Charismatic Sahrawi singer Aziza Brahim’s latest album “Mawja” resonates with mind, body and heart.
From the very first seconds of the opening track “Bein trab u lihjar” you know what this album will be about: percussions, emotions, and amazing sound.
Some 30 odd years after she started sharing Sahrawi music with wider and wider audiences, she remains as close as ever to her roots, but the palette of instruments, inspirations and where her vocals can takes us has never been as rich as on “Mawja”.
This record should be listened with full attention but can also be a background companion, shaping your mood and slowing your thoughts as if you were there in a desert with Aziza, her band, friends – and grandparents?
“Mawja was the word my grandparents said when they tuned the old portable radio we had in the house,” Aziza said in an interview. “It’s a poetic word that represents a lot of the personal meanings on this album, such as the waves of desert dunes, the waving of flags in the wind, waves of migration, or the soundwaves of music that move people to dance or think.”
Stream “Mawja” LP on Spotify and Bandcamp.
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