Grandma’s Ashes, Maicee and Romane Santarelli to perform at ‘French Night’ during Korea’s largest indie showcase festival on Friday
Three rising French musicians — Grandma’s Ashes, Maicee and Romane Santarelli — will take part in Zandari Festa 2025, running from Friday to Sunday in Hongdae, Seoul.
The artists will perform during French Night at Musinsa Garage on the festival’s opening evening, where they will celebrate the creativity and diversity of contemporary French music, according to the Culture Service of the Embassy of France.
“The trio will come together to offer an unforgettable musical experience, blending pop, electro, grunge, rap and experimental sounds,” the French cultural service said in a press release on Wednesday.
Paris-based trio Grandma’s Ashes is known for their explosive performances that fuse gothic rock, 1990s grunge and industrial intensity. Their powerful riffs and evocative vocals delve into themes of human connection and emotional reflection.
Maicee, a singer and rapper from Montpellier now based in Paris, has been breaking musical boundaries for the past three years. Her music reflects her hybrid, borderless identity — mixing rock, electronic, old-school hip-hop and London grime into a distinctive blend of pop, rap and club beats.
Electronic producer Romane Santarelli emerged as one of France’s most exciting new voices in electronic music in 2019. Combining dreamlike techno and organic electronica with striking visual storytelling, she continues to forge her own artistic identity.
Founded in 2012, Zandari Festa was inspired by Seoul Sonic, a North American tour organized a year earlier by Korean indie bands Galaxy Express, Idiotape and Vidulgi Ooyoo. The name “Zandari,” meaning “small bridge” in old Korean, reflects the festival’s mission to connect musicians, audiences and industry professionals from Korea and around the world.
Zandari Festa stands as the country’s largest urban showcase festival, bringing together emerging and established artists across genres such as rock, hip-hop and electronic music. This year’s theme, “Diversity,” highlights stories and sounds that transcend musical and cultural boundaries.
The final lineup features 70 teams, including top Korean acts like Lee Seung-yoon, Idiotape, Broccoli, You Too?, O3ohn, Kardian, Dickpunks and AndAyoung, as well as iconic names such as Leenalchi, Jambinai, Galaxy Express and Ambiguous Dance Company.
Artists from 15 countries will also join the event, including Violette Wautier, a Thai singer who gained fame on “The Voice Thailand” Season 2, and Ardhito Pramono, an Indonesian singer-songwriter and actor with over 1.9 million monthly Spotify listeners.
