Natacha Atlas
Encyclopedia
Natacha Atlas is a Belgian
singer known for her fusion of Arabic and Western electronic music, particularly hip-hop. She once termed her music "cha'abi moderne" (modern popular music). Her music has been influenced by many styles including Arabic, hip hop
, drum 'n' bass and reggae
.
Atlas began her career as part of the world fusion
group Transglobal Underground
. In 1995, she began to focus on her solo career with the release of Diaspora
. She has since released seven solo albums and been a part of numerous collaborations. Her version of "Mon Amie La Rose
" became a surprise success in France, reaching 16 on the French Singles Charts in 1999. She is a Goodwill Ambassador
for the United Nations
Conference Against Racism
.
, Egypt
ian, and Palestinian
ancestry who was born in Jerusalem and a British
mother who had convert
ed to Islam
. Her paternal grandfather was born in Egypt, but grew up in Palestine, immigrating to Europe at age 15. She concedes to being "maybe 10 percent Jewish or something." Atlas says the claim that her father is purely Jewish and not Arab is "one of those things where someone had a grudge against me and wanted to hurt me. My grand-grand-grandfather was Jewish. But Jews have always been part of Arab
society, so it’s not so unusual for someone to find out that they have Jewish blood. At the end of the day, we really are so connected."
Atlas grew up in Laken
, a suburb of Brussels
, Belgium
with a large Moroccan population. After her parents separated, Atlas went to live in Northampton
, England with her mother. Atlas learned several languages, including Arabic
, French
, English
, and Spanish
, and has used them all in the course of her career.
band. In 1991, she recorded the track "Timbal" with Balearic Beat
on the album ¡Loca!. Atlas also worked with Jah Wobble
composing five tracks for the LP Rising above Bedlam. Through the recording of ¡Loca!, Atlas met British labelmates Transglobal Underground
(TGU), who at the time had a Top 40 hit, "Templehead". She became the lead singer and belly dancer for the group, which focused on mixing Eastern and Western sounds as well as other styles.
(1995), Halim
(1997) (in honour of Egyptian singer Abdel Halim Hafez
), Gedida
(1998) and Ayeshteni
(2001).
In 1999, Atlas collaborated with David Arnold
on the song "One Brief Moment". The single featured a cover version
of the James Bond
theme song from the film You Only Live Twice
. Two years earlier, Atlas had collaborated with Arnold on the album Shaken and Stirred, recording the song "From Russia with Love" for the eponymous film
(originally performed by Matt Monro
).
2000 saw her collaborate with Jean Michel Jarre
for the track "C'est La Vie" on his album Métamorphoses. The track was released as a single.
Due to her French-language tracks, Atlas is now quite popular in France. In the U.K., on the other hand, she has not experienced the same amount of success. She is not very happy about the way her music is perceived in the UK: "Someone from the New Musical Express
rang us about a feature we're to do with them and said 'We don't want it to be about the multi-cultural angle'. In other words that fad is over. And I'm personally insulted... what other... angle is there for us? I get sick of it all."
In 2003, Atlas provided vocals for the Kolo
folk dance
song "'Ajde Jano" on Nigel Kennedy
and Kroke
's album, East Meets East
. In 2005, Atlas contributed the song "Just Like A Dream" (from Something Dangerous
) to the charity album Voyces United for UNHCR
.
Her music has been used in a number of soundtracks. Her song "Kidda" was featured on the Sex and the City 2
soundtrack and in the 2005 video game Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
on Radio del Mundo
. In 2003, her voice is heard in Hulk
in the song "Hulk Escapes" . Additionally, her song "Bathaddak" is one of the songs included in the 2007 Xbox 360
exclusive video game Project Gotham Racing 4
.
Atlas was originally billed to star in and provide the soundtrack to the film Whatever Lola Wants
, directed by Nabil Ayouch
. However, shooting delays caused Atlas to only be involved in the film's soundtrack. Her song "Gafsa
" (Halim, 1997) was used as the main soundtrack during the Korean film Bin-Jip (also known as 3-Iron
) (2004) by Kim Ki-Duk
. She participated in the piece "Light of Life (Ibelin Reprise)" for the soundtrack of Ridley Scott
's Kingdom of Heaven
.
In 2007, Atlas collaborated with Belinda Carlisle
for Belinda's seventh album Voila
. She contributed additional vocals on songs "Ma Jeunesse Fout Le Camp," "La Vie En Rose
", "Bonnie et Clyde" and "Des Ronds Dans L'Eau." Voila was released via Rykodisc
in the U.K. on 5 February 2007 and in the U.S. the following day.
The 2007 film Brick Lane
features four songs with vocals by Atlas, "Adam's Lullaby", "Running Through the Night", "Love Blossoms" and "Rite of Passage". On 23 May 2008 Atlas released a new album, Ana Hina, which was well-received by critics.
In 2008, two of Atlas' songs, "Kidda" and "Ghanwa Bossanova", were used in Shamim Sarif
's romantic comedy about two women, I Can't Think Straight
.
On 20 September 2010 Atlas released her newest album, Mounqaliba
. Co-produced by Samy Bishai, it explores the more classical world. It is inspired by the poems of Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore
. She is also composing the music for Francoise Charpat's upcoming film.
n kanun
player Abdullah Chhadeh. The couple divorced in 2005. Atlas is now in a relationship with British Egyptian violinist Samy Bishai. The couple divides their time between London and Condom
, France.
Atlas has said in the past that she is "technically Muslim" and that she identifies with Sufism
, but says that "these days I prefer to say that I'm Anglo-Middle Eastern and leave the religion out of it." She is, however, open to other forms of spirituality
because "it's important to be tolerant".
In 2001, she was appointed by Mary Robinson
as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations
Conference Against Racism. Robinson chose Atlas because "she embodies the message that there is a strength in diversity. That our differences – be they ethnic, racial or religious – are a source of riches to be embraced rather than feared".
and Judaism
and often takes a middle ground approach advocating for peace and harmony. For example, her lyrics say "Why are we fighting/When we’re all together/Let’s return to peace/Let’s make peace, we are brothers" (from her song "Laysh Nata’arak").
During an interview with Muslim Wake Up! online magazine, Atlas talked about her identification with her European and Arabic roots by saying "There will always be two identities living within me: Arabic and European. When I was very young, I tried to ignore the Arabic side, my father’s side, because I saw it as foreign. But something happened in my late teens. I was at a nightclub in Brussels and I heard Arabic music, and I knew then that there was something inside of me that I wanted to go back to. So I ended up going to the other extreme. But as you mature, you realize that you have both inside you. That’s how God made me. These days I dream in two languages, and not a day goes by when I don’t end up using Arabic".
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
singer known for her fusion of Arabic and Western electronic music, particularly hip-hop. She once termed her music "cha'abi moderne" (modern popular music). Her music has been influenced by many styles including Arabic, hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
, drum 'n' bass and reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
.
Atlas began her career as part of the world fusion
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
group Transglobal Underground
Transglobal underground
Transglobal Underground is a London-based music collective who specialise in a fusion of western, oriental and African music styles...
. In 1995, she began to focus on her solo career with the release of Diaspora
Diaspora (album)
Diaspora is the debut album by Belgian singer Natacha Atlas. It was released by Nation Records in March 1995.-Track listing:All tracks written and composed by Natacha Atlas, Count Dubulah, Hamid ManTu and Attiah Ahlan, except where stated....
. She has since released seven solo albums and been a part of numerous collaborations. Her version of "Mon Amie La Rose
Mon Amie La Rose
"Mon amie la rose" is a poem written by Cécile Caulier and Jacques Lacombe, originally performed in song by French singer Françoise Hardy in 1964...
" became a surprise success in France, reaching 16 on the French Singles Charts in 1999. She is a Goodwill Ambassador
Goodwill Ambassador
Goodwill Ambassador is a collective term sometimes used as a substitute honorific title or a title of honor for an Ambassador of Goodwill; but, most appropriately for a generic recognition, it is a job position or description that is usually indicated following the name of the individual recognized...
for the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Conference Against Racism
Durban Review Conference
The Durban Review Conference is the official name of the 2009 United Nations World Conference Against Racism , also known as Durban II. The conference ran from Monday 20 April to Friday 24 April 2009, and took place at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland...
.
Early life
Atlas was born to a father of MoroccanMorocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian, and Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
ancestry who was born in Jerusalem and a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
mother who had convert
Marital conversion
Marital conversion refers to the concept of religious conversion upon marriage, either as a conciliatory act, or a mandated requirement according to a particular religious belief. Endogamous religious cultures may have certain opposition to interfaith marriage and ethnic assimilation, and may...
ed to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. Her paternal grandfather was born in Egypt, but grew up in Palestine, immigrating to Europe at age 15. She concedes to being "maybe 10 percent Jewish or something." Atlas says the claim that her father is purely Jewish and not Arab is "one of those things where someone had a grudge against me and wanted to hurt me. My grand-grand-grandfather was Jewish. But Jews have always been part of Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
society, so it’s not so unusual for someone to find out that they have Jewish blood. At the end of the day, we really are so connected."
Atlas grew up in Laken
Laken
Laeken or Laken is a residential suburb in north-west Brussels in Belgium...
, a suburb of Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
with a large Moroccan population. After her parents separated, Atlas went to live in Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, England with her mother. Atlas learned several languages, including Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, and has used them all in the course of her career.
Early career and Transglobal Underground
Atlas returned to Belgium at age 24 and began her career with two jobs as a belly dancer and the lead singer of a Belgian salsaSalsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
band. In 1991, she recorded the track "Timbal" with Balearic Beat
Balearic Beat
Balearic Beat or either Balearic House and Balearic Trance is an eclectic blend of DJed dance music that originally emerged in the mid-1980s. It later became the name of a more specific style of electronic dance music that was popular into the mid-1990s...
on the album ¡Loca!. Atlas also worked with Jah Wobble
Jah Wobble
Jah Wobble is an English bass guitarist, singer, poet and composer. He became known to a wider audience as the original bass player in Public Image Ltd in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but left the band after two albums...
composing five tracks for the LP Rising above Bedlam. Through the recording of ¡Loca!, Atlas met British labelmates Transglobal Underground
Transglobal underground
Transglobal Underground is a London-based music collective who specialise in a fusion of western, oriental and African music styles...
(TGU), who at the time had a Top 40 hit, "Templehead". She became the lead singer and belly dancer for the group, which focused on mixing Eastern and Western sounds as well as other styles.
Solo career
Most of Atlas' albums have been produced by TGU. She continues to focus on her Middle Eastern roots, as the titles of her albums imply: DiasporaDiaspora (album)
Diaspora is the debut album by Belgian singer Natacha Atlas. It was released by Nation Records in March 1995.-Track listing:All tracks written and composed by Natacha Atlas, Count Dubulah, Hamid ManTu and Attiah Ahlan, except where stated....
(1995), Halim
Halim (album)
Halim is the second solo album by Belgian world music singer Natacha Atlas. It was released by Nation Records on 12 May 1997. The album was primarily produced by Transglobal Underground and John Reynolds....
(1997) (in honour of Egyptian singer Abdel Halim Hafez
Abdel Halim Hafez
Abdel Halim Ali Shabana commonly known as Abdel Halim Hafez , is among the most popular Egyptian and Arab singers and performers. In addition to singing, Halim was also an actor, conductor, business man, music teacher and movie producer...
), Gedida
Gedida
Gedida is the third album by Belgian singer Natacha Atlas. It was released by Mantra Records on March 9, 1999. In the Middle East the album was released under the title Guzouri with an alternate track listing.-Track listing:...
(1998) and Ayeshteni
Ayeshteni
Ayeshteni is the fourth album by Belgian singer Natacha Atlas. It was released by Mantra Records on May 8, 2001.- Track listing :# "Shubra" - 5:40# "I Put a Spell on You" - 3:39# "Ashwa" - 6:00# "Ayeshteni" - 4:54# "Soleil D'Egypte" - 3:11...
(2001).
In 1999, Atlas collaborated with David Arnold
David Arnold
David Arnold is an English film composer best known for scoring five James Bond films, the 1994 film Stargate, the 1996 film Independence Day, and the television series Little Britain.-Film and television career:...
on the song "One Brief Moment". The single featured a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
theme song from the film You Only Live Twice
You Only Live Twice (film)
You Only Live Twice is the fifth spy film in the James Bond series, and the fifth to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's screenplay was written by Roald Dahl, and loosely based on Ian Fleming's 1964 novel of the same name...
. Two years earlier, Atlas had collaborated with Arnold on the album Shaken and Stirred, recording the song "From Russia with Love" for the eponymous film
From Russia with Love (film)
From Russia with Love is the second in the James Bond spy film series, and the second to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Released in 1963, the film was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, and directed by Terence Young. It is based on the 1957 novel of the...
(originally performed by Matt Monro
Matt Monro
Matt Monro was an English singer who became one of the most popular entertainers on the international music scene during the 1960s...
).
2000 saw her collaborate with Jean Michel Jarre
Jean Michel Jarre
Jean Michel André Jarre is a French composer, performer and music producer. He is a pioneer in the electronic, ambient and New Age genres, and known as an organiser of outdoor spectacles of his music featuring lights, laser displays, and fireworks.Jarre was raised in Lyon by his mother and...
for the track "C'est La Vie" on his album Métamorphoses. The track was released as a single.
Due to her French-language tracks, Atlas is now quite popular in France. In the U.K., on the other hand, she has not experienced the same amount of success. She is not very happy about the way her music is perceived in the UK: "Someone from the New Musical Express
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
rang us about a feature we're to do with them and said 'We don't want it to be about the multi-cultural angle'. In other words that fad is over. And I'm personally insulted... what other... angle is there for us? I get sick of it all."
In 2003, Atlas provided vocals for the Kolo
Kolo (dance)
Kolo , is a collective folk dance, danced primarily by people from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. It is performed amongst groups of people holding each other's having their hands around each other's waists...
folk dance
Folk dance
The term folk dance describes dances that share some or all of the following attributes:*They are dances performed at social functions by people with little or no professional training, often to traditional music or music based on traditional music....
song "'Ajde Jano" on Nigel Kennedy
Nigel Kennedy
Nigel Kennedy is a British born violinist and violist. He made his early career in the classical field, and he has performed and recorded most of the major violin concerti...
and Kroke
Kroke
KROKE – A Kraków instrumental ensemble of the world music genre. The band's name in Yiddish means Kraków.The band was founded in 1992 by three friends and graduates of the Academy of Music in Kraków. Initially, they were associated with klezmer music with strong Balkan influences...
's album, East Meets East
East Meets East
East Meets East is a collaborative studio album released through EMI Classics in 2003 by violinist Nigel Kennedy and the Kroke band , surrounded by several guest artists of international reputation such as Natacha Atlas, Mo Foster, and the Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra.The album revisits some...
. In 2005, Atlas contributed the song "Just Like A Dream" (from Something Dangerous
Something Dangerous
Something Dangerous is the fifth album by Belgian world music singer Natacha Atlas. It was released in 2003. The album's title refers to the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the title track includes audio clips of a 2003 anti-war protest march. The French edition of the album features a bonus track - a...
) to the charity album Voyces United for UNHCR
Voyces United for UNHCR
"Voyces United for UNHCR" is a charity album for the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , an agency which protects and supports refugees at the request of a government or the United Nations and assists in their return or resettlement.The album was initiated by Joalby Lopez...
.
Her music has been used in a number of soundtracks. Her song "Kidda" was featured on the Sex and the City 2
Sex and the City 2
Sex and the City 2 is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Michael Patrick King. It is the sequel to the 2008 film Sex and the City, which is based on the HBO TV series of the same name....
soundtrack and in the 2005 video game Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories is a 2005 sandbox-style action video game developed by Rockstar North and Rockstar Leeds. It is the ninth game in the Grand Theft Auto series...
on Radio del Mundo
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories soundtrack
The soundtrack of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories comprises radio stations that broadcast music and information to Liberty City, circa 1998. The only time a player can hear the radio is when the protagonist acquires a car...
. In 2003, her voice is heard in Hulk
Hulk (film)
Hulk is a 2003 American superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character of the same name. Ang Lee directed the film, which stars Eric Bana as Dr. Bruce Banner, as well as Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, and Nick Nolte...
in the song "Hulk Escapes" . Additionally, her song "Bathaddak" is one of the songs included in the 2007 Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
exclusive video game Project Gotham Racing 4
Project Gotham Racing 4
Project Gotham Racing 4 is the fourth title in the main Project Gotham Racing series, developed by Bizarre Creations and published by Microsoft Game Studios.-Development history:...
.
Atlas was originally billed to star in and provide the soundtrack to the film Whatever Lola Wants
Whatever Lola Wants
"Whatever Lola Wants" is a popular song, sometimes rendered as "Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets". The music and words were written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross for the 1955 musical play Damn Yankees. The song is sung by Lola, the Devil's assistant, a part originated by Gwen Verdon, who reprised...
, directed by Nabil Ayouch
Nabil Ayouch
Nabil Ayouch is a television and movie director, producer and writer of Moroccan origin.-Early life:He was born in Paris, although he spent a large part of his childhood in Sarcelles...
. However, shooting delays caused Atlas to only be involved in the film's soundtrack. Her song "Gafsa
Gafsa
Gafsa is the capital of Gafsa Governorate of Tunisia. Its name was appropriated by archaeologists for the Mesolithic Capsian culture. With a population of 84,676, it is the 9th Tunisian city.-Overview:...
" (Halim, 1997) was used as the main soundtrack during the Korean film Bin-Jip (also known as 3-Iron
3-Iron
3-Iron is a 2004 Korean film directed by Kim Ki-duk. The plot revolves around the relationship between a young drifter and an abused housewife...
) (2004) by Kim Ki-Duk
Kim Ki-duk
Kim Ki-duk is a South Korean filmmaker noted for his idiosyncratic "art-house" cinematic works. His films have received many distinctions in the festival circuit. He is not related to the Kim Ki-duk who directed Yonggary in the 1960s...
. She participated in the piece "Light of Life (Ibelin Reprise)" for the soundtrack of Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott is an English film director and producer. His most famous films include The Duellists , Alien , Blade Runner , Legend , Thelma & Louise , G. I...
's Kingdom of Heaven
Kingdom of Heaven (film)
Kingdom of Heaven is a 2005 epic action film directed by Ridley Scott and written by William Monahan. It stars Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Jeremy Irons, David Thewlis, Marton Csokas, Brendan Gleeson, Kevin McKidd, Alexander Siddig, Ghassan Massoud, Edward Norton, Jon Finch, Michael Sheen and Liam...
.
In 2007, Atlas collaborated with Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands and the first such group whose members wrote their own songs and played their own instruments...
for Belinda's seventh album Voila
Voila (album)
-Personnel:*Belinda Carlisle - vocals*Natacha Atlas - additional vocals on "Ma jeunesse fout le camp", "La Vie en rose", "Bonnie et Clyde" and "Des ronds dans l'eau"*Brian Eno - keyboards*Sagat Guirey - Flamenco guitar*Graham Henderson - accordion...
. She contributed additional vocals on songs "Ma Jeunesse Fout Le Camp," "La Vie En Rose
La vie en rose
"La Vie en Rose" was the signature song of French singer Édith Piaf.-Signature song of Édith Piaf:Édith Piaf first popularized La Vie en Rose in 1946. The lyrics were written by Piaf and the melody of the song by "Louiguy" . Initially, Piaf's peers and her songwriting team did not think the song...
", "Bonnie et Clyde" and "Des Ronds Dans L'Eau." Voila was released via Rykodisc
Rykodisc
Rykodisc Records is an American record label. It is owned by Warner Music Group, operates as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.-Company history:...
in the U.K. on 5 February 2007 and in the U.S. the following day.
The 2007 film Brick Lane
Brick Lane (film)
Brick Lane is an award-winning 2007 British drama film directed by Sarah Gavron and adapted from the novel of the same name by Monica Ali. The screenplay was adapted from the novel by Laura Jones and Abi Morgan, and Tannishtha Chatterjee played the lead role...
features four songs with vocals by Atlas, "Adam's Lullaby", "Running Through the Night", "Love Blossoms" and "Rite of Passage". On 23 May 2008 Atlas released a new album, Ana Hina, which was well-received by critics.
In 2008, two of Atlas' songs, "Kidda" and "Ghanwa Bossanova", were used in Shamim Sarif
Shamim Sarif
Shamim Sarif is a novelist and filmmaker of South Asian and South African heritage. Her roots inspired her to write her award-winning debut novel, The World Unseen, which explores issues of race, gender and sexuality, which she later adapted into a film starring Lisa Ray, shown at the London Film...
's romantic comedy about two women, I Can't Think Straight
I Can't Think Straight
I Can't Think Straight is a 2007 romance movie about a London-based Jordanian of Palestinian descent, Tala, who is preparing for an elaborate wedding. A turn of events causes her to have an affair and subsequently fall in love with another woman, Leyla, a British Indian. The movie is distributed by...
.
On 20 September 2010 Atlas released her newest album, Mounqaliba
Mounqaliba
Mounqaliba is a 2010 album by Belgian singer Natacha Atlas. Co-produced by Samy Bishai, it was inspired by the poems of Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore. In addition to original works, it also contains covers of Françoise Hardy and Nick Drake songs...
. Co-produced by Samy Bishai, it explores the more classical world. It is inspired by the poems of Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
. She is also composing the music for Francoise Charpat's upcoming film.
Personal life
In 1999, Atlas married SyriaSyria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n kanun
Kanun (Instrument)
The Qanun is a string instrument found in the 10th century in Farab in Turkestan...
player Abdullah Chhadeh. The couple divorced in 2005. Atlas is now in a relationship with British Egyptian violinist Samy Bishai. The couple divides their time between London and Condom
Condom, Gers
Condom , also referred to as Condom-en-Armagnac, is a commune in southwestern France in the department of Gers, of which it is a subprefecture.-Way of St. James:...
, France.
Atlas has said in the past that she is "technically Muslim" and that she identifies with Sufism
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
, but says that "these days I prefer to say that I'm Anglo-Middle Eastern and leave the religion out of it." She is, however, open to other forms of spirituality
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
because "it's important to be tolerant".
In 2001, she was appointed by Mary Robinson
Mary Robinson
Mary Therese Winifred Robinson served as the seventh, and first female, President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002. She first rose to prominence as an academic, barrister, campaigner and member of the Irish Senate...
as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Conference Against Racism. Robinson chose Atlas because "she embodies the message that there is a strength in diversity. That our differences – be they ethnic, racial or religious – are a source of riches to be embraced rather than feared".
Music themes
Atlas uses her multi-ethnic background when singing lyrics that often are intertwined with phrases from the Quran. She personally calls herself a "human Gaza Strip", reflecting her diverse Judaeo-Islamic background and thoughts relating to the Muslim and Jewish world. In her music, Atlas makes many political statements regarding IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
and often takes a middle ground approach advocating for peace and harmony. For example, her lyrics say "Why are we fighting/When we’re all together/Let’s return to peace/Let’s make peace, we are brothers" (from her song "Laysh Nata’arak").
During an interview with Muslim Wake Up! online magazine, Atlas talked about her identification with her European and Arabic roots by saying "There will always be two identities living within me: Arabic and European. When I was very young, I tried to ignore the Arabic side, my father’s side, because I saw it as foreign. But something happened in my late teens. I was at a nightclub in Brussels and I heard Arabic music, and I knew then that there was something inside of me that I wanted to go back to. So I ended up going to the other extreme. But as you mature, you realize that you have both inside you. That’s how God made me. These days I dream in two languages, and not a day goes by when I don’t end up using Arabic".
Studio albums
- 1995: DiasporaDiaspora (album)Diaspora is the debut album by Belgian singer Natacha Atlas. It was released by Nation Records in March 1995.-Track listing:All tracks written and composed by Natacha Atlas, Count Dubulah, Hamid ManTu and Attiah Ahlan, except where stated....
- 1997: HalimHalim (album)Halim is the second solo album by Belgian world music singer Natacha Atlas. It was released by Nation Records on 12 May 1997. The album was primarily produced by Transglobal Underground and John Reynolds....
- 1999: GedidaGedidaGedida is the third album by Belgian singer Natacha Atlas. It was released by Mantra Records on March 9, 1999. In the Middle East the album was released under the title Guzouri with an alternate track listing.-Track listing:...
- 2001: AyeshteniAyeshteniAyeshteni is the fourth album by Belgian singer Natacha Atlas. It was released by Mantra Records on May 8, 2001.- Track listing :# "Shubra" - 5:40# "I Put a Spell on You" - 3:39# "Ashwa" - 6:00# "Ayeshteni" - 4:54# "Soleil D'Egypte" - 3:11...
- 2002: Foretold in the Language of DreamsForetold in the Language of DreamsForetold in the Language of Dreams is a 2002 album by Natacha Atlas and Marc Eagleton. It represents a departure from Natacha Atlas' usual music by being more ambient in style....
(with Marc Eagleton) - 2003: Something DangerousSomething DangerousSomething Dangerous is the fifth album by Belgian world music singer Natacha Atlas. It was released in 2003. The album's title refers to the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the title track includes audio clips of a 2003 anti-war protest march. The French edition of the album features a bonus track - a...
- 2006: Mish MaoulMish MaoulMish Maoul is the sixth album by Belgian world music singer Natacha Atlas. It was released by Mantra Records on April 24, 2006 worldwide...
- 2008: Ana HinaAna HinaAna Hina is an album by Belgian singer Natacha Atlas. It was released by World Village on 26 May 2008. The album primarily features acoustic cover versions of songs originally performed by Arabic singers Fairuz and Abdel Halim Hafez...
- 2010: MounqalibaMounqalibaMounqaliba is a 2010 album by Belgian singer Natacha Atlas. Co-produced by Samy Bishai, it was inspired by the poems of Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore. In addition to original works, it also contains covers of Françoise Hardy and Nick Drake songs...
See also
- List of Natacha Atlas collaborations
- World musicWorld musicWorld music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
- Arabic pop musicArabic pop musicArabic pop music or Arab pop is a subgenre of Pop music and Arabic music.Arab pop is mainly produced in Cairo, with Beirut as a secondary center...
- Yasmin LevyYasmin LevyYasmin Levy , born on December 23, 1975 in Jerusalem, is an Israeli singer-songwriter of Judaeo-Spanish music.-Career:Her late father, Isaac Levy, was a composer and cantor, pioneer researcher into the long and rich history of the Ladino music and culture of Spanish Jewry and its diaspora, being...