Amina

Within Amina Annabi’s household, music remained the domain of women. While growing up in Tunisia she listened to her mother singing privately at home—public performance being off-limits for any respectable woman—and to her grandmother playing the oud, absorbing traditional Maghrebi styles from both. At age twelve the family relocated to France in pursuit of improved economic prospects, suddenly immersing her in an entirely different musical and cultural landscape. She enrolled at the Conservatory and began formal vocal training. Her earliest recording, however, did not feature her as a vocalist: in 1984, aged twenty-four, she appeared instead as a rapper, delivering lyrics over a Grandmaster Flash track issued solely in France and failing to bring instant recognition. Success arrived three years later with the debut album Yalil, produced by Martin Meisonnier, architect of numerous Paris-centered world-music successes. The record included the sultry single “Belly Dance,” which climbed the French charts through its seductive groove and a sample drawn from James Brown’s “Cold Sweat.” True superstardom came in 1991 when she became the first Arab to represent France at the Eurovision Song Contest, instantly turning her into a cultural icon. The entry “Le Dernier Qui A Parle,” co-written with Senegal’s Wasis Diop and marked by pronounced West African flavors, carried sharp political resonance amid the Gulf War; its victory only amplified that dimension. “It was the Gulf War, and I was representing the Arabs in France,” she recalled. “If the words hadn’t been political, I wouldn’t have gone; that was very important to me.” She subsequently appeared on Diop’s own album and provided backing vocals for the legendary Manu Dibango, then issued Wa Di Ye in 1992. Diop joined Meisonnier as co-producer, broadening the album’s sonic range. A commercial triumph, the release earned her the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres decoration. She subsequently stepped back from the spotlight to act in films such as The Advocate and Sheltering Sky while contributing to soundtracks, notably duetting with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan on Dead Man Walking. Further collaborations spanned Lenny Kravitz, Lilac Time, and Malcolm MacLaren. Ready to record again, she released her third album, Annabi, in 1999. Dance-music influences surfaced prominently through work with producers Renegade Soundwave and Mark Saunders, yet several tracks retained a strong Arabic character, including her version of the torch song “My Man” long associated with Billie Holiday. “Dis-Moi Pourquoi” returned her to the singles charts. Renewed exploration followed, encompassing partnerships with ex-Eurythmic Dave Stewart, classical bad boy violinist Nigel Kennedy, and Moroccan DJ U-Cef. In 2001 Best of Amina appeared in the United States, and she joined the Vive Le World tour.