TD JazzFest: Funk 'n Soul in the township (Saturday) is featuring artists Wesli and Etran de l'air!
WESLI is a JUNO Award-winning singer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer who has become one of Haiti’s most inspiring musical ambassadors. Now based in Montreal, he blends traditional Haitian rhythms with world music, afrobeat, hip-hop, soul, rara, and roots music in a style that is both powerful and deeply rooted. Winner of the 2019 JUNO Award for World Music Album of the Year for Rapadou Kreyol, as well as the Félix Award for World Music Best Recording at ADISQ, WESLI returns after touring his JUNO-nominated album Tradisyon in Victoria in 2025 and now brings his brand new album Makaya to Bullen Park. He is joined by Cindy Belotte on vocals, David Mobio on keyboards, Watson Joseph on bass, Michel Medrano Brindis on drums, André Désilets on saxophones/percussion, and Kokou Damawou on trumpet/percussion.
Etran de L’Aïr or “stars of the Aïr,” the mountainous region of Northern Niger, welcomes listeners into the vibrant guitar traditions of Agadez, the capital of Saharan rock and desert blues. Beloved for their hypnotic solos, sun-drenched melodies, and irresistible groove, the group carves out a distinctive place for Agadez guitar music. While some Tuareg guitarists lean toward Western rock, Etran de L’Aïr draws on a richly pan-African sound shaped by Northern Malian blues, Hausa bar bands, and Congolese soukous. Their music carries both celebration and meaning, built for movement as much as for listening. The band features Moussa “Abindi” Ibra on guitar/vocals, Abdourahamane “Allamine” Ibrahim on guitar/vocals, Abdoulaye “Illa” Ibrahim on bass, and Alghabid Ghabdouan on drums.
For more information and tickets, visit https://jazzvictoria.ca/tickets/