This quick-witted spoken word artist has poetry running through his veins. Originally from Ivory Coast, he moved to Montreal in 1998. Now a Nuits d’Afrique regular, this extraordinary slam poet draws on the power of words and his keen observation of society. Not even the slightest distress escapes him, whether it be that of his neighbour “Serge” or the many young Ivorian girls who, excluded from receiving an education, have few prospects other than housekeeping. In 2019, he lent his voice to these overlooked souls during his performance at Festival International Nuits d’Afrique and is returning in top form for the festival’s 2025 edition!

By the early 2000s, within Montreal’s underground improv scene, the Kalmunity Vibe collective had embraced Fabrice Koffy like a child prodigy. In 2006, Fabrice teamed up with his pal, guitarist Guillaume Soucy, as he continued to follow his “happy rebel” path.

Taking a bite out the city’s harsh concrete and the suffering of others, the poet spins his words into an organic rhythmic flow. The precision of his phrasing is as finely tuned as the dawn and the night. Following in the footsteps of the likes of Abd al Malik, Fabrice’s earthly adventure is all about humanity. In “4 Blacks,” loud youths making a racket in the metro, take in others’ stares like punches… A natural born sociologist, this wordsmith uses prose and powerful images to critique the world around him. Consciousness raiser, activist and fantastic performer, his awaited return to the festival stage this year promises to be “Fabtastik!”