Biography
Sawt El Atlas, whose name translates from Arabic as “voice of the atlas,” draws its identity from the central Moroccan mountain range. The ten-piece ensemble fuses Arabic, rai, reggae, funk, and Latin rhythms into a single sound. Two sets of three brothers make up the core membership, while vocalists Kamel and Mounir stand at the front. The musicians first assembled in the late 1980s in Blois, France, when most participants were still teenagers or younger. Shortly thereafter the group began extensive European touring, sharing bills with Khaled, Cheb Mami, Youssou N’Dour, and Natacha Atlas. Their first album, Generaliser, appeared in 1996; three years later they released the follow-up Donia, which was tracked in equal measure in Paris and Cairo. Themes of love dominate the songwriting, and the lyrics appear in both Arabic and French.
Albums
Singles
