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Photo credit: Judas Companion
The musicians that stand out from the crowd are those who use their roots (in this case, Middle Eastern and North African) as a springboard to launch themselves into other territories by harnessing the power of today's sounds, more specifically electronic music. A prime example is Deena Abdelwahed, born in Tunisia but raised in Qatar, whose debut album Khonnar creates a new world where we find an equal blend of Arab and avant-garde, as well as a strong commitment to the artist's dark lyrics and queer-activist perspective as evidence of a protean identity. These multiple roots and masks have earned her a spot among this year's Faces in the We are Europe network.
"The sounds I compose come from my memory," an expressive, ebullient Deena Abdelwahed explained to us on the day of her performance at Nuits sonores in Lyon. "I try to recall music I've heard on the radio, in the street, at weddings as a child. That pop music atmosphere of growing up in Arab countries. I try to reclaim those sounds for myself." A clear statement of intent from someone who doesn't deny her roots but also doesn't hesitate to tra...
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