Planètes Musiques

Planètes Musiques: When World Traditional Music Vibrates in Nanterre

The Planètes Musiques festival is an invitation to travel through the musical traditions of France and the world. Born in Nanterre under the impetus of the FAMDT — Federation of Associations of Traditional Music and Dance — and the Maison de la musique de Nanterre, this festival affirms a militant and joyful vision of culture: traditional music is not a frozen fossil, but a living form, in motion, speaking to people today.

A Festival Defending the Modernity of Traditions

The specificity of Planètes Musiques is to present artists who do not confine themselves to the faithful reproduction of inherited traditions, but who reinvent them, cross them, and make them dialogue with other contemporary aesthetics. The festival defends "a modern vision of traditions" and conceives of the traditional music artist as a creator in their own right, a guardian of cultural diversity, and an opponent of homogenization.

This approach has allowed the festival, since its first editions, to host diverse groups such as:

• Breton musicians exploring contemporary jazz
• Chinese jaw harp players combining electronic music and tradition
• Occitan polyphonies imbued with striking modernity
• Balkan orchestras mixing brass band and rock
• Mediterranean ensembles fusing flamenco, Arabic music, and jazz

Concerts, Balls, Screenings, Workshops, and Meetings

Planètes Musiques is not limited to concerts. The festival offers a multidisciplinary program that reflects the richness of practices related to traditional music:

• Concerts indoors and outdoors, some free
• Balls and dance evenings — dance being inseparable from most musical traditions
• Screenings of documentaries on world music
• Workshops for the general public
• Meetings and discussions with artists

Living Spaces as Concert Stages

One of the original features of the festival is its use of Nanterre's living and public spaces — the parking lot of the Maison de la musique transformed into a concert hall, bars, rue des Anciennes-Mairies, Salle des Fêtes, cinema, cathedral — giving the festival a festive and popular character that distinguishes it from elitist musical events. This presence in the urban space is an artistic and political statement: culture belongs to everyone.

FAMDT and Maison de la musique: Two Pillars of Music in Nanterre

The Maison de la musique de Nanterre, located in the heart of the city, is a multidisciplinary reference center in the Hauts-de-Seine region. It supports musicians, promotes collective practices, and supports musical creation in all its forms. The FAMDT, a national network federating stakeholders in traditional music and dance, provides its editorial expertise and logistics to make Planètes Musiques a nationally recognized event, whose influence extends far beyond the borders of Nanterre.