Couleur Café
Couleur Café Festival is an annual world and urban contemporary music festival taking place around the end of June or early July in Brussels, Belgium.
History
At its inception in 1990, the festival was organised in the Halles de Schaerbeek/Hallen van Schaarbeek, a cultural centre in the Schaerbeek municipality. In 1994, following work on the Halles de Schaerbeek, the festival moved to the Tour & Taxis site, north-west of the Pentagon. From its 2017 edition, it has been held on the Heysel/Heizel Plateau in northern Brussels, near the Atomium.Description
The scope of the three-day festival lies on world music with as main styles funk, hiphop, reggae, dance, dub, soul, Latin, blues and rock divided over four stages. Internationally famous acts as well as less known talent or locally popular musicians are represented. Apart from the music itself, there is also a large art exposition, a market with young designers, dance workshops, cocktail bars and food stands from a worldwide variety of kitchens. Festival visitors can camp nearby at Camping Zen.In 2014, the entire event counted 72,000 visitors over three days.
Featured performers
Performers at previous festivals included:- 1990: Angélique Kidjo, Irakere, Mamady Keita, Papa Wemba, Zap Mama
- 1991: Mory Kanté
- 1992: Angélique Kidjo, Papa Wemba, The Wailers
- 1993: Classic Swédé Swédé, Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens, Manu Dibango, Galliano, Mother Earth
- 1994: Johnny Clegg, Mory Kanté, Herbie Hancock
- 1995: Koffi Olomide, Terence Trent D'Arby, Odex Protocole
- 1996: Galliano, Habib Koité, Noa, The Believers
- 1997: Asian Dub Foundation, Maceo Parker, Youssou N’Dour, Ziggy Marley
- 1998: Ciocarlia, Daniela Mercury, Famoudou Konaté, Jimmy Cliff, Khadja Nin, Mamady Keita, Mory Kanté, Natacha Atlas, Starflam, Odex Protocole
- 1999: Cheb Mami, Faudel, Femi Kuti, Krewcial, P18, Zap Mama
- 2000: Alpha Blondy, Amadou & Mariam, Asian Dub Foundation, Candy Dulfer, Orishas, Postmen, The Herbaliser, The Skatalites, The Wailers, Youssou N'Dour, Tomas & Co
- 2001: Baaba Maal, Burning Spear, Carlinhos Brown, Culture, Khaled, Ozomatli, Starflam, Zuco 103
- 2002: Cesária Évora, Daniela Mercury, Horace Andy, Mory Kanté, Orishas, P18, Sizzla, Wawadadakwa, Zuco 103
- 2003: Amparanoia, Asian Dub Foundation, I Muvrini, Israel Vibration, Zaïko Langa Langa, Jimmy Cliff, Kana, Mad Professor, Ojos De Brujo
- 2004: Amparanoia, Ska-P, Souad Massi, Babylon Circus, Amp Fiddler, Gabriel Ríos, Starflam
- 2005: Alpha Blondy, Arno, Femi Kuti, Jah Shaka, Jane Birkin, Kool Shen, Maceo Parker, Magnus, Mahala Raï Banda, Orishas, Rokia Traoré, Youssou N'Dour, Zap Mama, Zita Swoon
- 2006: Amparanoia, Burning Spear, Cali, Gabriel Ríos, George Clinton, Gilberto Gil, Ivete Sangalo, James Brown, Louise Attaque, Off The Record, Patrick Watson, Saïan Supa Crew, Think Of One, Third World, Toumani Diabaté, Tracy Chapman, Vive la Fête, Fab Faya
- 2007: Buscemi, Cassius, Daan, Dj Mehdi, Gotan Project, Kelis, Puggy, Sean Paul, The Roots, The Tellers, Ziggy Marley, Johnny Clegg
- 2008: Aṣa, Erykah Badu, Gentleman, Jimmy Cliff, Kassav', Kery James, Natacha Atlas, Orishas, Zucchero
- 2009: Amadou & Mariam, Alpha Blondy, Arno, Asian Dub Foundation, Babylon Circus, Ben Harper, Benabar, Cesária Évora, Emir Kusturica, Khaled, Keziah Jones, Magic System, Mamady Keita, Oi Va Voi, Ozomatli, Rohff, Selah Sue, Shameboy, Solomon Burke, The Skatalites, Zap Mama
- 2010: 1060, Diam's, Ebony Bones, Femi Kuti, George Clinton, Hindi Zahra, Papa Wemba, Rox, Scylla, Selah Sue, Snoop Dogg, Soprano, Staff Benda Bilili
- 2011: Absynthe Minded, Alborosie, Arsenal, DJ Shadow, Merdan Taplak, Seal, Selah Sue, Yael Naim, Ziggy Marley, Ziggi Recado
- 2012: Jessie J, Erykah Badu, Tinariwen, Sean Paul, De La Soul, Gentleman, Kaer, Stephen Marley, Public Enemy, Gogol Bordello
- 2013: Neneh Cherry, Aloe Blacc, Maceo Parker, Andy Allo, Faithless, Jimmy Cliff, Matisyahu, Fat Freddy's Drop, Mos Def, Salif Keita, Kery James, Joeystarr
- 2014: : Basement Jaxx, Bootsy Collins and the Funk Unity Band, Dizzee Rascal, Parov Stelar Band, Tiken Jah Fakoly, De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig, Dilated Peoples, Girls in Hawaii, Puggy, Morcheeba, Soldout, Seeed, Seun Kuti, La Yegros, Skip & Die, Iron Ites, Captain Steel, Root Pursuit, The Rudies, Burning Spear, Tricky, Ben Howard, Chinese Man, The Subs, Keziah Jones, Chance The Rapper, Laura Mvula, Akua Naru, Cuban Beats All Stars, Veence Hanao, Oyster Node, Selectah Nesta, What It Is, Asian Dub Foundation, Alpha Blondy, Jurassic 5, Blitz The Ambassador, Magnus LIVE, Gabriel Ríos, John Butler Trio, Ky-Mani Marley, Youssoupha, Protoje & The Indiggnation, Danakil, The Soul Rebels, Suarez, Little Collin
- 2015: 1995, Alborosie, Arsenal, Bigflo & Oli, Branko, Buraka Som Sistema, Busta Rhymes, Caravan Palace, Collie Buddz, Crystal Fighters, Cypress Hill, Dub Inc, Ester Rada, Flavia Coelho, G-Eazy, Gentleman, Groundation, Hiatus Kaiyote, Israel Vibration, Jah9, Joey Bada$$, Jupiter & Okwess International, Kasai Allstars, Kavinsky, La Chiva Gantiva, La Fine Equipe, Lefto, Midnite, Milky Chance, Modestep, Naâman, Oddisee, Palenke Soultribe, Pink Oculus, Sergent Garcia, Shantel, SOJA, Starflam, Superdiscount, Tarrus Riley, The Magician, Wu-Tang Clan, Wyclef Jean, Xavier Rudd
- 2016: Akua Naru, Alpha Wann, Apollo Brown, Arno, Atomic Spliff, Black Box Revelation, Bomba Estereo, Brigitte, Bunny Wailer, CHIC ft. Nile Rodgers, Chicos y Mendez, Chronixx, Clap! Clap!, Claptone, Cunninlynguists, De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig, De La Soul, Elito Reve & Su Charangon, Féfé, G.A.N, Ghinzu, Goran Bregovic, GRANDGEORGE, Hudson Mohawke, Ibeyi, Inna Modja, Jamie Woon, Jeremy Loops, Julian Marley, Kano, Kassav, Kel Assouf, Kwabs, LTGL, Magic System, Method Man & Redman, MHD, Morgan Heritage, Mr. Vegas, Nneka Omar Souleyman, Oxmo Puccino, Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band, Pomrad, Protoje, Quantic, Raging Fyah, Roméo Elvis & Le Motel, Selah Sue, Soprano, St Paul and the Broken Bones, Trixie Whitley, Woodie Smalls, Young Fathers, Youssou N'Dour