Souad Massi reunites with Algerian fans

Singer Souad Massi has reunited with the Algerian public Saturday for a concert where she performed songs from her latest album and her greatest hits.

Absent since 2006 from the Algerian scenes, the world-renowned artist has interpreted in Laadi-Flici outdoor theater, tracks from the album "El mutakallimun" (masters of words, 2015), consisting of texts of great Arab poets (from the pre-Islamic period to the twentieth century) with modern arrangements, mixing different music genres.

In a half-packed theater, Souad Massi, accompanied by her orchestra (percussion, guitar, bass, electric guitar, banjo, oud and keyboards), sang El-Mutanabbi, Ilia Abu Madhi and other classic Arab poets, with sounds ranging from rock to Latin American music, swinging between flamenco and châabi.

This mix of high fly poems and world music proved particularly amusing, thanks to the musicians of the group who rivaled in virtuosity during the two hours of the show.

The most notable songs, the poem "El Ila Toghat Alaam" a text denouncing tyranny, written by the great Tunisian poet Abou El Kacem Echebbi (1909-1934) and was composed with the rhythms of reggae.

"I dedicate this song to all the victims of terrorism and injustice, here and across the world," says Souad Massi, citing Tunisia, hit Friday by a bloody terrorist attack.

In addition to the hits from her latest album, the singer also performed some of her successes, in the style of folk music, sung in Algerian Arabic dialect.