Amidst Black Lives Matter protests that rocked the globe and caused a reckoning within the music industry, Aluna became one of the most outspoken voices on the deep racial and gender inequality in the dance scene. In June of 2020, she wrote an open letter stating “we not only need to give credit to the artists that created the genre, we also need to establish a long-term plan to secure a healthy future for dance music that is culturally and racially inclusive.”
Now, the British producer/vocalist is taking action on that goal with the announcement of her own dance-focused festival, Noir Fever. Set to take place in New Orleans on May 27-30, 2022, the festival will feature a lineup of entirely Black dance and electronic artists including Kaytranada, Channel Tres, UNIIQU3, Kevin Saunderson, Jayda G, Derrick Carter, TSHA and Aluna herself. See the complete lineup below.
“I’ve talked a lot about the future of dance music I want to see, and here it is,” Aluna tells Billboard. “This unique experience of honoring dance music’s heritage and getting a taste of what’s to come will reignite a much needed connection back to what dance music is all about – creating a place where people from all different communities can come together and dance their hearts out feeling free to be themselves.”
Produced in partnership with Pollen Presents, the festival will celebrate the Black and LGTBQ+ origins of dance music in a city famous for Black and brown musical excellence. In addition to performances — which will include late night warehouse parties — Noir Fever will also host a speaker series with keynote talks, workshops and a marketplace for Black-owned brands.
Aluna, who’s long made music as one half of dance music duo AlunaGeorge, released her debut solo album, Renaissance, last year via Mad Decent. She also hosts a SiriusXM radio show also called Noir Fever. In conversation, Aluna often emphasizes how dance music is deeply rooted in Black culture, a point she intends to emphasize via Noir Fever.
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