Sonia M'barek and Al-Bustan Takht Ensemble on WFMU

WFMU - Transpacific Sound ParadiseSonia M'Barek in concert, FIAF World Nomads Tunisia Festival Opening NightMay 4, 2013 | by Bob Weisberg

Tunisian vocalist Sonia M'Barek can sing a centuries-old song from Andalusia, and just as nimbly reframe the words of radical 20th-century poets. She hears the ties of mode and rhythm linking Tunisia’s prized classical traditions, Egyptian cabaret music, and Ottoman court pieces, evoking the diverse musical variations around the Mediterranean with a sultry, supple voice. The Award-winning vocalist was the first female singer to specialize in the centuries-old Tunisian / Andalusian classical form malouf, but she prides herself even more in her powerful personalized renditions of 20th century and contemporary Tunisian and pan-Arabic / pan-Mediterranean poems and songs...."

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