Souad Massi

She is mentioned in the same breath as folk icons such as Joan Baez and Tracy Chapman: Souad Massi sings of peace, freedom and justice, thereby offering a beacon of hope in her homeland, Algeria.

Souad Massi grew up in Algiers, where she was exposed to a wide variety of musical styles: blues, folk, rock, Arab-Andalusian music and raï, the Algerian pop genre. She was also the lead singer of Atakor, a heavy metal band famous in Algeria. All these influences shaped her and helped her develop into a singer-songwriter. In her songs, which she sings in Arabic, French and the Berber language Kabyle, Massi rebels against political oppression and social injustice. Her poetic lyrics, her melancholic alto voice, folk and rock come together on her new album Zagate to create a unique sound that is both powerful and fragile.

Due to the threatening political situation in Algeria, Souad Massi emigrated to France almost three decades ago. Following her performance at the 1999 Femmes d’Algérie festival in Paris, she was promptly signed by the Universal Music-affiliated label Island-Mercury, on which her debut album Raoui (‘The Storyteller’) was released. Numerous further albums and awards followed, showcasing her powerful voice.