If it seems that more often than not I'm writing about female artists, especially female world music artists, lately, that is no illusion. Maybe I'm drawn to female artrists for some reason; or maybe because opportunities for female artists have tended to be more limited those who manage to attain some sort of prominence are just at a higher level than the general run of male artists, or perhaps a higher percentage of them are at a higher level because only the best of them can succeed. In any case, the most exciting new artist I've encountered lately is Hindi Zahra, a 30 year-old Berber woman from Morocco who has lived in France, specifically Paris, since she was in her teens. In short, she is part of the new multi-cultural artistic milieu that stretches around the globe these days--with Paris being a major nexus--with creative, sophisticated, thoughtful artists of all backgrounds taking in influences from all directions, mixing them with their own foundation culture, and coming up with personalized expressions embodied in fresh fusions. For that reason, relative to their own cultures and relative to mainstream pop styles, they are truly "alternative."
I think it was a review in a recent issue of Mojo Magazine--that worthy publication for music obsessives--that hipped me to her and led me to check her out I ordered her debut album, "Handmade", and when it arrived, the photo on the cover presents a striking, raven-haired woman with hands-on-the-hips edgy attitude and a petulant expression, each of her wrists encircled with at least a dozen bracelets. She seems to be in a small shop or market stall, a purveyor of spices, or perhaps an herbal healer's redoubt. It could easily be in Morocco or perhaps in the Barbes section of Paris or maybe in the vicinity of a banliue. It conveys at once something urban and exotic.
There's been a big buzz on Hindi Zahra in Europe, thanks to the success of her "Beautiful Tango," which leads off the album It is a jazz, languorous tune, Hindi's sinous vocal dancing over acoustic guitar and light hand percussion, redolent of a bygone era, in the vein of, say, Mary Hopkins' Sixties hit "Those Were The Days." It i
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-8n6rTH6Ns
Interestingly, Hindi sings mainly in English--which may something about her ambitions ro maybe just her inclinations--but also occasionally in Berber or French. "Beautiful Tango" places her in the realm of such jazzy, understated torch singers as Madeleine Peyroux, Norah Jones or even Erykah Badu in her earliest incarnation, singers who inevitably reference--and are compared to--Billie Holiday. It's a sound and style that seems endlessly appealing to certain audiences. Hindi Zahra does not shy away from this reference; she does a version of "The Man I Love", a song definitively rendered by Billie. It speaks volumes that HNindi's version of the song stands up well to Billie's and yet manages to convey its own identity. If Hindi Zahra did only material in this vein, she'd be notable as she does it well, and writes first-rate melodies (she wrote everything on the album aside from "The Man I Love"). She could have a successful career doing just that if she so desired. But other tracks strike out for different realms, bringing different musical flavors and rhythms subtly into the mix--elements of reggae, Berber music, rock and even hip hop. "Stand Up", which in its original incarnation in a Western Union commercial was rather sparse, takes on a North African identity in the album version, beginning with an Arabic drum pattern, funky elecgric guitar "chuks", oud fills and a reggae groove interlude. There's a brief oud solo in the middle chorus and a heavy bassline after a while:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZTuG-n-qQg
"Music," on the other hand, rocks out, eurpting with over-driven, distorted electric guitar. "Don't Forget" is simply a gorgeous pop song. So the album is eclectic but all within a range, held together by Hindi's evocative singing and unerring melodic sense.
By chance, when I was in Austin, Texas for the SXSW conference, I noticed that Hindi was playing at a club called Mohawk on one of the nights of the conference. I made my way through throngs of people flooding the streets downtown in the Sixth Street area, the explosions of highly amplified sound, general cacophony and flashing lights reminiscent of certain scenes from Apocalypse Now. When I finally made it to Mohawk, Hindi was not on the main stage in a patio area. But then I learned that inside the converted frame house there was an inner bar downstairs. When I went there Hindi's band--a three-piece encompassing what appeared to be a North African, possibly an Algerian or Moroccan electric guitarist, a French drummer and a dark-compelcted African electric bassist. After some time of the band fiddling with their instruments, Hindi herself strolled out, brandishing an acoustic guitar. Without fanfare, the band launched immediately into a faultless "Beautiful Tango", and the audience of perhaps twenty quickly swelled to close to 100, packing the small room. Hindi spoke little, just an occasional "thank you" in English, smiling somewhat mysteriously now and then. Most of the songs they played came off edgier, more urgent and more electric in live performance. The general effect was like that of an alternatige rock band whose members just happened to be French and African. It was a beguiling forty-minute performance.
It will be interesting to see what audience will gravitate toward Hindi Zahara in the U.S. In her jazzier mode the obvious appeal would be to the upscale, performing arts/NPR crowd. But her performance in Austin suggests that she won't settle for that role. Her shifting musical mix may confound expectations and force her listeners out of their comfort zones. I wonder if she'll find favor on the altenrative music circuit. Whereever she ends up, Hindi Zahra is a compelling performer who has already gifted us with an atmospheric, endlessly tuneful album.
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