20 June: Carnavalcade in Saint-Denis

“The Carnavalcade forms a network, a mesh of close links between different cultures”.

This is how Bernard Souroque, artistic director of the Carnavalcade, defines this event, whilst insisting on the community aspect, and the fraternity and universality of this costumed, musical parade which will take place in the streets of SAINT-DENIS on Saturday, 20 June.

The production is being staged by the City of SAINT-DENIS and the Conseil Général of the Seine-Saint-Denis department. Jacques PORNON is at the head of “Banlieues Bleues”, the organisation which is acting as delegate producer in charge of artistic and technical aspects.

3 parades are scheduled in SAINT-DENIS and will feature musical and coloured scenes. The parade “Masques Laborieux” created by the artist MOKEIT will leave from Square Fabien (rue Max Jacob); the parade “Le Monde et ses enfants” created by the artist Hervé DI ROSA will leave from the Parc de la Légion d’Honneur (rue Daniel Casanova) and the parade “Une babel explosive et colorée” created by the artist Menlik OUZANI will leave from Parc Cachin (avenue Lénine). The parades are scheduled to start at 20h00.

These three processions will make their way towards the city centre and will converge at the stade August-Delaune at around 22h00 where a lap of honour is scheduled. The children who participated in the parade will all assemble in the show’s finale. A firework display will close the carnival at around 23h00.

More than 30 bands have been invited including the percussionists and dancers of la Conga de los Hoyos (Cuba); a “banda” from Récife; Orchestre Swing, a big Brazilian street band; the Rajasthan Jaypour Kawa Brass Band; the Balinese Suar Agung band playing bamboo instruments; the Akiyo Guadeloupe Carnival band; Doudou N’Diaye Rose from Africa; the Men Ha Tan Bagad from Brittany; the Southern University Jazz Ensemble in brass for the traditional New Orleans sound; the Grimethorpe Colliery Band (Great Britain) as seen in the film “Brassed off”; Jean-François Duroure’s Zulu parade; David Murray and the World Saxophone Quartet; and the Découflé pom-pom girls.

A children’s make-up stand will be open to the public at each of the three departure points from 17h00.