Emel Mathlouthi Announces Tour

“It’s facile to compare Mathlouthi to some of the great singer-songwriters she counts as her heroes…[but] she is no wannabe…Mathlouthi is a singular voice.” –NPR MUSIC

“epic, gorgeously ornamented” –PITCHFORK ‘RISING’

“a national treasure singing songs for the oppressed” –THE GUARDIAN

Tunisian protest artist, Emel Mathlouthi, creates expansive electronic music paired with traditional Tunisian instruments and rhythms. On the heels of her new release, Ensen, she will tour Europe in April and the US in May.

In honor of International Women’s Day, Emel spoke with the BBC for a piece “celebrating new musicians who are continuing the tradition of outspoken female singers in Arabic music.” Emel will also take part in a ‘Women of the World’ (WOW) concert today honoring Joni Mitchell’s album Hejira at London’s Southbank Centre.

Emel rose to prominence after a video of her performing her song “Kemti Horra (My Word Is Free)” during a street protest went viral online and became the unofficial anthem of the Arab Spring. Earning her the title “voice of the Tunisian revolution,” she was later asked to perform the song at the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony for its significance during the uprising.

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