Our free summer festival, Feeërieën, returns to the enchanting Warande Park from August 28th to September 1st. Treat your ears to the best in contemporary dub, neoclassical, electronica, desert blues, Scottish smallpipe music, South African gqom, hip-hop, and amapiano!

Etran de l'Aïr (Sahel Sounds) - We can be grateful to Christopher Kirkley for all the wonderful sounds he’s brought to us through his label, Sahel Sounds. With his focus on artists from the West African Sahel, he acquainted the Western world with bands like Mdou Moctar, Les Filles De Illighadad, and now also Etran de L’Aïr, named after the mountains of the same name in northern Niger. Their debut, No. 1, topped The New Yorker’s Best of 2020 chart, a list that also included Bob Dylan, Fiona Apple, and Dua Lipa.

Their follow-up, Agadez – named after one of the largest cities in northern Niger – took another step forward and was adored by the press and public alike. Higher Plain Music wrote: “This merger of psyche-rock, traditional African percussion, and pan-African rock influences is fantastic.” Basically: deliciously pulsating desert blues.

It had to happen sometime: bagpipes are set to debut at Feeërieën! And in a leading role, too. Scottish musician Brìghde Chaimbeul (pronounced: Breetch-er Hime-bowl) was already captivating at a young age. Her 2019 debut, The Reeling, went straight into The Quietus year-end charts. Caroline Polachek also fell for her sound: “I have a soft spot for bagpipes: when I hear them, I have to cry. I played The Reeling to death – so that’s lots and lots of tears.” The appreciation eventually led to a collaboration on Polachek’s track Blood and Butter.

The latest Brìghde Chaimbeul album, Carry Them With Us, is the result of her collaboration with Colin Stetson – “one of our greatest living saxophone players,” according to Bon Iver. Her inspiration, she says, is “rooted in dark Highlands folklore, including seductive men who transform into creatures that drown women and humans desperate to communicate with birds.’ What makes her so unique? “She has developed an innovative style on the Scottish smallpipes that emphasises rich textural drones and a trance-like constancy of sound.”

SOUNDTRACK BY: MONSTERA OCCULTA

She calls herself selectress + SWANA music lover (google it!) + Black metal enthusiast (so are we!) + vinyl junkie (so are we!). Check her soundcloud mixtapes and become an instant fan of Farrah.