Noura Mint Seymali

Noura Mint Seymali is the Islamic Republic of Mauritania's defining artist on the international stage.  Drawing deep on the timeless repertoire of the Moorish griot, a hereditary class of musical poet / historians, her band conjures "a full blown sandstorm of hypnotic grooves, melding traditional Mauritanian instruments, like the ardine and tidinite, within an electrified psychedelic rock band.” - The Quietus (UK).  Its debut album - TZENNI (2014) - was hailed as "arguably the best psych / blues album of the year" and it's follow up - ARBINA (2016) - "the best album in the universe" by Vice/Noisey.  Expanding a sound born of Arab and Sub-Saharan roots, NouraMint Seymali bends the arc of Moorish musical tradition to fit our contemporary moment, as described by NPR,  “the arrival of Mauritanian vocalist Noura Mint Seymali in front of Western audiences feels like the start of a new era.”  Recognized at African Union's first-ever AFRIMA awards, Noura Mint Seymali was named "Best Female Artist from North Africa."   She played at festivals like Roskilde Festival, Le Guess Who?, Sziget, Fusion, WOMAD or TFF Rudolstadt.