Rares Talents Festival

The Rares Talents Festival: A Living Tribute to Musical Diversity

The Rares Talents Festival was born in 2011 from the vision of Cameroonian musician and saxophonist Hilaire Penda, who passed away in 2018. Its founding ambition was to create a space where world music, genre fusions, and intergenerational encounters could flourish freely, far from dominant commercial circuits. Since then, the team of musicians and cultural professionals who succeeded him has perpetuated this ideal with the same conviction.

A Festival Rooted in Eastern Paris

The festival takes over emblematic venues in eastern Paris, mainly in Montreuil and Bobigny. It can be found at Cinéma Le Méliès, Bibliothèque Robert-Desnos, Café La Pêche, Théâtre Berthelot-Jean-Guerrin, and Canal 93, Bobigny's concert hall accessible from the Pablo Picasso metro station. This itinerant approach across the cultural venues of Seine-Saint-Denis is at the heart of its community engagement strategy.

The 15th Edition in 2026: A Tribute to Manu Dibango

The 15th edition of the Rares Talents Festival will take place from March 24 to April 4, 2026, in Montreuil, with two evenings at Canal 93 Bobigny on April 20 and 22. This anniversary edition is dedicated to the great Cameroonian saxophonist and pianist Manu Dibango, a towering figure of African music and an ambassador of cultural fusion.

Program for the 15th Edition

The festival hosts a constellation of artists with complementary universes:

• Princess Erika – French reggae, a historic figure of the fusion scene
• Kali Kamba – soul and afrobeat, new generation
• Coffee Beanz – hip-hop soul, creativity and commitment
• James BKS – producer and musician, a bridge between Africa and the world
• Lia Moon – sensitive alternative pop
• Roforofo Jazz – Nigerian jazz fusion, a vibrant tribute to Fela Kuti
• Kiala & The Afroblaster – energetic and festive afrobeat

Dance performances complement the musical program, confirming the festival's multidisciplinary vocation.

A Demanding Artistic Approach

Since its creation, the Rares Talents Festival has stood out for its rejection of trends and its commitment to a certain idea of musical quality. Each edition creates unprecedented encounters: unlikely duos, jam sessions, artistic residencies preparing creations specially designed for the festival. Invited artists are not simply programmed – they are invited to dialogue, to feed off each other, to surprise the audience.

This open philosophy allows for the blending of established legends and emerging talents, international artists and players from the local Parisian scene. The festival has thus become a true observatory of the mixed music of today and tomorrow.

Canal 93 in Bobigny: A Reference Venue

Canal 93, located at 63 avenue Jean-Jaurès in Bobigny, is one of the festival's historic partners. This dynamic concert hall, accessible via metro line 5 (Pablo Picasso station), hosts the most festive evenings of the Bobigny edition, contributing to making Bobigny one of the musical capitals of the 93 department.