HELLO MIXITY: Get ready to party at the free music festival in Mont des Arts on 30 September

Free family-friendly HELLO MIXITY is a kick-off event for Brussels’ year of diversity, a programme called Mixity.brussels 2017. And the line-up in the city centre reflects Brussels’ past and present multicultural mix with artists representing 20 nationalities and performing in 10 languages.

One of the first shows on stage is a a flashmob dance with more than 400 children and the participation of people with disabilities. It’s followed by an eclectic array of local, national and internationally acclaimed artists. They include Canadian-Moroccan singer La Bronze singing Stromae hit Formidable in Arabic, and award-winning all-female a cappella group Zap Mama performing a previously unreleased song. The Afro-fusion artists, under Belgo-Congolese lead singer and songwriter Marie Daulne, have a colourful and vivid stage presence.

Rapidly becoming an anthem for the Belgian capital since the March bomb attacks, the song Bruxelles, ma belle will be performed by Mesbahi Mohamed and Sarah Carlier. Mohamed is a Belgian-Moroccan guitarist and singer songwriter who sings in Arabic, Flemish and French, while Carlier is a Brussels-born singer-songwriter of Belgian-Congolese and Chadian parentage. Also appearing are Afro a cappella outfit Karavan (pictured), familiar faces on the Belgian music scene having frequently performed with Belgian surrealist singer Arno.

Joining them for the inaugural party are a Japanese choir, Turkish, Italian, Spanish and Flemish singers, and Belgian musicians Jaune Toujours, chanson singer Marie Warnant and The Voice Belgium finalist Boris Motte. The concert is also a showcase of artists from all walks of life. Lou B, a teenager who is blind and has Morsier syndrome, is a musical virtuoso who sings and plays piano.

The other performers in the line-up are: Ajisai, Akro, Ayneed, Badi, Bernard Orchestar, B-Vox, Ecole Impulsion, Grégoire Dune, Guillaume Codutti, Gwenael Dedonder, Ialma, LaDiva Live, Marie-Noëlle de Callataÿ, Marka, Renato Bennardo, Roméo Elvis, Samson Okbo, STIKSTOF, Typh Barrow, Voxtra and Zwartwerk.

The extensive artistic programme is a musical and visual reminder of how ‘the world’s heart beats in Brussels’, the 2017 slogan for Brussels-Capital Region’s tourism office visit.brussels. “The idea behind Hello Mixity was to create a free outdoor musical evening for everyone in Brussels,” says events director Micha Kapetanovic. “The Mixity brand is unknown, so we wanted to introduce it to both the local and international population of Brussels. It’s not a launch, but a hello, and what better way to do this than with a musical party with so many artists singing in different languages and representing diversity in all its forms. But it’s not just ethnic: it goes beyond religious and sexual diversity, to intergenerational and disabled people, as well as the mix of nationalities,” says Kapetanovic.

Adding to the party spirit at the mini festival are a MIXITY themed cocktail and trucks selling home-made food from around the world. Partygoers can take advantage of free guided tours by Brukselbinnenstebuiten. Revealing the varied history hidden underneath the surface of the city centre, tours depart at 17.30 from the Carrefour de l’Europe. The tours will be held in Dutch, French and English. They are free, but online registration is recommended.

HELLO MIXITY
Friday, 30 September
18.00-22.00 Mont des Arts, Brussels
Free entrance
www.mixity.brussels