Strasbourg Music Week World Beat in the Grand Est region: Overview and Collective Dynamics

Abdi Riber is a music professional based in Brumath, Alsace, France, and has been active in the music industry for over a decade.

Since 2015, he has worked as a booking agent at Giro Music, an agency founded in 1996 by Paola D'Angela, specializing in supporting world and contemporary music artists. Among the artists represented are Kandy Guira, Kora Jazz Trio, Ayom, Fanfara Station, Giuliano Gabriele, and Yann Cléry.

In parallel, Abdi Riber has been a managing member of Event4Live since 2012, a structure dedicated to the production of musical events, where he supports, manages, and organizes concerts for various professional ensembles in the fields of jazz and world music. He regularly takes part in international professional events such as WOMEX and Napoli World, helping increase the visibility of the artists he works with.

As a composer, he collaborated with the artist Sélia on the track "Crossing Borders", produced by Giro Music.

Since April 2025, he has been the artistic director and programmer of the venue La Saline in Soultz-sous-Forêts.

In charge of Grabuge, a federation for contemporary music in Eastern France.

Sébastien Laussel spent more than 10 years managing social and cultural structures based on popular education, before setting up his own production company, Prestacles Prod. He moved to Paris in 2016, where he held a number of positions with NGOs. He has been director of Zone Franche since September 2022.

Zone Franche is the world music network. Present on several continents, it brings together all categories of players in the sector (festivals, venues, labels and publishers, artist representatives, media, cultural associations, markets, etc.) committed to defending cultural diversity, the free circulation of artists, etc.

Originally from Iraq and now living in France, Fawzy Al-Aiedy bridges East and West through his dual training in both classical Arabic and Western music. His creative work reflects this dynamic cultural exchange.

A singer, composer, and oud player, and a nominee for the Django d’Or, he was one of the pioneers of Oriental world music in the 1980s, followed by Oriental jazz in 1989.

He develops artistic projects rooted in traditional Near Eastern music while embracing innovation. His achievements include around fifteen original music productions, eight shows for young and family audiences, 1,800 performances across 27 countries, educational outreach ahead of performances, and the release of 14 albums.

Founded in 1986, Musiques en Balade, directed by Béatrice Vielle, initially supported various artists in world music and jazz before focusing entirely on the 360° support (management, production, distribution) of the Iraqi-French artist Fawzy Al-Aiedy.

In 2023, Musiques en Balade entered a new chapter by supporting composer, oudist, double bassist, and ney player Amin Al Aiedy, producing the first album of the Amin Al Aiedy 4tet, titled SHAMS (sun). In 2025, it will support singer Victoria Alexanyan in two projects: Mardjane – Traditional Armenian Music and Victoria Alexanyan 5tet – Armenian Jazz, whose debut album VISHAP will be released in 2026 by Musiques en Balade.

All these projects align with the artistic standards and cultural diversity that form the core of the organization’s identity.

The Musiques en Balade association is affiliated with the Centre National de la Musique, and is a member of FAMDT, GRABUGE, and a participant in both SMA and FÉLIN.

Sylvain Dartoy is a passionate fan of African cultures, an entrepreneur, a tireless traveller and co-founder of Wax Booking in 2010. Since then, he has devoted himself to artistic production. His main aim is to present Africa and its resonance in the world in all its diversity and modernity. A genuine talent spotter and producer of international tours and shows, he is one of Europe's leading names in his specialities.

Ninon Valder is a multifaceted French musician: flutist, bandoneon player, singer, composer, and writer. 

She explores the connections between Argentine music, jazz, world music, and sound poetry. Her unique journey led her to live for seven years in England and seven years in Argentina, shaping a richly diverse artistic identity.

An associate artist at the SMAC L'Orange Bleue in Vitry-le-François for the 2024–2025 season, she will be in residence at Le Baiser Salé in Paris for the 2025–2026 season.
She also continues her educational work, teaching singing at the Glotte-Trotters Vocal Research Center in Paris.