rai — Features

R&B artist Sabrina Bellaouel’s lineage of female storytellers and “f*cking warriors”

The Algerian-French vocalist tells AZEEMA how trips to the motherland informed the way she makes music, whilst her French upbringing provides her with enough genre-contrast to conclude in a rich and effervescent musical identity which she continues to evolve today.

SOUNDAZEEMA -March 28, 2023music, algeria, rai, women, storytelling, love, artist, algerian artist, french, paris, god, religion, spirituality

Esraa Warda is decolonising dance and reviving the rebellious roots of Rai

Digital Editor Dalia Al-Dujaili was lucky enough to sit down with renowned Algerian-American dancer Esraa Warda in her Brooklyn apartment. She tells AZEEMA about the origins of her subversive rai dancing, her long-standing musical partnership with icon Cheikha Rabia, and her excitement about a rare and special upcoming performance during this year’s Le Guess Who? Festival.

RESISTANCE, ARTS & CULTURE, SOUNDAZEEMA -October 19, 2022music, algerian, north africa, dance, rai, esraa warda, cheikha rabia, new york, community