Once, during a stressful and exhilarating trip to Israel, Natacha Atlas described herself as "a human Gaza strip". She was referring to the complex melange of influences - both genetic and environmental - that have shaped her both as an individual and as a performer.

Although her father was a Sephardic Jew, Natacha grew up in the Moroccan suburbs of Brussels, becoming fluent in French, Spanish, Arabic and English, immersing herself in Arabic culture, and learning from childhood the raq sharki - belly dance - techniques that she uses to devastating effect on stage today. Even more striking than Natacha's dance moves, though, is her voice, which swoops and soars, blending unfettered talent and the complexities of Arabic musical theory into a burst of sound that is thrilling, immediate and evocative.

Anyone who experienced the profoundly languid bass thrill of her debut solo single "Dub Yalil / Yalla Chant", however, will be delighted that she did. Natacha has worked with Tunisian singer-songwriter Walid Rouissi, Egyptian composer and Oud-master Essam Rashad, a plethora of Arabic musicians, and various members of Trans-Global Underground to create songs of love and yearning which genuinely fuse West and East.

The album, called Diaspora, moves easily between classical Arab inflections and dance/dub rhythms, while the language shifts from Arabic to French to Spanish. The first single will be "Duden", a bewitching, breathy shimmer which has been transformed into Spooky's alluring "Daytrip To Sousse" Mix and Talvin Singh's frankly self-explanatory "Indian Jungle Book" Mix.

Natacha is an extra-ordinary talent, who will enrich your musical experience.

Discography

Diaspora - Nation Records - CD (1995) *

 
Iskanderia
Leysh nat'arak
Diaspora
Yalla chant
Alhambra pt. 1
Duden
Feres
Fun does not exist
Dub yalil
Iskanderia (Atlas zamalek)
Diaspora (Balloon Theatre remix)
Fun does not exist (Dolmus remix)
Halim - CD (1997) *
 
Marifnaash
Moustahil
Amulet
Leyli
Kidda
Sweeter than any sweets
Ya weledi
Enogoom wil amar
Andeel
Gafsa
Ya Albi ehda
Agib

Additional limited edition disc:

L'Égyptienne
Duden (Spooky remix) - but it seems to be Yalla chant in fact
Gedida - Mantra Recordings - CD (1998) *
 
Mon amie la rose
Aqaba
Mistaneek
Bahlam
Ezzay
Bastet
The righteous path
Mahlabeya
Bilaadi
Kifaya
One brief moment
Gedida - Mantra Recordings - CD (1999)
 
Mon amie la rose
Aqaba
Mistaneek (featuring Sawt El Atlas)
Bahlam
Ezzay
Bastet
The righteous path
Mahlabeya
Bilaadi
Kifaya
One brief moment

Natacha´s Singles

Dub yalil - CD - Nation Records (1994)

 
Dub yalil
Yalla chant
Stotinki
Leysh nat'arak - Nation Records and Beggars Banquet (1995)
 
Leysh nat'arak (Edit)
Leysh nat'arak (Nueba mix)
Leysh nat'arak (FDM mix)
Duden (Album version)
Leysh nat'arak - 12'' version of the UK edition
Leysh nat'arak (Radio edit)
Leysh nat'arak (Nueba mix)
Leysh nat'arak (FDM mix)
Leysh nat'arak (Amenophis mix)
Yalla chant - CD version of the UK edition (1995)
Yalla chant (Sil Bachir radio mix)
Yalla chant (The Lesson Four edit)
Yalla chant (She a Baad Gal edit)
Yalla chant (Latvian Shade)
Yalla chant (Sil Bachir mix)
Yalla chant (The Lesson Four remix)
Yalla chant - 12'' version of the UK edition - Nation Records and Beggars Banquet (1995)
 
Yalla chant (Latvian Shade mix by Banco-de-Gaia)
Yalla chant (Sil Bachir mix featuring Kinky)
Yalla chant (The Lesson Four edit remixed by Youth)
Yalla chant (She a Baad Gal edit remixed by Transglobal Underground)
Rem: unreleased remix of Yalla chant by Banco-de-Gaia
Yalla chant - CD version of the French edition (1995)
Yalla chant (Radio mix)
Yalla chant (Edit mix)
Amulet - 12'' and CD versions - Nation Records and Beggars Banquet (1997)
 
Amulet (Edit)
Amulet (16B productions)
Amulet (Aywah remix by T.J. Rehmi)
Andeel (Album version)
L'Égyptienne - CD (1998) *
 
L'Égyptienne (Original version)
L'Égyptienne (Alternative Frantic Funk radio edition)

Bastet -12'' version (1999)

Mon amie la rose - Mantra Recordings - CD (1999) *
 
Mon amie la rose (Album version)
Mon amie la rose (French radio remix)
Mon amie la rose - CD (1999)
Mon amie la rose (Album version)
Mon amie la rose (French radio remix)
Bastet (Album version)
Rem: I saw this CD in Belgium, the cover was different from the one above... colours are the same but the miss disappeared (what a pity...)
One brief moment (1999) One brief moment - CD version of the UK edition (1999) Mistaneek (1999) The sands of time - Maltese edition - CD (1999)
 
Kifaya
Marifnaash
Bastet
Yalla chant
Leysh nat'arak
Agib
Nun hun
Zenst baccaus
Fun does not exist