TD JazzFest 2026: WESLI & Etran de L'Aïr
Schedule
Sat, 27 Jun, 2026 at 07:00 pm
UTC-07:00Location
Bullen Park Esquimalt | Victoria, BC
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“WESLI’s super tight band out of Montreal had the crowd jumping out of their seats to a blend of Haitian roots music, reggae, and rap tapping into voodoo, rara, Afrobeat and hip-hop.” – American Blues SceneJUNO Award-winning singer/multi-instrumentalist/producer WESLI has become one of Haiti’s most inspiring musical ambassadors. Now Montreal-based, his unique compositions blend traditional Haitian rhythms with world music, afrobeat, hip-hop, soul, rara and roots music. He is a winner of the JUNO Award for “World Music Album of the Year” for Rapadou Kreyol (2019), as well as the Félix Award for the “World Music Best Recording” at ADISQ. Last in Victoria touring his JUNO-nominated album Tradisyon in 2025, he now brings his brand new album Makaya to Bullen Park!
“The group’s songs… feel buoyed by the ecstasy of celebration, conjuring scenes of late nights dancing beneath the desert stars.” – Aquarium Drunkard
Etran de L’Aïr, (or “stars of the Aïr,” the mountainous region of Northern Niger) welcomes you to Agadez, the capital city of Saharan rock and desert blues. Beloved for their dynamic repertoire of hypnotic solos and sun-schlazed melodies, Etran stakes out a place for Agadez guitar music. Whereas other Tuareg guitarists look to Western rock, Etran de L’Aïr play in a pan-African style that is emblematic of their hometown, citing a myriad of cultural influences, from Northern Malian blues and Hausa bar bands, to Congolese Soukous. Etran’s sound reminds us that music can transmit a message while lighting up a celebration. This is music for dancing, after all.
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Where is it happening?
Bullen Park Esquimalt, 1150 Lyall St,Victoria, British Columbia, CanadaEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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