“Tonight, we celebrate our music born from the pavement, which grew up in the margins and today rises towards the Pantheon.”
Host Nordine Ganso opened the third annual Les Flammes ceremony with these powerful words. Held on May 13th at Paris’s La Seine Musicale, the 2025 edition was a dazzling and necessary celebration of French-speaking urban culture. For those watching from across the global African music scene, the night provided a fascinating look at Les Flammes’ cultural impact.
This awards show was born from a feeling of marginalisation. It is a direct response to traditional French ceremonies often sidelining rap and R&B. This year, its independent spirit was palpable, even through some technical hitches. The night’s big domestic winner was Tiakola. Although absent, he was crowned Male Artist of the Year. The ceremony also deservedly bestowed the night’s most significant international award, the Flamme du rayonnement international, upon the incomparable Aya Nakamura.
A Celebration of the Diaspora
The ceremony was a vibrant showcase of Afro-diasporic excellence. Franco-Congolese artists Keblack and Franglish took home the Flamme for African or African-inspired music for their infectious track ‘Boucan’. Meanwhile, the Franco-Haitian superstar Joé Dwèt Filé won the Caribbean music category for his hit ‘4 Kampé’ after a literally fiery performance. Swiss-Congolese singer Theodora best articulated the sense of shared identity. Upon winning the Female Revelation award, she declared,
“This project is for all the children of the diaspora, for Black music.”
Beyond the trophies, the event’s importance was felt in its raw energy and community presence. It was a space where artists felt free to make powerful statements. During his acceptance speech, for example, Keblack drew attention to the ongoing conflict in Goma, Congo. The event’s role as a crucial industry gathering was also evident. Key figures from the vibrant Parisian club scene like DJ Paphane and DJ Shiiva were in attendance, there to network and support the culture.
A Platform for Debate
However, the conversation becomes more nuanced here. The existence of a specific “African music” category, while providing guaranteed visibility, also sparks a quiet debate. Does it create a necessary platform, or does it risk ‘othering’ these tracks from mainstream categories? This year, Aya Nakamura and Ayra Starr’s collaboration ‘Hypé’ earned a nomination for overall Song of the Year. This represented a powerful bridge between the Francophone and Anglophone worlds and a step towards full integration.
Ultimately, Les Flammes’ cultural impact is not just measured in its winners’ list. It is measured in its unapologetic celebration of its own ecosystem. It is a declaration that this community no longer needs to wait for a seat at someone else’s table; it has built its own. In the end, Les Flammes’ cultural impact is its confident, and fiercely independent, self-validation.
