Parfums de Musiques

ℹ️ Event currently on hold — last documented edition in May 2018. Parfums de Musiques no longer seems to be held since the dissolution of its organizing association. If a new edition were to be organized by another entity, this page would be updated.

Parfums de Musiques: a world music gathering at the Roseraie (2003-2018)

From 2003 to 2018, the Parfums de Musiques festival found its dream setting in the open-air theatre of the Roseraie Val-de-Marne, located on rue Albert Watel in L'Haÿ-les-Roses (94240). This unique festival blended two passions: the beauty of roses — the Roseraie Val-de-Marne is one of the most beautiful rose gardens in the world, with over 3,200 varieties — and the richness of traditional music from all corners of the planet.

World music in a rose garden

The programming of Parfums de Musiques embraced the most varied musical traditions: Brazilian and Argentinian music, Cape Verdean morna, Afro-Peruvian, Guadeloupean, Kurdish, Iranian... Each concert was an invitation to travel, an opening to sound cultures little known in the West, presented with the passion and expertise of the artists who performed them.

ADIAM 94 (Departmental Association for Musical Information and Actions), the historical organizer of the festival, was an entity specialized in the democratization of musical practice in Val-de-Marne. Parfums de Musiques was one of its flagship actions for the dissemination of world music, organized in partnership with the Val-de-Marne Department and its Green Spaces and Landscape department.

Internationally renowned artists

Over its editions, the festival had welcomed leading artists from the world music scene. In 2017, the Afro-Peruvian singer Susana Baca — former Minister of Culture of Peru and ambassador of música negra — graced the Roseraie with her luminous presence. The Pernambouc Quartet brought the fiery rhythms of the Brazilian Nordeste, the duo Sandra Rumolino & Kevin Seddiki revisited Argentinian tango, while the Daniel Mille Quintet offered a tribute to Piazzolla. A special Guadeloupe evening concluded the edition with Soft and K'Koustik.

The festival had also hosted the Kurdish project Nishtiman, formed at the crossroads of Iranian and Iraqi Kurdistan musical traditions, demonstrating the geographical and cultural openness that defined the programming.

An accessible and enchanting festival

One of the major assets of Parfums de Musiques was its exceptional affordability: concerts were offered at symbolic prices of €3.10 full price and €1.55 reduced price, making the discovery of world music accessible to all budgets. The open-air theatre of the Roseraie, with its covered stage and outdoor stands surrounded by blooming roses, offered a uniquely sensory setting: the scent of flowers mingled with sounds from around the world, creating a total aesthetic experience.

The festival concerts were held in the evening at the end of spring (generally around Pentecost weekend or in June), taking advantage of the long days to extend the magic of the place. The atmosphere was always warm and relaxed, conducive to musical discovery and encounters between audiences from very different backgrounds.

The end of an adventure

ADIAM 94 ceased its activities on December 31, 2018, following the retirement of its director and a decision by the Departmental Council to internalize musical missions within its cultural service. The department had then specified that a new association could take over the festival and submit a support application — but no entity has taken on this project to date. The 16th edition, held on May 19, 20 and 21, 2018 (Pentecost weekend) in the departmental Roseraie, remains the last publicly documented edition of the festival.

The Roseraie Val-de-Marne, for its part, remains open to the public each season (generally from May to September) and continues to host other cultural events such as the Rendez-vous aux Jardins in June and the European Heritage Days in September.