Macha Gharibian, Célia Kameni and Leïla Ka: 3 women artists supported by the BNP Paribas Foundation, in the spotlight from 27 March
The Foundation is proud to present three women artists from the world of jazz and contemporary dance that it began to support in 2024. This support aims to assist them in their creative process and in the dissemination of their projects.
Culture in the feminine
For the past 40 years, the BNP Paribas Foundation has been committed to giving power to those who take action, by supporting women artists who are changing the face of our society. Traditional barriers to success both in terms of gender and diversity – in age, ethnic origin or social background – are challenges that the Foundation strives to redress.
The arts can provide safe places for expression, where social and gender boundaries can be challenged. These fields can be vectors of emancipation, a powerful platform for affirming the importance and contribution of women artists who are paving the way for future generations.
New support for three artists
The Foundation is putting together an exceptional line-up in the years to come: keep an eye on our latest news to find out about the new artists we are supporting.
As a preview, we’ll start by introducing Macha Gharibian, Célia Kameni and Leïla Ka.
Macha Gharibian: release party for Phenomenal Women, 27–28 March!
One of the best pieces of news at the start of the year was the announcement on 24 January of the release of Macha Gharibian’s new album, Phenomenal Women.
To mark the occasion, you can discover its tracks live at the Café de la Danse in Paris in two exceptional release parties on 27 and 28 March.
In her fourth album, Gharibian praises the power of women, inviting the sublime voices of Lea Maria Fries and Linda Oláh to join her.
After giving pride of place to English and Armenian on her previous albums, Macha now conveys her irresistible energy and tender message in French, Brazilian and Arabic, in a celebration of diversity, love, sensuality, childhood, the present and daydreaming.
Macha Gharibian is a classically trained pianist, singer, songwriter, composer, arranger and producer.
In 2005, she immersed herself in jazz in New York. Back in Paris, she used this experience to create her own universe and forge her own style, blending influences from the three cultures that have shaped her: the Armenia of her ancestors, the France where she lives, and the New York she adopted. Her music has been described as cinematic and travel-inspiring. Today, she continues to blend contemporary and world music with joy and subtlety, collaborating with numerous artists: a duo with Lionel Suarez, a trio with Jocelyn Mienniel and Arnault Cuisinier, a project with the musician and producer Kiledjian, and a duo with Sarah Lenka.
Célia Kameni, the new face of hybrid jazz
This French singer with roots in Cameroon grew up in an eclectic musical universe melding classical music, jazz, soul, African and Caribbean music.
From an early age, her father, a musician and music lover, took her to concerts and rehearsals with him. She went on to study jazz at the Lyon Conservatoire.
In recent years, she has taken part in a diverse range of musical projects, including the Bigre! Big Band, a dexterous mix of French and Cuban music, and David Enhco’s Amazing Keystone Big Band. She has also formed a quartet with Alfio Origlio, Zaza Desiderio and Brice Berrerd, in which each musician gives free rein to their creativity on international standards from the last 30 years.
Leïla Ka, an upcoming and atypical artist
With an edgy, precise style that can suggest both imprisonment and liberation in a single movement, Leïla Ka’s blend of hip-hop and contemporary dance has made its mark in the space of her four years on the artistic scene.
Since her first solo in 2018 entitled Pode ser, followed by two other short works, the choreographer has gradually established her identity and her feminist commitment through her work on the stage.
Her success is amplified by phenomenal tours: she is currently the most frequent young choreographer on the bill.
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