May 2-3-4, 2025

The 7th edition of the Festival Afro Urbain, organized by Montreal-based Centre des Arts de la Maison d’Haïti, takes place from May 2 to 4, 2025. This year’s theme, Avenues Lumineuses, aims to set the table for the new generation of artists: music, visual arts, cinema, literature, and so much more!

Selected for her community involvement, leadership and remarkable talent, singer-songwriter Rebecca Jean is the spokesperson for this 7th edition of the Festival.

A Program that Brings Together Artists Proud of their Roots
With a varied program featuring well-known headliners as well as artists from a wide range of disciplines, the Festival offers free programming rich in activities, gourmet delights, and workshops, in addition to evening musical performances at a cost of $10.

DAY 1
FRIDAY, MAY 2

The festival kicks off with multiple events, including:

• An exhibition by multidisciplinary artist and body-hair activist Esther Calixte-Béa, a.k.a. Queen Esie.
• A welcome cocktail, punctuated by speeches and culinary tastings
• A performance by Ivory Coast artist-musician and drummer Donald Dogbo, (Révélation Radio-Canada 2024-2025)

DAY 2
SATURDAY, MAY 3

A full lineup of inspiring activities is on the menu for the Festival’s second day:

• A dance class for children based on the tales and legends of Haiti
• A percussion workshop on traditional Caribbean rhythms by percussionist, composer, arranger and archivist Daniel Bellegarde
• An introductory youth workshop on digital music marketing and online streaming platforms with Félix and Juno award-winning singer, guitarist and singer-songwriter Wesli
• A film screening of MÉTAMORPHOSE EN 3 TEMPS, which recounts the story of three teenagers living in Montreal’s Parc-Extension, followed by a discussion with filmmaker Etienne Langlois alongside protagonists Joseph Versailles, Jiya Patel and Salomon Fremont
• A performance by multi-instrumentalist and pioneer of Afro-Congolese electro music, Kizaba (Révélation Radio-Canada 2024-2025)

DAY 3
SUNDAY, MAY 4

Among other events on the Festival’s third and final day, 3 major events include:

• A brunch for women creators to discuss, among other topics, the role of Afro-descendantheritage and its transmission in their artistic practices
• A literary afternoon from the perspective of young Afro-descendant writers in Quebec, featuring a round-table discussion with Fabrice Vil (author-entrepreneur-lecturer and columnist), Philippe Néméh-Nombre (author and Assistant Professor at Saint-Paul University) and Léa Murat-Inglés (author and doctoral candidate at Sherbrooke University), moderated by Frantz Voltaire, an award-winning intellectual and leading figure in the community
• The closing musical performance by Haitian-Montrealer, alternative R&B singer-songwriter Naïma Frank

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The complete program for the 7th edition of the Festival Afro Urbain is available at:
festafrourbain.org

Festival performances will be broadcast live on Pakapala TV, Maison d’Haïti’s web TV channel:
www.artsmh.org/web/pakapala-tv

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A Space that Inspires and Unites
Located in Saint-Michel, the Centre des Arts de la Maison d’Haïti, at the heart of the coordination of the Festival Afro Urbain, is a unique space for the creation, dissemination and support of Afro-descendant artists. It supports artistic creation and provides a cultural showcase for Montrealers.

“The Centre des Arts de la Maison d’Haïti is a space of cultural convergence where diversity is celebrated and artistic development is encouraged. Among other things, this unifying space gives us the opportunity to support the cultural development of immigrants and people of African descent through our activities.” — Marjorie Villefranche (General Manager, Maison d’Haïti)

By organizing initiatives such as the Festival Afro Urbain, Maison d’Haïti contributes to the enhancement of the city’s diverse roots, while providing a platform for the creation of new ideas and artistic expressions. In addition to being a creative and inclusive venue, the Centre des Arts de la Maison d’Haïti is an essential pillar of Montreal’s cultural richness.

festafrourbain.org