One of the leading nu jazz/downtempo bands from the 2000s, The Cinematic Orchestra is back in Montréal! This British band, formed in 1999 by Jason Swinscoe, is best known here for its collaboration with Patrick Watson and is more generally for its unique fusion of jazz, electronica and orchestral music that creates almost cinematic audio landscapes! The Orchestra will be in town as part of their 20th anniversary tour for their epic Man With a Movie Camera album, launched in 2003. Not to be missed, this closing concert on the outdoor TD Stage promises to be memorable to say the least!

For 44 years, the FIJM has given pride of place to local artists, and this edition is no exception.

The following local artists and bands have just been added to the 2024 FIJM lineup:

With her warm, supple voice, straight out of another century, Alicia Creti will be presenting songs from her EP Self/Less, released early this year; Shaina Hayes is a folk singer-songwriter from the Gaspé peninsula whose second album, the relaxing Kindergarten Heart, was released in recent months; La Force, whose real name is Ariel Engle, a talented Canadian musician and member of the Broken Social Scene collective, explores innovative sounds blending haunting pop with passionate R&B on her new album, XO SKELETON; KROY is the stage name of Camille Paquin, half of the Milk & Bone duo, who blends pop, synthwave and trip-hop with her mesmerizing voice to create compositions with unique, immersive atmospheres; named for a Juno Award, Salin is a female percussionist, producer and composer with Thai roots qui explores the entrancing sounds of northeastern Thailand, combining them with the psychedelic tunes of 1970s West Africa; Montréal-based alt-pop sensation dee holt launched a first EP in 2022 that got millions of plays and rave reviews. She has been described by Teen Vogue as “one to watch.”

TEKE::TEKE features traditional Japanese instruments to propose music reminiscent of the psychedelic Japanese soundtracks of the 1960s and 1970s; PAPISH, a new venture by the Chilean Osvaldo Felipe-Aguirre, singer, songwriter and music producer, explores many rhythms and textures somewhere between tropical Latin pop, electronica, disco and cumbia electronica; an artist-musician, drummer, arranger and composer of Ivorian origin, Donald Dogbo offers a different and complementary vision that marries jazz and African sounds; alto saxophonist in his quartet, Tevet Sela blends a rich variety of influences, imbued with blues and Middle Eastern inflections from his Israeli cultural heritage; Japanese-born Yuki Isami is an exceptional flutist whose FIJM concert will feature traditional Japanese and Western instruments; German-Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Alex Nicol has a unique style that takes a lyrical approach to personal introspection and social critique; Guadeloupe-born singer-songwriter Marvin Caleb has made a name for himself with a style that combines dancehall, afro-pop and neo-soul sounds; an unlikely duo—seasoned musician and new musician—The Fleeting Light of Love and Grief band’s electronic compositions fuse krautrock with Turkish instruments.

Harmonica player and FIJM regular Guy Bélanger recently released his ninth album, Voyages & autres histoires; adding subtle touches of funk and folk to her blues, Angelique Francis has made a name for herself as a true star on the Canadian blues, soul, jazz and folk scene, when her album Long River won the Juno for Blues Album of the Year in 2023; guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer Jack de Keyzer has been touring the world for 46 years, playing blues inspired by the traditions of Chicago, London, Detroit’s Motown, the deep soul of Muscle Shoals, the rock and roll of Memphis, and the funky soul jazz of Philadelphia; born in Chicago and growing up surrounded by the sounds of urban blues, Little Magic Sam got rave reviews for his debut album’s unique blend of traditional and modern blues and captivating guitar.

Jean-Sébastien Yves Audet (Yves Jarvis) is an experimental musician, singer and producer from Calgary. Blending elements of soul, psychedelia, folk, post-punk and lo-fi indie, two of his albums have been nominated for the Polaris Prize. Hologramme, the stage name of producer, composer and pianist Clément Leduc, launched his career with a dreamlike aesthetic influenced by IDM and electronica with a composed debut album released in 2018; does Valaire still need an introduction? For 20 years now, the band has been bringing the crowds to their feet with a melting pot of jazz, electro, hip-hop, pop and samples, and the result is exactly as wonderful as you’d expect! Fans of soul, jazz, hip-hop and metal will be captivated by the Moontunes, a group of Acadian astronauts who blend catchy grooves with interstellar ambient jams.

Let’s finish the night on a festive note with DJs, MCs and dancers at block parties Les racines du hip-hop au Québec, which promise jazz/funk improvisations and freestyle rap, and Afrotonik, a celebration of Afro culture.

Montrealer Patrick Watson will join a host of talented performers, including Elisapie, Alexandra Stréliski, Martha Wainwright, Beyries, Maxime Le Flaguais, and collaborators and friends of the celebrated Quebec filmmaker. On June 27 they will present Mixtape : un hommage musical à Jean-Marc Vallée on the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier stage at the Place des Arts, as part of the Événements spéciaux TD series. A few tickets are still available.

See the full festival program HERE.