Sahari

Born in the Saharawi refugee camps of Algeria, Aziza has made waves across the world with her music, bringing attention to Western Sahara's state of crisis and to its people, many of whom have been forced to fee from Moroccan forces to Algerian camps.

On her third release with Glitterbeat, Aziza worked with Amparo Sánchez at her home (in exile) in Spain, adding cautious electronics and producing the first fully studio-recorded and produced album. In ‘Cuatro Proverbios’ and ‘Sahari’ you can hear a sampled tabal (a drum central to Saharawi musical traditions) interacting with electronic percussion sounds. My favourite track is ‘Hada Jil’; it offers a spacious reggae skank (also present in ‘Las Huellas’), synthesized percussion and bass, which make her vocals seem all the more organic in comparison with their electro backdrop. ‘Ard El Hub’ is an emotionally charged ode to her homeland. Aziza says the song speaks of: ‘the impossibility of returning to the homeland for us. The lyrics of the song are by Zaim Alal, a great Saharawi poet... he wrote this for me to sing.’ An achingly heartfelt album, with sensitively placed electronics, Sahari showcases Aziza's vocal performance and compositions in a refreshing new way.