Berber Funk in the Soul Kitchen: Moroccan Singer-Songwriter Hindi Zahra Plays with East and West on Handmade
Moroccan-born, Paris-based Hindi Zahra can speak to mountains or whisper in your ear. She can turn rustling plastic bags into Berber beats and Parisian kitchens into soul incubators. Playfully savoring East and West, she writes infectious and hip songs, plays any instrument she can get her hands on, and records her own voice in the middle of the night to capture that perfect spark of intimacy.
Hindi's spontaneous yet long-honed debut, Handmade (Blue Note; February 22, 2011), bursts with maturity and vigor, rich in jazz, soul, and Arabic sounds but with a gritty, bluesy Berber pulse. I wanted a space where I could break all the barriers, where I could put all the music I knew and loved together. Where I could mix it all," Hindi explains.
Hindi grew up in southwest Morocco improvising melodies at her relatives' urging; singing along with Egyptian hits on the radio; and drawing inspiration from her hardworking father and the rugged ranges and verdant valleys surrounding her village. For the young Hindi, natural beauty was about more than aesthetics. The places around her were filled with spirits, and the mountains reminded her of plump and generous old ladies," she recalls fondly. They became her first audience, as she sang to them.
With a singer and actress for a mother and uncles who loved to jam on guitars and percussion, Hindi found her own voice early. I had to go to my room, close the door, and practice making up melodies on my own," Hindi explains. I had to be alone, with only my voice."
Surrounded by English-language music, she savored
Moroccan-born, Paris-based Hindi Zahra can speak to mountains or whisper in your ear. She can turn rustling plastic bags into Berber beats and Parisian kitchens into soul incubators. Playfully savoring East and West, she writes infectious and hip songs, plays any instrument she can get her hands on, and records her own voice in the middle of the night to capture that perfect spark of intimacy.
Hindi's spontaneous yet long-honed debut, Handmade (Blue Note; February 22, 2011), bursts with maturity and vigor, rich in jazz, soul, and Arabic sounds but with a gritty, bluesy Berber pulse. I wanted a space where I could break all the barriers, where I could put all the music I knew and loved together. Where I could mix it all," Hindi explains.
Hindi grew up in southwest Morocco improvising melodies at her relatives' urging; singing along with Egyptian hits on the radio; and drawing inspiration from her hardworking father and the rugged ranges and verdant valleys surrounding her village. For the young Hindi, natural beauty was about more than aesthetics. The places around her were filled with spirits, and the mountains reminded her of plump and generous old ladies," she recalls fondly. They became her first audience, as she sang to them.
With a singer and actress for a mother and uncles who loved to jam on guitars and percussion, Hindi found her own voice early. I had to go to my room, close the door, and practice making up melodies on my own," Hindi explains. I had to be alone, with only my voice."
Surrounded by English-language music, she savored
