Souad Massi

Souad Massi is an Algerian singer, songwriter, and guitarist of Amazigh origin, born in Algiers in 1972, often described as the Tracy Chapman of the Maghreb. She began in the Kabyle political rock band Atakor before leaving Algeria after death threats and settling in Paris in 1999, where a landmark concert led to a deal with Island Records. She sings in Algerian Arabic, Amazigh, French, and occasionally English, blending folk, chaabi, and world influences with lyrics steeped in longing and nostalgia. France has honored her within the Order of Arts and Letters, and she received SACEM’s World Music Prize in 2011.