The 34th edition of the Saint-Louis International Jazz Festival was officially launched on Wednesday in the three-hundred-year-old city, in the presence of administrative and cultural authorities, partners, artists, and a large delegation from Ivory Coast, the guest country of honor for this edition.

Organised in this large space located south of the island of Saint-Louis, the opening ceremony highlighted the cultural, economic and heritage dimension of this event which has become essential in the Senegalese and African cultural agenda.

Speaking at the event, the Secretary of State for Culture, Creative Industries and Historical Heritage, Bakary Sarr, expressed his delight at the official opening of this new edition. He reiterated that culture is a true engine of development for Senegal, emphasizing that the Saint-Louis Jazz Festival now represents a major cultural ecosystem.

The head of the Ivorian delegation, Koffi Amani, welcomed the invitation extended to his country before symbolically handing over two woven loincloths to Secretary of State Bakary Sarr and the mayor of Saint-Louis, Mansour Faye.

For his part, the president of the Saint-Louis Jazz association, Idrissa Bengeloun, emphasized the historical links between the three-hundred-year-old city and jazz music.

"Culture is a lever of sovereignty. In Saint-Louis, jazz is not a guest, it is at home," he declared, while paying tribute to the former leaders of the association.

The mayor of the city, Mansour Faye, for his part, emphasized that this festival transcends mere artistic expression to constitute a true cultural heritage for the city. He reiterated the municipality's commitment to supporting this event, which is one of Saint-Louis's major cultural highlights.

The ceremony was also attended by several diplomatic and institutional figures, including the UK Ambassador to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, Carine Roberts, the Deputy Director of the French Institute of Saint-Louis, Sarah Camara, and the Deputy Governor in charge of development, Khoudia Lèye.

On the artistic side, the opening night includes a performance by Polish pianist Kuba Stankiewicz and his group on the IN stage at Baya Ndar Square.

In addition to the concerts, the festival also hosts an international craft and trade fair bringing together exhibitors from several African countries, including Mali, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Niger, Cameroon, Morocco and Mauritania.

Founded in 1992, the Saint-Louis International Jazz Festival has established itself as one of Senegal's major cultural events. Since 2016, it has been among the world's leading jazz festivals. Over the years, it has hosted numerous world music icons such as Manu Dibango, Lucky Peterson, Randy Weston, Marcus Miller, Cheikh Lô, Baaba Maal, Youssou Ndour, Alune Wade, and Hervé Samb.

Through this new edition, Saint-Louis further confirms its status as a cultural crossroads where music becomes a tool for dialogue, memory and development.