to November 18, 2024
Arles and Marseille: October 20 and November 12, 2024
Toulouse: November 3 to 24, 2024
Nantes: November 14 to 18, 2024
Bordeaux: October 12 to November 23, 2024
Montreal: October 12 to 20, 2024
London: November 8 to 10, 2024
Antilles-Guyana: From January 2025
Calendar and program : www.lemoiskreyol.fr
