Nesrine – Kan Ya Makan – Once Upon a Time (ACT, 2024)
Franco-Algerian singer and cellist Nesrine will release her latest album, Kan Ya Makan – Once Upon a Time, on November 1, 2024, via ACT. Known for her skillful mixing of languages and musical influences, Nesrine shifts focus with this project, centering on personal connections and identity, moving away from the broader themes explored in her earlier work.
The album presents her distinctive fusion of western classical music with global sounds, combining Arabic and French lyrics. Musical references span from Johann Sebastian Bach to Serge Gainsbourg, reflecting her diverse artistic influences. Producers Vincent Huma and Grégoire Musso helped Nesrine craft songs marked by intricate, exquisite cello performances and polished production.
While deeply personal, Kan Ya Makan also explores themes of migration and cultural identity, celebrating the beauty of meshing together traditions and confronting political divisions. Through this album, Nesrine highlights the positive impact of cultural exchange and transformation.
The 11-track album features contributions from various musicians, including standout pieces like the title track and “Bonnie & Clyde.”
“My previous albums were more about my view of the world,” Nesrine commented. “This one is about my personal story. Many of the pieces are about close relationships between me and other people. But also about me. In ”Dunia’ – the Arabic for ‘life’ – I tell my whole life story, from childhood to the present day.”
For the first time, she also sings in two different languages, Arabic and French, within the same song. She said: ‘I firmly believe in this kind of connection and the possibilities it opens up. It’s a real reflection of myself and a liberation. I don’t have to choose one side; I can just be both.”
Despite the complexity of her music, writing is essentially a sensual, intuitive process for Nesrine: ‘It’s like capturing information that already exists. I don’t write much music. Whatever I write is just there and that’s it. For the current album, I only had these nine songs. That’s how I always work, my whole working process is very focused.”
Kan Ya Makan puts across Nesrine’s view of the world and our time: “If my grandfather hadn’t left Algeria at some point and come to France, I wouldn’t be the person I am today, I wouldn’t be making the music I make. I want my listeners to feel that it’s not primarily a problem when people move from one country to another – it’s a beautiful thing. The current political debates are all about extremes. I don’t think that will get us anywhere. What gives me confidence and strength are the people who listen to my music and my stories. We only see what we want to see. And I want to open people’s eyes with my music.“
Musicians: Nesrine on cello, vocals; Vincent Huma on guitar; Grégoire Musso on bass, keyboards; Anissa Nehari on percussion; Rhani Krija on percussion; and Paco Soler on trombone.
Produced by Nesrine, Grégoire Musso, Vincent Huma
Recorded at Benzene Studios by Bruce Keen & Matthis Geffroy, Midilive Studios and Riverside Studios, between April 2023 and April 2024.
Mixed by Bruce Keen. Mastered by Alexis Bardinet Glaobe Audio Studios.
Cover art and photos by Mariya Olegovna, used by kind permission of the artist.
Nesrine plays her Enrico Marchetti cello, 1910.
Buy Kan Ya Makan – Once Upon a Time.
Author: Tyler Bennet
