Ibaaku, Jess and Crabbe confirmed for Fête de la Musique SA

The line-up, which was drawn from an application process, features artists from Senegal, Lesotho, South Africa, Nigeria and France. The seventh edition of the event will be headlined by Senegalese multi-disciplinary artist Ibaaku, Nigeria’s Femi Koya, Morena Leraba from Lesotho and French electro-dance duo Jess and Crabbe.

Local artists on the line-up are Radio 123, Robin Thirdfloor, Sun Xa Experiment, Bambanani Brass Band, the Buskaid orchestra, Motel Mari, Itai Hakim, G-Sand and Easy Freak.

“Artists were captured through a selection process except for French Francophone acts," Alliance Française cultural officer Soraya Karimi told Music In Africa. "We also have some guidelines that requires us to have upcoming South African artists on board.

“The difference between last year and this year is that last year’s line-up had clearly identified artistic styles. This year we have more artists blending their styles together and we also have more local artists coming from Johannesburg, some from Pretoria and Port Elizabeth.”

Pteroleum company and Fête de la Musique sponsor Total South Africa commended the impact made by the festival.

“It’s because of our heritage, Total is a French company, so we would like to support institutes and the initiatives they bring to the country,” Total South Africa corporate communications and marketing manager Reina Cullinan said.

“Arts and culture are one of our pillars of cultural investment initiatives [CSI], so there is 100% synergy because we have identified arts and culture as part of our CSI. We have been involved with Fête de la Musique since the beginning and we see this as a long-term partnership and commitment, so we are definitely with them for long.”

Total South Africa CSI manager Nyameka Makonya said: “Total South Africa is excited to, once again, be a partner in bringing French and South African culture together at this unique event. As a French business operating in South Africa, it is essential to support events that unify our heritage and demonstrate the opportunities that our commitment and collaboration in the arts creates for all South Africans.”

This year’s Fête de la Musique will feature six stages and the organisers say they expect more than 30 000 people at Newtown Junction to witness the performances.

Fête de la Musique has become one of Johannesburg's most anticipated cultural events. The festival is held in about 700 cities around the world and allows concertgoers to discover new music trends in a variety of genres. 

The first South African edition of Fête de la Musique was held in the coastal city of Port Elizabeth in 2010.