Souad Massi
Encyclopedia
Souad Massi born August 23, 1972, is an Algeria
n singer, songwriter
and guitarist
. She began her career performing in the Kabyle political rock
band Atakor, before leaving the country following a series of death threat
s. In 1999, Massi performed at the Femmes d'Algerie concert in Paris
, which led to a recording contract with Island Records
.
Massi's music, which prominently features the acoustic guitar
, displays Western musical style influences such as rock, country
or the Portuguese fado
but sometimes incorporates oriental musical influences and oriental instruments like the oud
as well as African musical stylings. Massi sings in Algerian Arabic
, French
, and occasionally English
and Kabyle
(Berber language), often employing multiple languages in the same song.
, Algeria
to a poor family of seven children. Encouraged by her older brother, she began studying music at a young age, singing and playing guitar. Growing up, she immersed herself in American
country
and roots
music – musical styles that would later strongly influence her songwriting. At the age of seventeen, she joined a flamenco
band, but quickly grew bored with the group and left.
In the early 1990s, Massi joined the Algerian political rock
band Atakor, who were influenced by Western rock bands such as Led Zeppelin
and U2
. She recorded and performed with the group for seven years, releasing a successful album and two popular music video
s. The band, however, with its political lyrics and growing popularity became a target. Massi disguised herself by cutting her hair and dressing in male clothing, but she nevertheless became the target of a series of death threat
s. In 1999, she left the band and moved to Paris
, France
.
. In June 2001, she released her solo debut album, Raoui
("Storyteller"), which Allmusic compared to 1960s American folk music
. Sung mostly in French and Arabic, the album became a critical and commercial success in France. The following year, she was nominated for "Best Newcomer" at the Radio 3 World Music Awards.
In 2003, she released her second album, Deb ("Heartbroken"). The album's lyrics were more personal, rather than political, and it became one of the most successful North African albums worldwide. Three years later, Massi released her third album, Mesk Elil
("Honeysuckle"). The album expanded on the themes of love and loss that had been explored on Deb, and featured duets with Daby Toure and Rabah Khalfa.
In 2010, she released her fourth studio album Ô Houria. This album was produced by Francis Cabrel and Francoise Michel. It features Paul Weller
on piano and vocals on its closing song.
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
. She began her career performing in the Kabyle political rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Atakor, before leaving the country following a series of death threat
Death threat
A death threat is a threat of death, often made anonymously, by one person or a group of people to kill another person or groups of people. These threats are usually designed to intimidate victims in order to manipulate their behavior, thus a death threat is a form of coercion...
s. In 1999, Massi performed at the Femmes d'Algerie concert in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, which led to a recording contract with Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
.
Massi's music, which prominently features the acoustic guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, displays Western musical style influences such as rock, country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
or the Portuguese fado
Fado
Fado is a music genre which can be traced to the 1820s in Portugal, but probably with much earlier origins. Fado historian and scholar, Rui Vieira Nery, states that "the only reliable information on the history of Fado was orally transmitted and goes back to the 1820s and 1830s at best...
but sometimes incorporates oriental musical influences and oriental instruments like the oud
Oud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
as well as African musical stylings. Massi sings in Algerian Arabic
Algerian Arabic
Algerian Arabic is the variety or varieties of Arabic spoken in Algeria. In Algeria, as elsewhere, spoken Arabic differs from written Arabic; Algerian Arabic has a vocabulary mostly Arabic, with significant Berber substrates, and many new words and loanwords borrowed from French, Turkish and...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, and occasionally English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Kabyle
Kabyle language
Kabyle or Kabylian is a Berber language spoken by the Kabyle people north and northeast of Algeria. Estimates about the number of speakers range from 5 million to about 7 million speakers worldwide, the majority in Algeria.-Classification:The classification of Kabyle is Afro-Asiatic, Berber and...
(Berber language), often employing multiple languages in the same song.
Childhood and early bands
Massi was born in AlgiersAlgiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
to a poor family of seven children. Encouraged by her older brother, she began studying music at a young age, singing and playing guitar. Growing up, she immersed herself in American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and roots
Traditional music
Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
music – musical styles that would later strongly influence her songwriting. At the age of seventeen, she joined a flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
band, but quickly grew bored with the group and left.
In the early 1990s, Massi joined the Algerian political rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Atakor, who were influenced by Western rock bands such as Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
and U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
. She recorded and performed with the group for seven years, releasing a successful album and two popular music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s. The band, however, with its political lyrics and growing popularity became a target. Massi disguised herself by cutting her hair and dressing in male clothing, but she nevertheless became the target of a series of death threat
Death threat
A death threat is a threat of death, often made anonymously, by one person or a group of people to kill another person or groups of people. These threats are usually designed to intimidate victims in order to manipulate their behavior, thus a death threat is a form of coercion...
s. In 1999, she left the band and moved to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Solo career
In 1999, Massi was invited to perform at the Femmes d'Algerie ("Women from Algeria") festival in Paris, which led to a recording contract with Island RecordsIsland Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
. In June 2001, she released her solo debut album, Raoui
Raoui
Raoui is the first album of Souad Massi, the Algerian-born, Paris-based singer-songwriter, released in 2001.- Track listing :#"Raoui"#"Bladi"#"Amessa"#"Tant Pis Pour Moi"#"Noir Et Blanc"#"Hayati"#"Nekreh El Kelb..."#"Denya"#"Khsara Aalik"...
("Storyteller"), which Allmusic compared to 1960s American folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
. Sung mostly in French and Arabic, the album became a critical and commercial success in France. The following year, she was nominated for "Best Newcomer" at the Radio 3 World Music Awards.
In 2003, she released her second album, Deb ("Heartbroken"). The album's lyrics were more personal, rather than political, and it became one of the most successful North African albums worldwide. Three years later, Massi released her third album, Mesk Elil
Mesk Elil
Mesk Elil is the third album of Souad Massi, the Algerian-born, Paris-based singer-songwriter, following her 2004 album "Deb". Mauritanian vocalist Daby Touré, Pascal Danaë, a French-born musician of Caribbean ancestry and Mino Cinelu on percussion are a few of the artists appearing on the...
("Honeysuckle"). The album expanded on the themes of love and loss that had been explored on Deb, and featured duets with Daby Toure and Rabah Khalfa.
In 2010, she released her fourth studio album Ô Houria. This album was produced by Francis Cabrel and Francoise Michel. It features Paul Weller
Paul Weller
Paul Weller is an English singer-songwriter. Starting with the band The Jam , Weller then went on to branch out musically to a more soulful style with The Style Council...
on piano and vocals on its closing song.
Solo albums
- 2001: RaouiRaouiRaoui is the first album of Souad Massi, the Algerian-born, Paris-based singer-songwriter, released in 2001.- Track listing :#"Raoui"#"Bladi"#"Amessa"#"Tant Pis Pour Moi"#"Noir Et Blanc"#"Hayati"#"Nekreh El Kelb..."#"Denya"#"Khsara Aalik"...
- 2003: Deb
- 2005: Mesk ElilMesk ElilMesk Elil is the third album of Souad Massi, the Algerian-born, Paris-based singer-songwriter, following her 2004 album "Deb". Mauritanian vocalist Daby Touré, Pascal Danaë, a French-born musician of Caribbean ancestry and Mino Cinelu on percussion are a few of the artists appearing on the...
- 2007: Live acoustique
- 2010: Ô Houria