FRANCE ROCKS SUMMERFEST 2023

Presented by France Rocks

Alexia Bomtempo feat. Stephane San Juan | Combo Daguerre | Cosmic Garden | Dadju | Dfils | DJ Falcon | Glockabelle | Ibrahim Maalouf | Laura Elkeslassy | November Ultra | The Blaze | Thylacine | Vincent Peirani | Yuksek

View artist bios

Playlist

FRANCE ROCKS SUMMERFEST YOUTUBE PLAYLIST

  1. DADJU - Reine
  2. Etienne De Crecy - Kepler-186f
  3. Glockabelle - Wolf BBQ
  4. Dfils - All ABout You
  5. Ibrahim Maalouf - Beirut
  6. Laura Elkeslassy - Sidi Habibi
  7. November Ultra - the end
  8. THYLACINE - Alda
  9. Yuksek - Tonight
  10. Sia Tolno - Toumbelé
  11. DJ Falcon - Together
  12. Daguerre - Les Fracassines
  13. Cosmic Gardens - Cosmic Caribbean Cruise
  14. Vincent Peirani - Memento
  15. BoomBass - RRRUDE BOY
  16. Benjamin Epps - Bienvenue à B’Hell Vue
  17. The Blaze - Territory

Featured artists

Artists

Alexia Bomtempo feat. Stephane San Juan

June 16 - 7:30pm / The David RubenStein Atrium Broadway & 64th Street, New York, NY 10023

Stéphane San Juan is an internationally recognized French drummer-percussionist and singer-songwriter. He studied music in Africa, Asia, Europe and in the Americas, having worked with artists such as Amadou & Mariam, Caetano Veloso, Jane Birkin, Manu Dibango, Marcos Valle, Seu Jorge, and many others. With two solo albums to his credit, he is also an original cast member of David Byrne's American Utopia.

Alexia Bomtempo has been heralded by The Washington Post as a "top-shelf Brazilian jazz musician" and has released five critically acclaimed albums as a solo artist. Highlighted on NPR Music's All Songs Considered as one of the best releases of the week, her most recent album DOCE CARNAVAL is a love letter to the timeless soundtrack of Brazilian Carnaval.

Combo Daguerre

June 17 - 7:30pm / The David RubenStein Atrium Broadway & 64th Street, New York, NY 10023

Olivier Conan, founder of the psychedelic cumbia band Chicha Libre, leads Combo Daguerre, a group that performs original psychedelic song with a predominantly Latin line-up and a hybrid style inspired by boleros, cumbia, cha chas, Gainsbourg and '30s surrealism.

Cosmic Gardens

June 23 / LIVE AT NATIONAL SAWDUST - 7pm doors | 8:00 pm / Buy Tickets

Cosmic Gardens is an immersive French Electronic Music Duo. The two roommates are exploring a new kind of self-proclaimed Organic Indietronica, combining guitars, drums and keys with electronic beats and synthesizers. Live, their vibrating synth melodies and ambient techno beats will send your spirit to the Moon while the melancholic sound of their Hispanic melodies will root your soul in Mother Earth.

Dadju

May 29 / Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Pl, New York City, NY 10003

Dadju, influenced by his father's musical background, developed a passion for music and signed with the Wati B label. He formed the duo The Shin Sekaï but eventually pursued a solo career, showcasing his smooth French R&B vocals. Dadju achieved success with his album Gentleman 2.0 in 2017, featuring popular tracks like "Queen" and "Bob Marley." He continued his success with the release of his second studio album Poison in 2019, led by the track "Complicated."

Dfils

May 29/ Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Pl, New York City, NY 10003

Honing in on his craft through his Franco-Haitian roots, Dfils’ journey to leave his mark on the urban pop scene has captivated the attention of music listeners across the US and Europe. This rising star, whose style parallels with sensations such as 24KGoldn and The Kid Laroi, is set to carry you away into a memorable Afro-pop experience this year.

DJ Falcon

June 22 / Le Bain 444 W 13th Street, New York, NY 10014

DJ Falcon, a prominent figure in the "French House" movement, has made a comeback with new remixes for Justice, Alex Gopher, and Alan Braxe. He has collaborated with Daft Punk on their Grammy-winning album "Random Access Memories" and has been working on solo material and upcoming musical collaborations. Falcon's DJ sets encompass diverse genres, and he has played at prestigious clubs worldwide. Recently, he released remixes for Justice, Alex Gopher, and Alan Braxe.

Glockabelle

June 17 - 7:30pm / The David RubenStein Atrium Broadway & 64th Street, New York, NY 10023

Glockabelle is a talented musician known for her mastery of the Casio VL-Tone and glockenspiel. Singing in French and English, she blends classical piano techniques with 8-bit synthpop sounds, creating a lively and energetic mix of rhythm and tone. Her unique approach includes playing the glockenspiel with sewing thimbles instead of traditional mallets.

Ibrahim Maalouf

July 1 / BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn, 647 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217

July 1 - 11pm / The DROM, 85 Avenue A, New York, NY 10009 / Buy Tickets

Ibrahim Maalouf, a renowned trumpeter, has transitioned from winning international classical trumpet competitions to becoming the most popular jazz musician in France. He has sold out prestigious venues worldwide, including the AccorArena in Paris Bercy, making history as the first jazz artist to do so. Notably scouted by Quincy Jones and praised by the New York Times as a virtuoso, Maalouf has collaborated with esteemed artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Angélique Kidjo, and Melody Gardot. His appearance on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert further solidified his status as a living legend of jazz. With his 16th album Capacity to Love, Maalouf aims to make an impact with fresh, surprising, and innovative popular music, solidifying his position as a compelling artist and a symbol of intercultural dialogue.

Laura Elkeslassy

June 16 - 7:30pm / The David RubenStein Atrium Broadway & 64th Street, New York, NY 10023

Brooklyn-based singer Laura Elkeslassy creates music that reclaims the Judeo-Arabic cultural heritage of North Africa, infusing ancient tradition from a modern woman perspective.

In Ya Ghorbati: Divas in Exile singer Laura Elkeslassy musically excavates her family’s history in Morocco, France, and Israel, coming face-to-face with forgotten ancestors and reclaiming a lost family name. Developed in collaboration with music director Ira Khonen Temple,this project weaves together the stories of Judeo-Arab divas from the last century with new performances of folk and sacred music. Ya Ghorbati looks across time and space to tell a tale of political upheaval, exile, and displacement—ultimately questioning the supposed binary of Arab and Jew. 

Featuring Mehrnam Rastegari, Eleonore Weill, Rachid Halilhal, Ran Livneh and Nizar Dahmani. 

November Ultra

June 28 / Bowery Ballroom / 6 Delancey Street New York, NY 10002 / Buy Tickets

November Ultra is a singer renowned for her heartfelt and introspective pop tunes. She gained widespread recognition with her breakout single "Soft & Tender" in 2020, and her discography also features notable tracks like "Miel" and "The End." With over 962,000 followers on TikTok under her username november_ultra, she has garnered a substantial online following.

The Blaze

June 22 / Brooklyn Mirage / Buy Tickets

The Blaze is a producer-director duo whose story begins with a debut track, VIRILE, released in 2016 on Bromance Records. In April 2017, Guillaume and Jonathan Alric reveal their video TERRITORY from their first self-titled EP released on Animal63. This will be followed by their album DANCEHALL in 2018 and the videos for HEAVEN and QUEENS. In June 2022, their single EYES initiated a European festival tour through which the duo performed their brand new show.

Thylacine

June 29 / Elsewhere, The Hall, 599 Johnson Ave Brooklyn, NY 1123 / Buy Tickets

Thylacine, a French producer and performer, creates transportive, progressive electronic music that blends acoustic instruments, field recordings, classical melodies, and energetic electro beats. His releases, including albums like "Transsiberian" and "9 Pieces," are sonic explorations influenced by his extensive travels. Starting in 2012, under the name Thylacine, William Rezé released music through his own Intuitive Records. He collaborated with various artists, such as Camille Després and Dylan Nichols, and composed soundtracks for films. Thylacine's work also includes the "Roads" series and the album "Timeless," which features classical compositions reimagined in electronic form.

Vincent Peirani

June 28 / Drom, 85 Avenue A New York, NY 10009 / Buy Tickets

The French Brooklyn-based duo Cosmic Gardens presents an immersive multi-sensorial show that combines indie electronic music, stunning visuals and tantalizing smells to take you on an introspective exploratory journey.After brilliant studies in classical music (many international awards), his dive into the world of jazz received the seal of success from the start and was crowned at the Victoires du Jazz in 2014 (“Revelation”) and 2015 (“Artist of the Year”). Vincent Peirani has the ability to turn everything he touches into gold: in jazz, of course (his own projects, but also collaborations with Daniel Humair, Michel Portal, and others), but also in chanson (Sanseverino, Les Yeux Noirs), film music (composer for Mathieu Almaric’s Barbara in 2017), and so on. Whatever the style, the public follows: in his performances, he creates a balance between the relatively straightforward (inventive revivals of well-known themes) and a blessed unexpectedness, with art music and popular music very close to each other, a sign of great artistry.

Yuksek

June 11 / Le Bain 444 W 13th Street, New York, NY 1001

Yuksek is a multi-talented artist known for his vibrant disco/house DJ sets, prolific remixes, and production work for French pop stars. With a love for music and a jack-of-all-trades approach, he constantly experiments and has become a significant figure in electronic music since the early 2000s. Alongside his musical endeavors, he hosts a radio show, creates soundtracks, and founded his own label. As he prepares to release his fifth album, "Dance'O'Drome," in Spring 2023, there seems to be no end in sight to his relentless pursuit of greatness.