FINAL GALA

Zalam Kao | World, Jazz, Funk, Soul (Haiti, Argentina, Tunisia, Brazil)

Born in Montréal in 2024, Zalam Kao is the product of a meeting between five artists with vast and eclectic influences. A reflection of the city’s cultural diversity, the group embodies a living, contemporary vision of world music. Bound above all by friendship, Zalam Kao cultivates the art of collective creation. The quintet brings together Clovis Lamarre (Tchobis), producer, mixer and guitarist; Antonio Dorsaint Manigat (Ogou Rayfé), singer and rapper; MoMo, multi-instrumentalist and jazz-trained vocalist; Lucas Melo, guitarist, double bassist and lyricist; and Edaï Larobina, singer-songwriter and instrumentalist. Their debut single “Tout pour toi” (2024) stands as a luminous, unifying anthem. In October 2025, Zalam Kao unveiled their first album “Tou Lumin,” a radiant work where jazz, funk, soul and world beat intertwine, affirming the group’s bold musical signature.

Bastin Band | Raï fusion (Algeria)

Driven by the blazing energy of raï and the timeless elegance of Algerian music, Bastin Band crafts a resolutely modern sound where the Maghreb meets the grooves of the world. Their universe, at the crossroads of funk, soul and traditional rhythms, creates a vibrant fusion that unites dance, emotion and identity. Through a deeply inhabited voice, heavy with nostalgia and power, the group brings to life stories of displacement, celebration and freedom. Desert-scented guitars, deep bass lines, hybrid percussion and bright brass weave a sonic mosaic that transports as much as it unites. On stage, Bastin Band radiates a magnetic presence — raw, warm and generous energy. Every song becomes a journey, a bridge stretched between the Mediterranean and international stages, between ancestral heritage and cosmopolitan modernity.

Tamboréal Samba Bloco | Samba Bloco (Brazil)

Born in Montréal, Tamboréal Samba Bloco is a percussion collective that celebrates Afro-Brazilian rhythms and the cultural diversity of the city. Formed by musicians of varied origins, the group transforms sound into a space of encounter and celebration, blending tradition, creativity and contagious energy. Inspired by the beats of samba, maracatu, ijexá and other Afro-Brazilian rhythms, Tamboréal has created a unique sonic signature — a fusion between the warmth of Brazil and the urban pulse of Québec. The project goes beyond music: it is an affirmation of community, belonging and collective joy. The group has performed on major stages and cultural events across Montréal and Québec, including the Festival Nuits d’Afrique in front of more than 5,000 people, the Festival Islande Fête and the Festival de la Bière de Montréal. In 2025, Tamboréal was also a semi-finalist at the Syli d’Or, highlighting its originality and its strong presence on the Montréal music scene. More than a musical group, Tamboréal Samba Bloco is a cultural movement that makes rhythm an act of union — between North and South, past and present, and all those who find in percussion a shared heartbeat.