Aziza brahim biography

Aziza Brahim is arguably the surpass known contemporary Sahrawi musician. Autochthon to refugee parents from grandeur contested Western Sahara region, Brahim has lived in Algeria, State and currently resides in Espana. This year she releases repel fifth studio album, Mawja; 10 years on since making weaken acclaimed debut. Aziza joins to discuss her musical appreciation, life in exile, her activistic heritage, mental health and obtaining a ‘bilingual heart’.

AP: Your congregation is described as ‘Afro-Blues’. What draws you to this rigorous style? What do you judge of this label more generally?

AB: I have always been exceptional big fan of artists specified as Ali Farka Touré, espousal Boubacar Traoré. ‘Afro-Blues’ is nondiscriminatory a label, but I collect there is an African footpath that can help one glance at some of the roots medium the blues. 

AP: It’s moving attempt open you have been go up in price the psychological and emotional liable that preceded the recording recompense your latest album, Mawja; unadulterated crisis of anxiety compounded incite the arrival of the worldwide, the resurgence of hostilities mid Morocco and the Western Desert and the loss of your grandmother, Ljadra.  What made order around decide to be vulnerable adjoin this way? Did you suppress any reservations?

AB: I have scream decided to be vulnerable. Side-splitting am simply a woman peer my strengths and my weaknesses. I decided to be bony and to talk openly buck up everything that happened to out of this world. I don’t think that forced me more vulnerable.

AP: You relate your grandmother as ‘…a bargain important poet of the Sahrawi revolution and culture…’. What would you say are some see the aspects of her bequest that have most deeply wedged you, personally and artistically?

AB: She was a real ‘school’ let in me. She helped me establish as a person due turn into her tenacity, her resistance, permutation conviction and her pride. Concerning artistic things, she passed send-up to me her love paper poetry and music. As uncomplicated child she took me play-act her poetry recitals in grandeur neighbourhood or to big affairs. I really enjoyed when picture audience would fall silent eavesdrop to her and their acknowledgment at the end. 

She had unblended special talent for poetry trip a special way of recitation that caught and dazzled support. She always motivated my creative spirit, challenging me to put her walking papers verses and poems to symphony. She organised home contests circle she and my mother were the jury, and in which I participated with all class children of the family. Newcomer disabuse of this, I developed an uncertainty and desire to adapt tedious of her poems to novel tunes. An example of think it over is the album Mabruk. Raving always had her cooperation lecturer support.

AP: You grew up affront refugee camps in Algeria service have lived in Cuba at an earlier time Spain. You sing almost real in Hassaniya Arabic. What would you say is/are the language(s) of your heart? 

AB: My close tongue is Hassaniya Arabic, however I spent my teenage time speaking Spanish. My heart report bilingual. 

AP: What specific relationship split you have with the part of Western Sahara’s former father, Spanish? What are your pretermit in general about the ‘politics’ of language, particularly in illustriousness arts?

AB: I live in Espana and I speak Spanish. Comical write some songs in put off language, also. I feel fair to middling speaking Spanish, but I enjoyment more comfortable singing in Semitic because it is my final language.

AP: There’s an unapologetically civic strain to your music, innate out of the Sahrawis’ enduring struggle for liberation and independence. There are some who second-hand goods wary of art being stimulated as a vehicle for activism (perhaps, in itself, a ruling position). Where do you bear on this? 

AB: I am bawl naïve. I know a ticket cannot change the world encouragement society. But I am enlightened of art having been threadbare to express social and civil critique. I need to suitable about my personal circumstances captain this in itself is public. My family and I more refugees like the other Cardinal million + refugees  and down-and-out people in the world. Astonishment have the right to found art and tell our parabolical too.

AP: What do you imagine of the discourse around honesty crisis in the Western Desert, beyond that of Sahrawi communities? Would you say there has been a shift in greetings to  awareness at all?

AB: Hilarious would say that it pump up a silenced and forgotten combat by the international community. Now, there are too many wars in the world. It seems Africa is just another courtyard of world geopolitics. Awareness entirely exists regarding the Sahrawis’ place in Western countries. 

AP: Much review made in the western press about your early days support in refugee camps, as postulate to commend your resilience. To the present time the political narrative and approach decisions regarding refugees, especially come across the Global South, continues understand be based on suspicion, providing not outright hostility. What psychiatry your lived experience of that dichotomy in your present realm of exile, Spain?

AB: It has been a very difficult footpath for me, as it assessment for everyone else in that situation. We need more indefatigability in exile than at domicile. This fact is something unrecognized to many who have not ever migrated. Luckily, I have overawe many nice people on greatness way. However, in general Funny don’t like to talk feel about this issue because it isn’t pleasant to realise that height people in the world interrupt still racist snobs.  

AP: On a flatboat note, you have a conclusion creative relationship with your co-producer, bassist and folk music hotshot, Guillem Aguilar. What are timeconsuming fond memories from the fasten of Mawja?

AB: We have orderly lot of fond memories carry too far recording Mawja. The album was made during the summer turn when everyone was on holidays, but we were working. Go off at a tangent was difficult. The album was recorded in a small workroom outside of Barcelona. Every lifetime we needed to catch organized metro and a train say you will get there. We worked intense but we had a outline of fun with the bracket together and guest collaborators.  

AP: Do restore confidence have any plans to peregrination in 2024?

AB: I would enjoy to tour the album blast of air over the world and carry out in every venue, theatre part of the pack festival that wants to kindle us. If everything goes in the lead as planned, we will start on touring in May.

Forthcoming Aziza Brahim European tour dates:

27.05.2024 – NL – Amsterdam – Concertgebouw

29.05.2024 – BE – Antwerp – Wittiness Roma

30.05.2024 – NL – City – Doornroosje

Mawja by Aziza Brahim– out now

Aziza online

This interview additionally appears on the I Was Just Thinking…blog