Africolor 2023: The African music festival takes a turn towards the East
Since November 17, the Africolor festival has been making the Parisian suburbs vibrate to the sound of African music. For this 2023 edition, the programming focuses on artists from East Africa, both by artistic choice and by necessity.
Indeed, the diplomatic crisis between France and the Sahel countries, notably Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, has impacted the arrival of artists from these regions. Traffic restrictions and administrative difficulties linked to the crisis have forced the organizers to review their programming.
Sébastien Lagrave, director of the Africolor festival, deplores this situation and explains: “As early as August, we knew that consular services and visa providers would be closed. The September circular made these restrictions official. We therefore had to quickly find replacements for the artists who were to come.
The festival has therefore decided to turn to music from East Africa, thus offering a great opportunity for discovery for the public. In addition, this orientation also makes it possible to circumvent the difficulties linked to the crisis between France and the Sahelian countries, while keeping the festival alive and dynamic.
Despite these adjustments, the organizers worked closely with the Ministry of Culture to obtain exemptions and allow the arrival of Sahelian artists. This mobilization has borne fruit, but Sébastien Lagrave nevertheless underlines the limits of the exceptional regime, which considerably restricts the movement of artists and students.
Africolor, an emblematic festival of exchange and cultural diversity, refuses to become a simple broken line. The organizers continue to do everything possible to preserve the very essence of the festival and offer moments of sharing and discovery to all lovers of African music.
In conclusion, Africolor 2023 reinvents itself by highlighting East African music, while facing the difficulties linked to the diplomatic crisis between France and the Sahel countries. The festival remains faithful to its vocation of bringing together cultures and celebrating the musical wealth of Africa. An edition full of surprises and emotions not to be missed!