Malika Zarra | Berber Taxi
Album Review: Malika Zarra – Berber Taxi
By Peggy Oliver
Most
have heard the old saying life imitating art. Yet maybe art imitating
life would best apply to singer/songwriter Malika Zarra. Zarra was
practically a sponge from the time she was singing and dancing as a
little girl in her home country of Morocco. Even after she moved with
her family to France at three years old, music would always rule Zarra’s
mind and soul. Thanks to a wealth of music at her fingertips, her
influences were extremely eclectic; from classic Moroccan pop (Haja Hamdaouia) to
classic Arabic pop (Warda Al-Jazairia). Zarra was especially drawn to
jazz – especially Ella (Fitzgerald) and Bobby McFerrin - because of how
improvisation was pivotal to this genre; much like the music inspired by
native Arabic. After completing her basic schooling, Zarra remained in
France to study jazz in private settings and music academies. She then
gained more notoriety regionally in various clubs and special events.
Eventually, Zarra decided to sing more jazz standards and sometimes
write new lyrics for those standards in Arabic, which she felt brought
stronger connections to her audiences. As she established her confidence
professionally and further explored her multi-cultural background, it
took a visit to a very special place in searching for a refreshing
awakening.
On a visit to New York City in the
late nineties, Zarra immediately gravitated to a jazz music educator
that encouraged her to sing in Arabic and French with that schools’
ensemble. She also developed long lasting relationships with many of her
future recording and performance colleagues. Since residing in NYC in
2004, she has worked alongside veteran progressive jazz players Lonnie
Plaxico (Casssandra Wilson, Jack DeJohnette) Michael Cain (M Base, Jack
DeJohnette) and John Zorn; the latter for a vocal quartet project in
2010 entitled Mycale: The Book of Angels 13. Zarra was fast becoming a jazz favorite on several NYC stages including Carnegie Hall and The Jazz Standard;
engaging her audiences with intricate vocal colors and improvisation in
several languages: Berber – a dialect of North Morocco, Arabic, French
and English. The 2006 self-released debut, On the Ebony Road,
was an extension of her live shows backed by musicians representing
several cultures including Africa, South America and France. This
regular working band of guitarist Francis Jacob, bass guitarist Mamadou
Ba, multi-instrumentalist Brahim Fribgame and drummer Harvey Wirht
returns with Zarra for Berber Taxi on the independent company Motema Music.
Berber Taxi
digs deeper into Zarra’s upbringing and the cultures that affected her
way of thinking. The opening “Tamazight” celebrates the strong Berber
women of Morocco who have struggled through years of working hard with
little or no recognition. Zarra’s vocal inflections capture the rhythms
of Berber culture. Bouncing between funky hooks, reggae induced verses
and classic Arabic overtones, the title track is a traditional folk song
illustrating the use of ‘an illusionary taxi’ to seek out love and hope
in a distant land. “Houaria” finds Zarra’s cradling voice transforming
into a fine tuned jazz instrument. Sung in Moroccan dialects with a
touch of English, “Mossameeha” is world/jazz fusion at its finest
reeling in complex and diverse African rhythms. Mossameeha’s meditative
intro and “No Borders” are two blissful moments of seamless interactions
between oud and bass guitar respectively. “Amnesia” loudly speaks of
insensitivities of politics and racism set to Afrobeat grooves and sung
in French.
The other three tracks on Berber Taxi ("Issawa’s
Woman," "Leela" and "Mon Printemps") are no less enthralling than the
aforementioned. And whether jazz music is one’s cup of coffee or not, Berber Taxi clearly signifies
that Zarra unquestionably recognizes this mighty art form crosses many
cultures and countries; and that everyday life can imitate art.
Peggy Oliver
The Urban Music Scene
Posted by Administration at 6/15/2011 8:52 AM 
Categories: International, African Soul, Jazz Vocals, Video
Tags: Rhythm And Blues Music Videos
Categories: International, African Soul, Jazz Vocals, Video
Tags: Rhythm And Blues Music Videos
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