Africolor

37th Edition — Independencia (November-December 2025)

For its 37th edition, Africolor placed its program under the sign of Independencia, celebrating the fiftieth anniversaries of the independence of Portuguese-speaking African countries: Angola, Cape Verde, and Comoros. From November 28 to December 24, 2025, the festival offered a musical and memorial journey through these trajectories of emancipation, between homage to past struggles and celebration of contemporary creations.

Artists and Highlights

The festival opened on November 28 in Pantin with a focus on carnival music born from resistance to slavery. Banda Duia, a group representing the new musical generation from Luanda, brought the energy of the Angolan underground scene. The Cesária Évora Orchestra paid a vibrant tribute to the late barefoot Diva, the immortal voice of Cape Verde. For the Comoros, the legendary Cheikh MC presented Beatrad, a reinterpretation of the taarab heritage through encounters with contemporary urban music.

The festival also featured wordsofAzia and Manda Sira, two emerging voices from the Portuguese-speaking diaspora, testifying to the vitality of a scene in full effervescence.

Selection of the 2025 Program

• Banda Duia: New musical generation from Luanda — Angola
• Cesária Évora Orchestra: Tribute to the Diva of Cape Verde
• Cheikh MC — Beatrad: Taarab and urban music — Comoros
• wordsofAzia: Emerging voice from the Portuguese-speaking diaspora
• Manda Sira: Singer from the new Portuguese-speaking scene

Highlights of the 2025 Edition

• 'Independencia' Theme: 50 years of independence for Angola, Cape Verde, Comoros
• Opening on November 28 in Pantin — carnival music of resistance
• Cesária Évora Orchestra: moving tribute to the Cape Verdean Diva
• Cheikh MC: historic encounter between Comorian taarab and hip-hop
• Workshops, conferences, and master-classes in several towns in the 93 department