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Montreal Gazette
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Montreal Gazette
Dunlevy: 13 daily picks for Montreal's 39th Nuits d'Afrique music festival
Summer's not over, people. It's just getting going. Right on the heels of the jazz fest, the 39th Festival International Nuits d'Afrique celebrates sounds from around the globe, July 8 to 20, with an emphasis on African, Latin-American and Caribbean rhythms that make the body move. The first week, the entertainment is all indoors at venues including the festival's home base, Montreal world-music mecca Club Balattou; then July 15 to 20, the free outdoor stages bring the party to Place des Festivals and the Esplanade Tranquille downtown. With 120 shows over 13 days, there's a lot to take in. Here are 13 can't-miss concerts at this year's Nuits d'Afrique: Tuesday Sarãb (9:30 p.m., Le Ministère, $25). Mixing Arabic, jazz, rock and electronic influences, Paris-based Sarãb offers a thrilling mash-up of punk-tinged, melodic Middle Eastern elements. The band's wide-ranging sound, led by entrancing French-Syrian singer Climène Zarkan and guitarist Baptiste Ferrandis, is steeped in tradition yet boldly modern. 'They're part of the new wave, with rich and original music,' said Nuits d'Afrique co-founder and director Suzanne Rousseau. Wednesday Flavia Coelho (8:30 p.m., Olympia Theatre, $45). From Brazil by way of Paris, silky-voiced Flavia Coelho combines samba, bossa nova and other Brazilian flavours with reggae and club music for a festive, mellifluous vibe. She and Montreal producer Poirier had a hit in 2020 with their breezy house track Cafe Com Leite. 'We discovered her in 2019 when she played the main outdoor stage,' Rousseau said. 'She has a strong stage presence.' Thursday Noumoucounda Cissoko (8:30 p.m., Club Balattou, $25). Singer-songwriter Noumoucounda Cissoko, a.k.a. MC Griot, used to rap with the popular Senegalese hip-hop group Positive Black Soul. The versatile musician, now based in Montreal, plays kora and percussion and has a striking voice comparable to famed countryman Youssou N'Dour. Friday Stogie T (8:30 p.m., Club Balattou, $25). Stogie T, born Boitumelo Molekane, made his name as leader of South African hip-hop group Tumi and the Volume, which performed at the jazz fest way back in 2006. Since going solo in 2016, he continues to expand the parameters of the genre. July 12 Benkadi (8:30 p.m., Club Balattou, $20). Led by dynamic singer, djembe player, percussionist and dancer Mohammed Mara, Montreal's Benkadi celebrates West African culture in various forms. July 13 La nuit de la kora with Toumany Kouyaté and Zal Sissokho (8 p.m., Le Gesù, $35). Nuits d'Afrique's annual night devoted to the kora is a celebration of the West African 21-string instrument. In the spotlight this year is Toumany Kouyaté, a veteran of Cirque du Soleil's O show in Vegas whom Rousseau calls a 'great kora player,' performing with his former student, Senegalese Montrealer Zal Sissokho. July 14 Fabrice Koffy (8:30 p.m., Club Balattou, $20). Born in Ottawa and raised in the Ivory Coast, Fabrice Koffy came to our city for university, intending to become a banker. He fell in with Montreal's funky Kalmunity Collective and began performing slam poetry at their weekly live jams. Let him take you on a lyrical journey, en français. July 15 Mo'Kalamity (7 p.m., Loto-Québec Stage at the corner of Clark and Ste-Catherine Sts., free). Influenced by the greats including Bob Marley and the Wailers and Burning Spear, Cape Verde's Mo'Kalamity carries the roots reggae torch with eloquence and conviction. Her fifth album, Shine, was produced with legendary Jamaican rhythm team Sly and Robbie. July 16 Les Mamans du Congo and RRobin (7 p.m., Loto-Québec Stage, free). This Congolese Afro-feminist group, led by singer-rapper Gladys Samba, sing and dance while commenting on the place of women in society. Their infectious songs, lively rhymes and chants are backed by beats from DJ-producer RRobin, who joins them on stage. 'They take lullabies and ancestral songs and modernize and augment them with electronic rhythms,' Rousseau said. 'They're fighters with strong messages. They've never come to Montreal before — they live in Congo; but they have their visas, they'll be here.' July 17 Marzos and Mateo (10 p.m., TD Stage, at the corner of Jeanne-Mance St. and de Maisonneuve Blvd. in Place des Festivals, free). The day's programming closes out with a giant salsa party led by Montreal artists Marzos and Mateo. 'They're more than 15 people on stage — a salsa orchestra with horns, percussion and singers,' Rousseau said, noting that the group was formed in 2019 by music students from McGill. July 18 Femi Kuti and the Positive Force (10 p.m., TD Stage, free). If you see just one show at Nuits d'Afrique this year, that would be a shame — but if indeed you do, make it Femi Kuti. The son of great Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti is a force of nature with his rousing saxophone, wild dancing, deep grooves, epic jams and boundless energy. Rousseau sees his presence as a reference for the next generation of artists practising the genre's newly surging variation, Afrobeats. 'It's good to have him so the young people doing Afrobeats don't forget where the music came from,' she said. July 19 Armand Laklass (6 p.m., TD Stage, free). Inspired by his countryman Richard Bona, Cameroonian singer-bassist Armand Laklass is a showman who always brings the party. There will be dancing. 'He just settled in Montreal,' Rousseau said. 'He has a strong stage presence; people know all his songs in Cameroon.' July 20 Las Karamba (8:15 p.m., TD Stage, free). With six members hailing from Venezuela, Cuba, Argentina and Spain, where they are based, all-female group Las Karamba mixes salsa, bolero, son, rumba, cha-cha-cha, timba and other Latin sounds, with gusto.
ABC News
07-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
As the planet warms and liberal democracy is attacked, does the government care?
This warning was published in 1762: "As soon as man can disobey with impunity, his disobedience becomes legitimate." It comes from The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778). Rousseau's words inspired the French Revolution, and the American revolutionary war, and influenced the political and moral philosophy we call liberalism, on which modern Australian political society is based. The message contained in that warning is extremely important. If we want to live in a world in which individual human and civil rights mean anything, certain groups in society must not be allowed to behave with impunity. Why? Because if some groups can behave with impunity, and everyone else is forced to stand back and watch, it has a deeply corrosive effect on human culture. If they can behave with impunity, they'll keep pushing the boundaries of what they can get away with (who's going to stop them?), and their outrageous behaviour will become the new low "standard" for others to follow. It's obvious what that downward spiral in morality and ethics means for everyone. Do we believe freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, the right to protest, and the media's right to tell the truth, are essential for a free society? If we do, then we can't allow privileged groups to dismantle those things in their effort to protect their "prerogative" to behave with impunity. When we let anyone hack away at those pillars of liberalism — and make it increasingly dangerous for individuals to tell the truth, to speak up, and to protest the abuse of power — what will happen to our "free society"? It will see illiberalism flourish. In some ways, the battle to protect important elements of liberal society has already been lost. In the 21st century, the right to privacy, which is essential to an individual's ability to speak freely in their own home, has been destroyed. The internet, which held so much promise in the 1990s, has been turned against us. It's become a tool to crush political dissent and compile lists of suspect individuals and their personal networks. The weaponisation of our data and AI technology is driving a rapid evolution in dystopian predictive policing and warfare. Some private companies operating at the frontier of this technology, like Palantir, are profiting from these developments. And we need to understand everything is connected. Take the environment, the very thing that sustains life on this planet. In December last year, researchers at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom released a study that showed Australian police are world leaders at arresting climate and environment protesters. It found more than 20 per cent of all climate and environment protests in Australia involved arrests, more than three times the global average. It showed Australia's political leaders had joined the "rapid escalation" of global efforts to criminalise and repress climate and environmental protest in recent years, while sovereign states globally were failing to meet their emissions targets and international agreements. It complemented other reports (here and here) that illuminated the links between political donations and lobbying from fossil fuel companies, governments writing harsher laws and penalties for activists, policing agencies being used to enforce the new laws, and legal systems and courts bedding the laws down. Think about how that phenomenon is connected to the global economic system. Specifically, consider the role the "price mechanism" is supposed to play in industrialised society. At the moment, we're watching a nasty global battle over an attempt by scientists and environmentalists to have the true costs of fossil fuels properly reflected in the market prices of the products fossil fuel companies sell to the world. If the true environmental, climate, and planetary costs of fossil fuels were really reflected in their prices, the price of petrol, gas and coal would be many multitudes higher than today's suppressed "market" prices. So the global fossil fuel industry is using every lever it can — political influence, legal systems, police forces, private security services, national armies, extra-judicial harassment and intimidation — to stop the true cost of their products being reflected in the market prices of their products. And climate and environmental activists and scientists are using every lever they can — research, letters to politicians, the legal system, protests, civil disobedience, and blockades — to have the true climate and planetary costs of fossil fuels reflected in their prices. Do we have a right to an inhabitable planet? It's not difficult to see how the battle over the price mechanism is deeply connected to the struggle to protect the rights of Indigenous peoples globally (including land rights, the right to cultural preservation, and participation in decision-making processes). Everything is connected. Last week, the climate analyst Ketan Joshi wrote a fiery article in Crikey that touched on many of these issues. It's really worth reading. Mr Joshi said the Albanese government's recent controversial decision to allow Woodside's North West Shelf gas project to continue operating until 2070 was a major blow to the climate movement and signified something sinister. He argued Labor was not a climate denier, it was something "far worse". He said if anyone in 2025 could work to worsen fossil fuel reliance in full acceptance of the consequences, without any willingness to work to prevent them, they were "far scarier" than climate deniers. "There isn't a great name for this, but we can call it "tactical fatalism": the intentional, weaponised insistence that a worse future is the only future (from those who benefit the most from whatever makes it bad)," he wrote. "The climate movement is ill-equipped to deal with a threat that looks like this. The easy binary of deniers vs believers died last decade. Any fantasy we had of a global moral pact of good intentions is dead. "This decade we are realising how much damage and death can be caused openly, without any shame. Genocidal countries know it, and the fossil fuel industry knows it, too. "A half-decade of wars, invasions, energy crises and a really nasty pandemic haven't been easy on our movement, and the tactical fatalist predators are circling." How do these sad political developments fit with the principles of "liberalism," where the right to speak freely, to tell the truth, and protest are supposed to be sacrosanct? In The Social Contract, Rousseau said when privileged groups can act with impunity we exist in a world where might is right. "And as the strongest is always right, the only problem is how to become the strongest," he wrote. Is that really the world we want to live in? Is that what younger Australians voted for?
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Taylor Swift Stuns in $2K Designer Dress While Attending Romantic Wedding With Travis Kelce
Taylor Swift Stuns in $2K Designer Dress While Attending Romantic Wedding With Travis Kelce originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Taylor Swift's date night look with Travis Kelce often goes matchy-matchy, but this time, the pop star opted for a solo style statement. The 'Bad Blood' hitmaker proved her trendsetting style and star power go beyond the stage after gracing an intimate event in a chic and timeless look. On X, the award-winning singer was spotted at a romantic wedding event. With her arm candy, the NFL star, the duo exuded effortless glamour as they mingled with fellow guests. However, what caught fans' attention was Taylor Swift's outfit. With the ceremony, reportedly held at a barnhouse in Nashville, the 'Cruel Summer' singer embraced her inner country girl with a stylish twist. The 35-year-old music sensation wore a Rousseau midi dress by luxury label Markarian — an elegant ensemble which retails for $1,995. Perfect for garden parties, the strapless dress highlighted the singer's décolletage and featured contrasting floral details that added a touch of romantic flair. She completed the look with tan platform sandals adorned with raffia accents, a summery choice that complemented the laid-back elegance of the setting. As for her glam, she kept things simple with soft brown-toned makeup while her hair, styled half up and half down, showcased her natural curls beautifully. The couple's public sighting came days after they were spotted on a date night in Florida. Others believed that it was a celebration of her major career milestone after ending her almost six-year legal battle with Scooter Braun regarding the ownership of her master recordings. On her official website, Swift announced that she had bought back the masters for her first six studio albums. This includes her self-titled album Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989 and story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bills Edge Rusher Speaks Out On Importance of OTAs
Bills Edge Rusher Speaks Out On Importance of OTAs originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Since signing a lucrative contract extension to kick off the offseason, Buffalo Bills edge rusher and former first round pick Gregory Rousseau has been a model leader in the organization. Advertisement While many players choose to sit out of voluntary workouts and OTAs, Rousseau has been in attendance for all of it. That has led some to believe that the Miami product is looking to take on a bigger role with the Bills. Especially as he looks for ways to get better. "Whether it's me working on my eyes, my eye progression, my hands, you can pretty much work on everything in OTAs that you can in a normal practice," Rousseau said last week. "I mean, we don't have shoulder pads on, so it's not as physical, but when it comes to the technique stuff, you could have a plan and you could execute what you want to execute and just be dialed in on that." Rousseau has recorded 25 sacks in his first four years with the Bills. He's coming off a career-high 53 tackles and an eight-sack season. Advertisement His comments also come with running back James Cook sitting out of OTAs in need of a new deal. Rousseau may have gotten a new deal, but the fact that he remains at practices this offseason shows his commitment to the team. As a new $80 million man, the Bills are relying on Rousseau to become the star they have expected of him in recent years. The fact that he is with the team during OTAs is a sign that he is full compliance with those expectations. And that Buffalo's defense may be reaching new heights in 2025. Related: Can Bills' 'Borderline Elite' Roster Claim Super Bowl Glory? Related: Bills' Elijah Moore Offers 'Pretty' Josh Allen Scouting Report This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hamilton Spectator
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Wildcats advance to Memorial Cup semifinal with 6-2 win over Oceanic
RIMOUSKI - Gabe Smith scored two goals and had two assists as the Moncton Wildcats advanced to the Memorial Cup semifinal with a 6-2 win over the Rimouski Oceanic on Wednesday night. The Wildcats will take on the London Knights in Friday's semifinal. The winner of that matchup meets the Medicine Hat Tigers in Sunday's final. Juraj Pekarcik and Julius Sumpf added a goal and an assist each, Etienne Morin also scored, and Mathis Rousseau made 32 saves for Moncton (1-2), which lost games to London and Medicine Hat earlier in the round robin. Alex Mercier added an empty-net goal and had an assist. Preston Lounsbury pitched in with two assists. The Wildcats captured the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League title in Rimouski last week, winning the championship series in six games over the Oceanic. Mathieu Cataford and Maël St-Denis replied for Rimouski (0-3), which exits the tournament after qualifying as the host team. Mathis Langevin stopped 26 shots at Colisée Financière Sun Life. The Oceanic controlled the first period, but the Wildcats shifted the momentum with two goals early in the second to take a 3-2 lead. Pekarcik deflected Dylan MacKinnon's shot from the high slot to beat Langevin at 1:27 and tie the game. Smith then put Moncton ahead at 4:05, capitalizing on a failed clearance from Luke Coughlin. Loke Johansson kept the lead intact with a goal-line clearance in the dying moments of the second period while Moncton was killing a penalty. Jacob Mathieu's shot deflected over Rousseau and into the blue paint with seven seconds left in the frame, but the Wildcats defenceman swept the puck away. Early in the third period, Moncton poured it on. Sumpf first missed a breakaway before Vidicek ripped a shot off the post. Morin then made no mistake, converting a point shot at 4:02 to double the lead. Rousseau continued a strong outing with a save on Cataford less than a minute later. Anthony Paré later struck iron with a slapshot midway through the period. Rimouski pulled the goalie for an extra attacker with 2:33 remaining, but couldn't generate a quality chance before Smith scored an empty-net goal with 1:48 left. Mercier added another with 59 seconds remaining. The Oceanic came out strong in the first period with their season on the line, dominating the shot count at 17-6. St-Denis energized the home crowd with a big open-ice hit on Maxime Côté in the opening minutes. Rousseau turned aside two shots from Thomas Belzil and also denied Maxime Coursol's scoring chance to keep the game scoreless early. The Wildcats opened the scoring when Sumpf finished a cross-ice feed from Pekarcik at 7:39 in the first period for Moncton's first goal by a forward in the tournament. Rimouski continued to pepper Rousseau with pucks until St-Denis broke through with a backhand on the blocker side to even the score at 13:27. Cataford put the Oceanic up 2-1 with just under three minutes remaining in the period, deflecting a feed from Olivier Théberge to complete a pretty passing play and lift the fans out of their seats. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2025.
