Alloukou

Alloukou: The Celebration of African Cultures in Nanterre

The word alloukou, from West African languages, evokes richness, abundance, and shared conviviality — values at the heart of this international festival founded in 2014 in Nanterre. Spearheaded by Charles Bolly and the organization CBS Music, the Alloukou Festival was born from the desire to create a space for celebration and visibility for African cultures in the Paris region.

A Festival Rooted in the African Diaspora of Paris-Nanterre

Nanterre is one of the Île-de-France cities most marked by the presence of African communities, hailing from Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal, Cameroon, and many other countries. The Alloukou Festival draws its strength from this human and cultural diversity, offering a stage to artists who perpetuate, reinvent, and disseminate African musical heritage in France.

Far from being a mere folk show, the festival features artists with rich and contemporary musical universes: griots carrying millennia-old oral traditions, zouglou singers, coupé-décalé artists, mapouka and bikutsi musicians, and groups fusing afrobeat with modern sounds. The diversity of styles reflects the plurality of cultures and generations that make up the African diaspora in France.

Espace Chevreuil, the Cultural Heart of Nanterre

The festival takes place at the Espace Chevreuil, located at 97-109 avenue de la Liberté in Nanterre. This friendly, well-equipped, and easily accessible performance venue is regularly the scene of cultural events related to the African and Caribbean communities in the Paris region. Its warm atmosphere fosters contact and exchange between artists and the public.

A Rich Program: Concerts, Dances, and Cultural Activities

Each edition of the Alloukou festival offers:

• Live concerts by African artists and those from the diaspora, with a stage hosting groups from Ivory Coast, Senegal, Mali, Cameroon, and other African countries
• Traditional and contemporary African dance performances
• Cultural activities: storytelling, exhibitions, African craft stalls
• African gastronomy with food stalls offering specialties from the continent

The festival regularly hosts internationally renowned artists alongside local talents from the diaspora, creating a program that testifies to the vitality and creativity of contemporary African cultures.

A Festival of Fraternity and Meeting of Peoples

Beyond its artistic dimension, the Alloukou Festival carries a message of fraternity and mutual respect. It is part of the long tradition of African festivals in Paris which, since the 1980s, have made the Paris region one of the world capitals of African music. By bringing together Nanterre residents of diverse origins around the same love for African music and culture, Alloukou contributes to intercultural dialogue and the sense of pride of the African diaspora communities.