The Best Singer You Never Heard Of…
…because she rarely sings in English, and this IS the Land of the Free, Home of the Monoglot. The lovely creature on the left is the incomparable Mizz Natacha Atlas. You can read all about her here. I do not recommend actually Googling her; there’s a lot of anti-Semitism directed towards her – basically, its all sour grapes because a Belgian of mixed Arab and Jewish descent sings in FLAWLESS Arabic and is adored by music critics the world over. People are bitches. Anyway… I love, love, LOVE this picture. It’s breathtaking. Normally I would say that it’s PhotoShop, but I think the photographer really captured the haunting sensuality that you can actually hear in her music. It’s what makes her so immediately compelling. She’s not what anybody would call pretty, but in that peculiar manner that truly beautiful people have, she transcends the category.
Please enjoy ridonkulously pixelated “When I Close My Eyes.”
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June 23, 2009 at 2:18 pm
I’m a huge fan of Natacha Atlas! Aside from her albums, she works with so many musicians and bands (David Arnold, Nitin Sawhney, Toirrs, Transglobal Underground, Dhol Foundation, and so many others!).
The first Arab friends I made were in my freshman year of college (2002), and when I told them about Natacha Atlas, they didn’t know who I was talking about! Then I learned that she isn’t considered mainstream Arabic pop-music.
Great post, and this song brings back so many memories! It was one of the first Natacha Atlas songs I ever heard. Such a sweet and beautiful song
June 23, 2009 at 3:28 pm
@Jehanzeb: Awesome, another fan. Yeah, Natacha Atlas is better known on the “world music” scene. Her voice is just exquisite. The first song I ever heard of hers was “Kidda” (from “Halim”, her tribute to Abdel Halim Hafez) and “Moustahil” and “Amulet” from the same album are still two of my favorites. “Amulet” especially. So adorable, and playful, and still arresting. Yup. I am a fan. Thanks for your feedback, dear.