Balattou

Balattou, commonly known as Club Balattou, is a bar-spectacle and nightclub located on Boulevard Saint-Laurent in the Plateau Mont-Royal borough of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1987 by Lamine Touré, a Guinean immigrant who had arrived in Montreal in 1974, the club has become a landmark of world music in the city. Its name is said to mean "bal à tous" (dance for everyone), reflecting its inclusive mission to introduce Montreal audiences to African culture and music of African descent, including Caribbean and Latin American rhythms. Since its early days, Balattou has provided a stage for emerging Montreal artists through weekly concerts. Many renowned musicians and groups have performed there, including Tiken Jah Fakoly, Baaba Maal, Papa Wemba, Ismael Lô, Alpha Blondy, Meiway, Tabou Combo, Tété, and Manu Dibango. The club is widely regarded as a privileged production venue for up-and-coming artists and as a hub for cultural and artistic cross-fertilization in Montreal. Balattou is also the birthplace and home base of the Festival International Nuits d'Afrique, founded in July 1987 by Lamine Touré in association with Suzanne Rousseau. The festival's first edition took place at the club, which remained its main concert venue for many years and continues to play a central role in its programming. The club also hosts the Syli d'Or de la musique du monde, a springboard competition for world music artists, and the Festival de musiques du Maghreb. Today, Balattou operates as a weekly live music venue, with concerts from Thursday to Sunday starting at 9 p.m., featuring local, national, and international world-music groups. On Friday and Saturday nights, after the concerts, the club transforms into a tropical dance floor with DJs spinning rumba, zouk, reggae, coupé-décalé, soca, calypso, salsa, merengue, and more. It also hosts special events such as the Cabaret Acoustique Nuits d'Afrique and Pop Montréal. The club is committed to accessibility and is a partner of the Carte Accompagnement Loisir (CAL).

Balattou was founded in 1987 by Lamine Touré, a Guinean who had arrived in Montreal in 1974. Two years after his arrival, Touré opened a bar called Café créole dedicated to African music, which operated until 1981. In 1986, he founded a new bar named Club Balattou, meaning "bal à tous" (dance for everyone). His goal was to introduce Montreal audiences to African culture and music of African descent, including that of the Caribbean and Central and Latin America, which were still relatively unknown in Quebec at the time. From its beginnings, Balattou allowed artists, often emerging from the Montreal scene, to perform on stage in weekly concerts. Many groups and artists gave their first concerts there, including Boubacar Diabaté, Yaya Diallo, Papa Wemba, and the group Loketo. The club gained a reputation as a privileged production venue for up-and-coming Montreal artists and as a place fostering cultural and artistic cross-fertilization in Montreal. Some songs are explicitly dedicated to the venue. In July 1987, pursuing his goal of disseminating music and traditions of African, Caribbean, and South American descent, Lamine Touré partnered with Suzanne Rousseau to found the Festival International Nuits d'Afrique, whose first edition took place at Balattou. The club was long the festival's main concert venue and remains central to its programming. The Festival de musiques du Maghreb and the Syli d'Or de la musique du monde springboard also take place mostly at Club Balattou. Over more than 35 years, Balattou has played an essential role in Montreal's cultural and artistic scene and is at the origin of the great story of Nuits d'Afrique. It continues to host concerts from Thursday to Sunday, dance nights on weekends, and special events, maintaining its status as a legendary world-music venue.

• 2023

  Syli d'Or de la musique du monde takes place from February 14 to April 12, with free concerts on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

• 1987

  Club Balattou is founded; in July, the Festival International Nuits d'Afrique is co-founded with Suzanne Rousseau, with its first edition at Balattou.

• 1986

  Touré founds Club Balattou, meaning 'bal à tous'.

• 1976

  Touré founds Café créole, a bar for African music, operating until 1981.

• 1974

  Lamine Touré arrives in Montreal from Guinea.

A legendary world-music club and cultural hub in Montreal, known for showcasing African, Caribbean, and Latin American music and for nurturing emerging artists.

• Weekly concerts (Thursday to Sunday, 9 p.m.)

• Cabaret Acoustique Nuits d'Afrique

• Dance nights with DJs (Friday and Saturday until 3 a.m.)

• Syli d'Or de la musique du monde

• Festival International Nuits d'Afrique

• Festival de musiques du Maghreb

• Pop Montréal events

1. 1ACCUEIL | Balattoubalattou.com
2. 2A PROPOS | Balattoubalattou.com
3. 3Balattou - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Club Balattou - Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org