Now here’s an unusual concept – using the Paris public libraries as venues for a festival of concerts. The event is called Monte le son which translates as something like “Turn the sound up!”, probably the opposite of what you’re usually told in a public library!

The festival’s theme changes every year, and for 2019 they’re exploring the music of Latin America, with twenty libraries taking part, including a number close to our hotels…

Monte le Son has a couple of concerts happening very close to us, like this Manu le Prince concert on Saturday 23rd November from 3-4.30pm at the André-Malraux Library (here), and the Trio Horizons Lointains playing the same day at 6pm at the Buffon Library (here).

However, the festival isn’t just a series of concerts. For example, close to our hotels there’s a show called Piazzolla: from 1900 to the present day – tango forever on Wednesday 20th November, from 4.30-6pm at the Théâtre des arts de la Marionnette (here), and a conference called ‘Escale musicale en Amérique Latine‘ the same day from 7-8.30pm at the Amélie Library (here).

And there are a lot of other interesting events in public libraries a bit further afield – batucada workshops, a singing and samba workshop, tango lessons, a musical breakfast…

The full line-up is here.

The website of the event also has a page where each artist suggests five albums to help you build ‘the perfect record collection’ (with links to click so you can reserve them at the library!)

The festival is your chance to learn more about the incredibly diverse music of Latin America, from the most traditional to the most recent, for zero euros!

The Monte le son festival is happening in Paris public libraries from 14th November – 14th December 2019

Programme: here

Free!

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