Souad Massi

Souad Massi

Souad Massi is an Algerian singer, songwriter and guitarist of Kabyle descent, born in 1972 in Algiers. She is associated with gnawa and pop, and her music also draws on acoustic guitar-based styles that connect to rock, country and fado. She sings in Algerian Arabic, French, English and Kabyle, and sometimes combines several languages in one song.

Career

Massi begins her career in the Algerian political rock band Atakor. She records and performs with the group for seven years, during which it releases a successful album and two popular music videos. The band’s political lyrics and growing profile make it a target, and Massi receives a series of death threats. She disguises herself by cutting her hair and wearing male clothing, then leaves the band and moves to Paris in 1999.

Also in 1999, she performs at the Femmes d’Algerie concert in Paris, which leads to a recording contract with Island Records. Her solo debut album, Raoui, appears in 2001 and is sung mostly in French and Arabic. It is compared by All Music Guide to 1960s American folk music and becomes a critical and commercial success in France.

Albums and collaborations

Massi’s second album, Deb, is released in 2003. Its lyrics are more personal than political, and the record becomes one of the most successful North African albums worldwide. Her third album, Mesk Elil, follows in 2006 and continues the themes of love and loss explored on Deb. It features duets with Daby Toure and Rabah Khalfa.

Her studio albums also include Ô Houria (2010), El Mutakallimun (2015), Oumniya (2019) and Sequana (2022).

Recognition

In 2002, Massi is nominated for Best Newcomer at the Radio 3 World Music Awards.

Background

Massi is born in Algiers to a poor Muslim family of seven children. Encouraged by her older brother, she starts studying music at a young age, singing and playing guitar. As a teenager she immerses herself in American country and roots music, which later shapes her songwriting. At 17, she joins a flamenco band but leaves after becoming bored with the group.

Her early work with Atakor links her to Algerian political rock, while her solo music moves away from the traditional Algerian and raï styles common among many Algerian musicians.