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SOUND ROOTS (USA)
"SoundRoots Top 20 Global Albums of 2011”
Scott Allan Stevens, 2011
INSIDE WORLD MUSIC (USA)
“Nawal continues to dazzle us with her Sufi-inspired collection of songs... Nawal knows how to entertain our spirit and grace our presence with her divine musical prowess”
M. Forss 2011
AL-WATWAN (COMOROS)
“Singer/songwriter Nawal is like an orchestra in and of herself... with instruments more original than others. The whole album is filled with wisdom and humanity, where every song is an invitation to voyage.”
by Iza M’madi, 2011
CHICAGO READER (USA)
“On Embrace the Spirit (Milan), Nawal delivers a powerful one-woman meditation that salutes the recent uprisings in the Middle East and the human desire for freedom and peace.” by PM, Chicago Reader, USA, 2011
WORLD MUSIC CENTRAL (USA)
“An embrace for the whole human race. The whole CD, in fact, seems designed to transport mind and soul to places beyond the material world. It gets you there with varying doses of rhythm, melody, wide open space and, most importantly, the lulling but strong voice of a singer the entire world would do well to pay attention to.”
by Tom Orr, 2011
MÉDITATION (FRANCE)
“Intimate, poetic and powerful... Nawal, artist originally from the Comoros Islands, continues her musical and humanist ways...”
* * * * * reviews for album AMAN
fROOTS
(UK)
The track "Kweli II" from Aman
was featured on the fROOTS CD compilation accompanying the issue “Best
of 2007”
January 07
“…downright
gorgeous music…a record that’s going to become a long-term
favourite” by
Ian Anderson, October 07
NEW
YORK TIMES "A Big, Wide World of Music" by
Jon Pareles
"[One] of the most notable world music CDs released over
the last year...
Nawal sets her gritty voice to sparse, staccato patterns of upright bass,
thumb piano and the banjolike gambusi on "Aman." ...her music
is a personal fusion that draws on the repetitive power of Sufi chants,
along with modal acoustic vamps that can sound both African and Arabic.
Her songs are lean and incantatory, and .... more often, she can
be hypnotic." 6/29/07
THE
BEAT
“Songs of charm and power”
CD Review
by Steve Heilig August 07
GLOBAL
RHYTHM
“Top 10 World Music CD” August
07
"A gorgeous 12-song collection"
by Derek Beres, October 07
AFROPOP
CD Review by Banning Eyre
"A self-styled vocalist, composer and string player (guitar and the
long-necked
lute called gambusi), Nawal hails from Comoros, an Island nation in the
Indian
Ocean. She has a silver-in-the-rough voice that conveys wisdom and
experience,
and her music is an unorthodox blend of Comoros tradition, Sufi spirituality,
and more.... Nawal is a modern original with deep respect for
the past, and
passionate, though never naïve, hope for the future."
6/11/07
LA
WEEKLY -"Whirled Music" by Brick Wahl
"On 'Aman', her new tour de force, the nearby African rhythms -
that kalimba, and the drumming and call-and-response - mix with Malagasy
melodicism and tunings and the complexities of Arabic and Indian musical
traditions.... The variety of songwriting and styles, that mix
of sweet melody and energetic rhythms, reminds one a bit of much of Brazil's
best - the variety of Caetano Veloso, of Gilberto Gil at his rootsy finest... The
long tendrils of Islam are never far off, and Sufism suffuses the entire
project ... and in long Sufi trance passages that must be remarkable in
person. (Her live shows reportedly are even better than the album.)
And dig Idriss Mlanao's jazzy bass lines - it's what jazz fans can
grab onto as we listen, soaking in all the exoticism of the rest."
05/30/07
FINANCIAL
TIMES - by David Honigmann
" Aman has a mesmeric slow burn, combining the African and Islamic
influences of the archipelago... "Meditation", almost
too pretty for its own good..." 06/09/07
BOSTON
GLOBE - "Nawal's musical journey to liberation"
by Siddhartha Mitter
"Her music takes as its point of departure traditional Comorian sounds,
which resonate with Arabic and African influences accumulated over centuries
through the Indian Ocean trade... But if its predominant component is
Comorian roots, "Aman" deviates in many ways, each one offering
a glimpse of this woman's unusual journey from a highly conservative
family in a highly conservative nation to the liberated spirit that she
has become." 6/22/07
BOSTON
HERALD "For Nawal, past is ever-present" by Bob
Young
"From adversity, the saying goes, comes strength - and also, in the
case of singer and guitarist Nawal, inspiration for a life of music...
Her new CD, Aman, has a delicate, often spiritual beauty to it."
- 06/24/07
MUZIKIFAN
- CD review
Overall, the mood is restful and floats along with hints of Malagache
music, anchoring it a bit closer to Africa than India. But there are Arabic
influences too. The mbira reminds me of Stella Chiweshe's trance grooves,
but the contrabass and finger-cymbals add layers that make it even dreamier.
One definite plus is the sound quality... The long
trance number "Ode a Maarouf," in honour of her great-grandfather,
a famous Sufi marabout of Comoros, is outstanding. "
06/01/07
SPINNER
"Think You've Heard It All? Check Out Nawal" -by Steve Hochman
"In the concert, she gave the music even more warmth and
intimacy, weaving her musical threads with her own fine touch
on nylon-string guitar and gambusi, a rough-hewn stringed instrument carved
from one piece of wood and stretched with goatskin. As on the new album,
she had colorfully intuitive accompaniment from her brother Idriss Mlanao
on double bass and San Francisco musician Melissa Rigoli on a variety
of percussion including African calabash gourd, Indian clay pot, mbira
(thumb piano) and bells." 6/12/07
DAILY
NEWS L.A. CD REVIEW - By Glenn Whipp
"Aman transiates to "peace of the soul," so the title is
an apt description of this album of Sufi chants and spiritual roots music...
Her music mixes strong African rhythms with the airy acoustics of the
Middle East, resulting in trancelike compositions that take you
away from the worries of the world."
6/1/07
BENNLOXO.COM
-by Matt Yanchyshyn
"...I have a thing for tiny African islands in the Indian Ocean and
the amazing vocalists to be found there. Nawal is no exception. She's
a sufi Muslim female vocalist originally from the Comoros islands
with a great voice and a mean gambusi, a yemeni instrument that's
sort of like an oud." 5/30/07
EARTHRISE
ARTS - CD Pick - by Derek Beres
"Nawal's upcoming second release is a beautifully textured synthesis
of an Afro-Sufi heritage with a wide range of instrumentation. In the
middle of all this, her voice is a lesson in meditation."
5/16/07
METRO SANTA
CRUZ - by Traci Hukill
"The deep rich voice of Nawal herself–a voice with
enough humor, power and allure to provoke reconsideration of what it means
to be a woman–is the one ever-renewing contant.”
8/01/07
Thomas R.
Simpson, AfroSolo Artistic Director
“There
are few singers I know that connect so deeply with their audiences on
personal, spiritual and cross cultural grounds as Nawal. She is truly
an ambassador for the healing power of music to bring peace and reconciliation
between cultures that so regularly misunderstand one another.”
>> View all American media reviews : Rock Paper Scissors
2006
GLOBAL
RHYTHM Magazine, "Kweli"
CD Review by Jill Ettinger,
" Bridging traditional acoustic instrumentation with soulful yearning,
it is Nawal’s mostly-French-but-who-cares-what-language-it-is-vocals
that tear in and grip onto that space, the one only music can find inside
us... Nawal proves herself nothing short of a legend in the making."
06/27/06
LE MAHORAIS,
G.M.
"[Nawal's] concert last Thursday brought a diverse and varied public,
and in the eyes of some was "one of the most remarkable shows of
the year". There is no doubt that she carries the dignity of an confirmed
artist, a multi-instrumentalist who is ranked among the great names in
world music."
19 Déc
06 (concert
review of show at Koropa Club, Mayotte)
2005
“Deceptively
sweet at first listen, Nawal’s subtle grittiness and deep-blue determination
accrete into an engagingly exquisite mode of truth-telling.”
LA
WEEKLY, Tom Cheyney, Oct 14-20 2005
"From
her opening vocal solo, it was clear that Nawal's roots lie in Muslim
Africa. Her trio...fed off the audience's energy and produced an evening
of sparse but rich music, often with a spiritual, trance-like vibe.You
don't often get that much spirit on a Monday night, and it's got to be
culturally healing to have Americans chanting in Arabic about peace."
Spin
the Globe, Scott Stevens, (DJ KAOS FM) Dec
2005
"The
album (Kweli) makes an impressive international debut.
Nawal may be new to us, but this kind of maturity and integrity was clearly
many years in the making."
AFROPOP
Magazine, Banning Eyre, Dec 2005
"Bridging and balancing traditional
styles with modern movements, Nawal's music elegantly dances between cultures,
reflecting the diverse musical colors of her native Comoros Islands. In
a mesmerizing Indo-Arabian-Persian fusion, her music encompasses Bantu
polyphonies, intoxicating, tightly-woven rhythms and Sufi trance of the
Indian Ocean. Her style and personality brings to mind such diverse artists
as Zap Mama to Cesaria Evora but she cultivates a highly distinctive sound
that embraces hints of pop along with the acoustic ringing of traditional
instruments. Singing in Comoran, Arabic, French and English, this multi-talented
artist raises the bar of quality while reclaiming the idea of a true,
world community through music."
CDBABY
Review of "Kweli" 2005
“Her
artistic quest goes hand in hand with a spiritual one.”
Le
Journal Art-Jonction, Bernard Dupuis Jan-Feb
2005 (International)
1995-2003
“Nawal
radiates a great beautiful light and wonderful energy.”
Stephen
Kent, “Music of the World” KPFA radio 2003 (Berkeley, CA,
USA)
“Created
with an exceptional voice, this music is mixed with unique melodies and
rhythms which draws from the roots of her amazing history as a (Comoran)
woman.”
Wushe,
Fatima Mze Mbaba, April 2003
(France/Comoros)
“Bravo !!! ‘Kweli’ is like a
poem, an invitation to dream, to meditate...A musical universe with profound
vibrations...”
Trad Mag,
Stéphane Poulin, March/April 2001 (France)
“Between the traditional and contemporary,
this singer weaves a dialogue of cultures. This is an acoustic music,
but before all, spiritual.”
L’Huma
Hebdo, Armanda Dos Santos, September 2002 (France)
“Improving upon the traditions from her native
land, she is very inspired by a global sound.”
Libération,
B.D., February 1999
“The only woman of the Comoran Islands who
dares to face the family and socioreligious conventions to affirm herself
as an entire artist.”
MFI Culture
- Société, Sitti Saïd Youssouf, June 1994 (France/International)
“Nawal, the dynamic singer from faraway lands
turns her back to the fashionable soukouss in her country, and mixes her
heritage with Afro-Parisian sounds.”
Nova Magazine,
April 1996 (France)
“Fireworks in the arena of the East...the
public cherished the African blues from this remarkable Comoran.”
La Réunion,
C.B., February 1995 (Reunion Island, Indian
Ocean)
.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“We came in from NYC to see you in
San Diego, abd we were a little tired when the show started. By the time
you finished, we were revived and full of joy !!! Thank you for a wonderful
experience. We’ll try to see you in NYC!”
Keith and Maggie, (Dizzy’s San Diego) NYC
2007
“Originating from so far away, yet
your music is so accessible, so penetrating to the soul, so universal
in hope and trust in god, in humans, so affirming of life!”
Diana L., Eureka CA USA 2007
“Beautiful beyond words. Love pulses
from the stage.”
Jeff, (Pearl Lounge) Eureka, CA USA 2007
“Nawal ~ so sonderful to behold your
music and you! Some music is wonderful to listen to, and some is good
to dance to… your music feeds the soul and it gives me courage to
do what I do on this planet – Walk in Beauty!”
Kim T., (Harmony Festival) Santa Rosa, CA USA 2007
“A magical special show. It inspires
me to do more of what I do (teaching) but better and with more compassion.”
Eureka, CA 2007
“Seeing you on stage was an amazing
experience! You are so true, so real, so simple and so complex at the
same time. It was a gift for the world…You made my day, my life...”
Valdisa, (Ryles Jazz Club) Boston, MA USA 2007
“You open my soul”
Y Ling, (Afrofest) Toronto, Canada 2007
“I am a young woman of 31 years and
up until this day, you are one of the most inspiring people whom I have
had the priviledge to meet. Thank you to be who you are.”
Francesca, (Festival Nuits d’Afrique) Montréal,
Canada 2007
“Your music is spiritual and takes
me back to motherland Africa.”
Ayele B., (Festival Nuits d’Afrique) Montréal,
Canada 2007
“Your music and performance were the most inspiring and moving I heard this weekend, thanks your for your gift.” Mike, (Grassroots Festival) NY USA 2007
“I went to your show Thurday night
at Grassroots thinking I would stay for a few songs and then go to see
another band. Your music and performance was so strong and powerful and
moving and beautiful I was unable to leave. On Friday I went to see you
and again it was very hard to walk away even though I had to be somewhere.
Thank you. You were the highlight of the festival for me.”
Jeff (Grassroots Festival) NY, USA 2007
“Your
music - so spiritual, had me meditating and dancing in my seat., singing
to my African ancestors... you have inspired me with your own stories
to continue telling mine...”
Cholee,
2005 (WA, USA)
“Nawal’s
spirit reaches the audience in a deep place.”
Louise C., 2005 (NYC, USA)
“Excellent,
exhilirating, exciting...I am honored to have been a part of this evenings
performance.”
Michelle
T., 2005, (NYC, USA)
“Thank
you all very much. It was “Tamu” (swahili), that
is a word from my generation that means it is so good to know that people
all over the world in different places still believe in very basic similiar
ideas.”
Adam,
2005 (PA, USA)
“A
small journey, transporting all of us to the heavens, soothing the soul,
it’s true, its so good.”
Stephanie,
March 2004 (Paris, France)
“A
genuine spiritual communion, a magic instant is created between the singer
and us... seeing and listening to Nawal is a celestial experience.”
France
M., May 2004, (Paris, France)
“When
I listen to the music of Nawal, I feel it with the deepest part of my
being, my heart opens like a star. There is such pleasure and peace.”
Erin
J., August 2003 (Oregon, USA)
“Nawal,
your spirits shine with inspiration and the manifestation of love.”
Luna,
August 2003 (Oregon, USA)
“I
listen to many types of music, but this is my first time hearing your
unique sound. I found your music an emotional journey and I will never
forget your voice. Thank you - merci.”
Liam
C., Sept. 2003 (California, USA)
“What
an exquisite voice you have! It speaks to me of many ages of forest and
mountains through many lifetimes - what remains is essentials and it sings
in you! Much love...”
Carolyn,
Sept. 2003 (California, USA)
“I’m
visiting from Guatemala, and coming to your concert in Berkeley was a
delicious experience, and I just simply love your music. In my country
Nawal means ‘spirit of the mountain,’ that is a part of Mayan
culture.”
Christian
B., Sept. 2003 (Guatemala)
“Nawal,
your music is superb, it transports us to the point where we almost forget
all the bad things happening in the world.”
Claudette,
2003, (Paris, France)
“I have so very much appreciation for this
music. Thank you, and I dream to have the occasion to see you again.”
Marie-Line,
2003 (Paris, France)
“The
soulful sounds of your voices touched my soul, and the organic beats moved
my spirit...may you continue to touch others with your special gifts!”
Donna
F., August 2003 (California, USA)
“Your
music is entrancing and soulful. I felt it immediately, and let the rhythm
move through my body and set me dancing.”
Pohara,
August 2003 (California, USA)
“Thank
you for making me smile and cry – you give me faith...”
Melanie,
September 2003 (California, USA)
Nawal Career Highlights...
1985-2010
Nawal "Aman"
(peace of the soul)
2007 nawali.com
Nawal "Kweli"
(Truth) 2001