Swing in the mountains 2026
From August 9 to 16, 2026 Serre Chevalier will host the
23rd edition of the Swing in the Mountains Festival .
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Festival Program
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A festival rich in programming and artistic diversity, highlighting swing, blues, gospel, soul, jazz, and polyphonic singing from around the world.
The festival will pay tribute to the great Jamaican artist Jimmy Cliff, who left us a musical legacy imbued with love and peace.
The festival's godmother is Emily Johnson, discovered by John McLaughlin and produced by Narada Michael Walden, the legendary Oscar-winning producer known for his work with Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, and Mariah Carey.
Emily will give a performance titled "Emily Johnson Meets Whitney Houston" to close the festival in style on August 16 in Monêtier-les-Bains.
The female quartet Malincka will open the festival with polyphonic songs from around the world in Chantemerle.
We will then welcome the group Kind of Jazz.
New Yorker Freddie Hall returns to the festival with our great pianist and regular, Jo Kaiat.
Not forgetting the festival tradition: the free Master Class open to the public, which will be held from August 12 to 15, 2026, at the Salle du Dôme.
The participants form the choir Serre Che Gospel Singers, which has existed for over 20 years and is directed this year by Freddie Hall.
The program includes: gospel, swing, blues, soul, and also a few songs by Jimmy Cliff.
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Lineup : MALINCKA Quartet
📆 Sunday, August 9 - 8:30 PM
📍 Chantemerle – Salle du Serre d'Aigle
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The artists :
A concert by the female quartet; MALINCKA is a vocal and polyphonic journey around the world.
A cappella or accompanied (guitar, percussion, transverse flute, harmonium…), reinterpreting songs from secular oral traditions, borrowing musical arrangements from high-quality groups (Barbara Furtuna, Lo cor de la Plana, Evasion, Ando Drom, Chet Nuneta…) or composing their own pieces, they love above all to sing about peoples who live with the culture of traditional songs as a means of testimony, connection, and direct expression.
They are committed to conveying as sincerely as possible the revolt of an Italian protest song as much as the beauty of a Mexican legend, the emotion of a Gypsy song, or the depth of a Corsican mass…
In short, what deeply drives them is singing about humanity, its emotions and feelings, with a profound love for music that naturally creates a connection between them and the audience.
Video links : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cctkG9hxoFk&list=RDcctkG9hxoFk&start_radio=1
Lineup : Kind of Jazz - Soul (vocals - piano - double bass)
📆 Tuesday, August 11 - 8:30 PM
📍 Chantemerle – Salle du Serre d'Aigle
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The artists :
A charismatic trio that revisits the great soul music standards by adding a very personal jazz touch.
Kind of Jazz is a jazz trio that offers an elegant and modern reinterpretation of soul standards, led by a singer with a warm presence, a creative pianist, and a bassist with subtle playing.
Christie is a soul and jazz singer, driven by a deep passion for music. Nurtured by soul and funk since childhood, she develops a warm and expressive voice. She now performs with the group Kind of Jazz, with which she offers lively and elegant music, colored by jazz.
Yannick Chauvin began classical piano at the age of 7, before quickly turning to jazz and taking courses in harmony and composition from the age of 13. After several years of training at various jazz schools, he participated in numerous projects before joining the CNRS big band in Marseille in 2016. In 2022, he created the trio Kind of Jazz, within which he carried out a large part of the arrangements.
Matteo Sgarzi is an Italian jazz double bassist/bassist, based in Marseille since 2013, known for his warmth and versatility. He brings a rich jazz color both in intimate trios centered on vocals (Kind of Jazz) and in larger, inventive ensembles (the quintet Prezzaj, or the recently formed quartet ALE, or the Italian quartet SLAM!).
Video link: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/6/#inbox/KtbxLzGWzLvpDhFlnktsGZhNFFtsCGwlTg?projector=1
Tribute to Jimmy Cliff by Jo Kaiat & Freddie Hall
📆 Wednesday, August 12 - 8:30 PM
📍 Chantemerle – Salle du Serre d'Aigle
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« Many Rivers to Cross », « I Can See Clearly Now », « You Can Get It If You Really Want »...All these songs rocked our childhood.
The Swing in the Mountains festival, artists Jo Kaiat, a talented pianist, and Freddie Hall, with his groovy voice, wish to pay tribute to this great artist who passed away on November 24, 2025: Jimmy Cliff.
Born in 1948 in St. James, Jamaica, under the name James Chambers, his first musical influences were the idols of his childhood, and as is often the case, they came from the United States: the great stars of soul music, but also Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, and many others. He released his first single at 14 after boldly going to Leslie Kong's shop and singing a song he had just composed a cappella. This attempt proved successful, as Mr. Kong had him record right away "Hurricane Huttie," a track whose lyrics talk about a hurricane that devastated everything in its path...
Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrHxhQPOO2c&list=RDtwf7LhQIBkQ&index=2
Soul, Motown, Ray Charles
Freddie Hall - Singing and guitar ; Jo Kaiat - Piano
📆 Thursday, August 13 - 8:30 PM
📍 Villeneuve – Maison de la Montagne
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The artists :
Freddie Hall, an artist with over 40 years of experience, has enjoyed enormous success in the United States, his country of origin, as well as in various international countries.
The singer goes on several tours each year around the world, in the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Austria, and France.
In his career, he has performed with Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Three Degrees, and other singers, performing several genres such as jazz, blues, soul music, and Motown.
Jo Kaiat dedicates himself to music, a territory whose boundaries are only those that one chooses to set.
His sonic odyssey begins with jazz, but very quickly, swing proves insufficient to express everything he possesses within him.
He then turns to Bela Bartok, Olivier Messiaen, Stravinsky, and the Impressionists. He spends his adolescence toying with chords in search of a mystery.
Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s48qK6vzyVQ
Gospel Evening "Assumption Special"
Group : Serre Che Gospel Singers - Director : Freddie Hall, on piano Jo Kaiat
📆 Saturday, August 15 - 8:30 PM
📍 Le Monêtier les Bains – Salle du Dôme
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The artists :
The choir Serre Che Gospel Singers has been performing at the festival for more than 20 years.
It is made up of 15 to 30 singers, passionate and professional, from different backgrounds and from all over the world. They will perform gospel classics, soul music, and songs by Jimmy Cliff for a well-deserved tribute.
Final concert :
Emily Johnson Meeting Whitney Houston
Line-up: Emily Johnson and 7 musicians and backup singers
📆 Sunday, August 16 - 8:30
📍 Le Monêtier les Bains – Salle du Dôme
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The artist :
Emily Johnson, godmother of the Festival, will perform the final concert on Sunday, August 16 at 8:30 PM at the Dôme hall in Monêtier-les-Bains. The international soul artist returns to the stage with a brand new show: the launch of her second album titled “POT,” a work deeply influenced by her recent travel experiences in Asia and by the emotional connection she developed with the cultures and people she encountered.
Singer, songwriter, and performer, Emily Johnson was discovered by John McLaughlin and produced by Narada Michael Walden, the legendary multi-Grammy Award-winning producer, known for his work with Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, and Mariah Carey.
Emily Johnson offers a performance where her own soul-pop creations blend with a moving tribute to her lifelong idol, Whitney Houston.
Surrounded by her 7 musicians and backup singers, each concert becomes a unique moment, a celebration of art, humanity, and the music that unites us all.
During this concert, Emily pays tribute to Whitney Houston. A moment of pure emotion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esak_jzKQ5I&t=16s
Link to an excerpt from her first album produced by Narada Michael Walden, "Open Your Heart." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlNusiSr-dI
Masterclass
Director : Freddie Hall
📆 From August 12 to 15 - from 5 PM to 7 PM
📍 Le Monêtier les Bains – Salle du Dôme
Offered by the SIM festival (Swing In the Mountains), the Master Class is free and open to all, enthusiasts as well as professionals.
Location: Dôme Hall – Monêtier-Les-Bains
Schedule: from 5 PM to 7 PM
Program: gospel, swing, blues, soul, and also some songs in tribute to Jimmy Cliff.
Registration :
only by email : swinginthemountain@gmail.com
or by SMS : 07 75 08 91 34
