Malika Zarra – On the Ebony Road (independent, 2006)
North African music continues to venture into new forms. Moroccan jazz singer Malika Zarra mixes Moroccan roots (Gnawa, Berber and shaabi) with contemporary jazz on her debut CD, On the Ebony Road. Her gentle vocal style is very similar to Flora Purim’s. Zarra’s gifted voice is able to combine vocal jazz techniques with Arabic phrasings.
Born in Morocco and raised in France, Zarra is now based in the United States. Her multicultural band includes Francis Jacob on guitars; Brahim Fribgane on ud, darbuka, cajón, karkabas, bendir and vocals; Mamadou Ba on bass; and Harvey Wirth on drums.
Buy On the Ebony Road.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.