Souad Massi

An enchanting and eclectic troubadour of world music, singer/songwriter Saoud Massi has built a truly diverse catalog that fuses Chaâbi and other North African traditions with classical, folk-rock, bossa nova, and a panoply of other styles. Pegged as a political firebrand in her native Algeria, she settled in France, where she launched a successful solo career with acclaimed releases like 2003's Deb and 2010's Ô Houria. With each subsequent album, Massi added different layers to her sound, whether exploring ancient Arabic texts on 2015's lush El Mutakallimûn or fusing together Sahelian and Brazilian styles on 2022's Sequana.