ONCE AGAIN, THE MONTREAL JAZZ FESTIVAL

Chronicle by Sergio Martinez

When the old guard of the Montreal International Jazz Festival (FIJM for its
French acronym) stepped down in favour of a new team, questions arose as to how this generational change would impact one of the most emblematic events in the metropolis. Incidentally, there had also already been some doubts when the festival’s production company, Spectra, was acquired by the province's largest entertainment promoter, Evenko. Naturally, there have been some changes, both organizationally and in the programming. One concern was the apparent reduction in the variety of musical genres featured, especially in the 2024 edition. To some extent, that concern was allayed by this year's successful roster of artists, where more diversity was apparent. For those of us who cover the event primarily for the Latin American community, it was satisfying to see a slightly larger Latin musical presence this year.

This diversity is furthermore celebrated by the Director of Programming himself, Maurin Auxéméry, who in his balance of the event said "How proud that this event can connect audiences in such large numbers with music of all genres, to put the spotlight on diverse musical niches and to bring together music lovers in a festive atmosphere! With its cutting-edge programming, the FIJM is exactly what it has always promised to be: irresistibly bold."

THE LATIN AMERICAN PRESENCE

The Mexican Natalia Lafourcade, who performed on June 26 and 27, was the first, in indoor performances, to make the Latin American presence felt at the Festival. With a very pleasing combination of melodic songs, modern themes and others of traditional Mexican music, this artist fully captivated the audience that filled the Wilfrid Pelletier Hall of the Place des Arts.

On the night of her debut, the Mexican singer was awarded the Antonio Carlos Jobin Prize that the FIJM grants each year to artists who reflect creative diversity.

On July 3, Chile's Mon Laferte, who has spent most of her artistic career in Mexico, performed. Not surprisingly, the audience included both Chileans and Mexicans, who also followed the lyrics of her songs with great precision.

Both artists have some similarities in the themes of their songs. However, Mon Laferte also ventures into rhythms closer to rock: she sings accompanied by a sextet, while Natalia Lafourcaude sings accompanied by her guitar.  In terms of audience satisfaction, it can be said that the two singers fully met expectations. It is worth celebrating that the FIJM has, to a certain extent, taken up the tradition of offering, in addition to jazz in its various expressions, musical proposals which, without corresponding to the definition of jazz, do respond to a particularly urban creative environment and, like jazz, also reflect the feelings of the popular sectors.