Banlieues Bleues

Banlieues Bleues: forty years of jazz in the heart of Seine-Saint-Denis

Born in 1984 on the initiative of about ten municipalities in Seine-Saint-Denis wishing to pool their strengths to offer an ambitious cultural program, Banlieues Bleues has established itself as one of the most important jazz events in Europe. Originally, the festival was called Jazz en Aulnoye and focused on a few local stages before taking on a departmental and international scope under its current name.

The festival is supported by a non-profit association (loi 1901) and benefits from the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Department of Seine-Saint-Denis, and the Île-de-France Region. Under the artistic direction of Xavier Lemettre, who took over in 2000 after its founding by Jacques Pornon, the festival has gained boldness and diversity, moving beyond the boundaries of jazz stricto sensu to embrace world music, electronic music, experimental hip-hop, and free improvisation.

La Dynamo de Pantin: a tool for jazz

In 2006, Banlieues Bleues inaugurated La Dynamo, located in a rehabilitated former factory in Pantin. This 500-seat venue is the first in France to have been designed and built specifically for jazz and improvised music. Its exceptional acoustics, state-of-the-art technical equipment, and intimate atmosphere make it a unique place, frequented year-round for concerts, artist residencies, and educational activities.

A touring festival in ten towns

For four weeks, from March to April, Banlieues Bleues takes over the venues of ten towns in Seine-Saint-Denis: Pantin, Saint-Denis, Épinay-sur-Seine, Romainville, Montreuil, Stains, La Courneuve, Clichy-sous-Bois, Tremblay-en-France, and Aubervilliers. This touring aspect is at the heart of the festival's identity: it's about reaching out to residents, making jazz a local music, accessible to everyone, regardless of social background or neighborhood.

Free shuttle buses connecting Paris to the venues in the department facilitate access for the public coming from the capital, while reduced rates and free concerts are offered to residents of the 93.

A program that shifts perspectives

The strength of Banlieues Bleues lies in its ability to blend international headliners with emerging talents. The festival has hosted legends like Ornette Coleman, Archie Shepp, Hermeto Pascoal, Marcus Miller, and Cassandra Wilson, as well as artists from the new global jazz scene: Ambrose Akinmusire, Mary Halvorson, Shabaka Hutchings, Sons of Kemet, and Nubya Garcia.

The program deliberately rejects stylistic boundaries, combining traditional African-American jazz, contemporary jazz, music from Africa and the Middle East, electronic music, and hip-hop. It strives to give a central place to female artists and scenes that are under-represented in mainstream festivals.

Educational activities and residencies

Beyond the concert evenings, Banlieues Bleues develops a program of artist residencies and educational activities throughout the year for schoolchildren and music lovers in the region. Improvisation workshops, meetings with musicians, and masterclasses complement the offerings, making the association a full-fledged cultural player in the territory, far beyond just the festival period.