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Malika Zarra

Moroccan French world jazz singer/composer/producer, MALIKA ZARRA is a multi-cultural shape-shifter, an enchantress who leaps effortlessly between seemingly unconnected languages and traditions, uniting them while utilizing each to further enrich the others. The exotically beautiful artist with the velvety, sinuous mezzo-soprano voice has demonstrated a rare ability to communicate both powerful and subtle ideas and feelings in French, English and Moroccan Arabic and is now a much-in-demand headliner at nightclubs and festivals the world over.

Malika was born in Southern Morocco, in a little village called Ouled Teima. Her father's family was originally from M'Hamid, an oasis just off the Sahara, while her mother was a Berber from the High Atlas. During her early childhood, there was always music and dancing in the house and Malika sang almost from babyhood. After her family emigrated to a suburb of Paris, she found herself straddling two very different societies. “I had to be French at school yet retain my Moroccan cultural heritage at home, she recalls, Like many immigrant children, I learned to switch quickly between the two. It was hard but brought me a lot of good things too”.

Malika’s interest in music led her to take up the clarinet in grade school. Meanwhile, she was being exposed to a wide variety of musical styles, she cites fellow Moroccan Chiha Hamdaouia, the Lebanese-born, Egyptian-based ud virtuoso/composer Farid el Atrache, and Algerian-French singer Warda (Al-Jazairia) as major influences. She also absorbed albums by Ella Fitzgerald, Bobby McFerrin, Thelonious Monk, Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin. “When I decided to learn singing, I started with jazz because I was attracted by the improvisation, which is also important in Arabic music”, she says. Although her family was not in favor of her pursuing a musical career, Malika nonetheless attended classes at conservatories and jazz academies at Tours and Marseille and studied privately with Sarah Lazarus and Françoise Galais.

During her apprentice phase, during which she became in fixture in France and on the Paris scene, Malika performed at a variety of well-known clubs and events, including Festival L’esprit Jazz de St Germain, Sunside, Baiser Sale, Hot Brass, Espace Julien, Pelle Mele and Cite de la Musique. In the beginning, she interpreted classic material strictly in the original languages - - then a breakthrough occurred. “When I started to sing in Arabic, writing new lyrics for jazz standards, I found that people reacted really strongly. There is always more emotion when you sing in your own language because your feelings are more intense”. As a composer, the process was similar ; asked why and when she began writing her own songs, she says impishly, “After getting tired of forgetting English lyrics !”

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Radio & Podcasts

2024 Winter JazzFest: The Out-of-Towners

Read "2024 Winter JazzFest: The Out-of-Towners" reviewed by Ludovico Granvassu


New York's Winter JazzFest is a happening where globetrotters discover our scene's goings-on. It's also the place where New Yorkers get chance to hear music from abroad (or at least from out of town), including by musicians featured here. Enjoy a playlist which will make you want to go to see them live! Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Léon Phal “Same Human" Stress Killer (Heavenly Sweetness) ...

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Interview

Moroccan Jazz Singer Malika Zarra Embraces Her Heritage on "Berber Taxi"

Moroccan Jazz Singer Malika Zarra Embraces Her Heritage on "Berber Taxi"

Source: All About Jazz @ Spinner

Whether one is improvising, composing or even just playing songs, music is a declaration of self. This is never more apparent than with singer and composer Malika Zarra. Born in Morocco and raised in France, Zarra draws upon her roots to inform her jazz by adding elements of North African chaâbi and well as traditional Moroccan styles like Berber, Gnawa, Issawa and Houara. Through it all, her sultry mezzo-soprano bounces between English, French, Berber, Moroccan dialect of Arabic and Arabic. ...

Moroccan world jazz singer/composer/producer, Malika Zarra is a multi- cultural shape-shifter, an enchantress who leaps effortlessly between seemingly unconnected languages and traditions, uniting them while utilizing each to further enrich the others. The exotically beautiful artist with the velvety, sinuous mezzo-soprano voice has demonstrated a rare ability to communicate both powerful and subtle ideas and feelings in French, English and Moroccan Arabic. --Christina Roden

The lines between Middle Eastern music and jazz are there to be drawn.

Ornette Coleman has played with the Master Musicians of Joujouka, and Pharoah Sanders recorded an album with Maleem Mahmoud Ghania, of the Gnawa tribe

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Triple Life

Self Produced
2011

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On The Ebony Road

Not On Label
2006

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