Kan Ya Makan (Once Upon a Time)

Four years after an adventurous solo debut which took us on an exhilarating journey through the Arabic world, Franco-Algerian singer, cellist and songwriter Nesrine Belmokh has brought out another impressive opus. Kan Ya Makan is more reflective, oscillating between doubt and great optimism; a call to life and love. Her cello, as always, plays a central part in her creations, generating energising arpeggios and basslines together with the subtle backing of fellow artists Vincent Huma (guitar) Grégoire Musso (bass, keyboards), Anissa Nehari and Rhani Krija on percussion, and trombonist Paco Soler. Perfectly blending with the vocal melodies, Belmokh’s vibrant voice delivers captivating, poetic lyrics in French, English and Arabic, each word a musical component in itself – English translations of the lyrics are included in the liner notes. Musically, Belmokh is inspired by a profusion of styles, including Algerian chaabi, Egyptian jeel, Western classical, jazz and French chanson. Of the ten songs, ‘Dunia’ is a great example of the creativity evident throughout the album.