Australian Exclusive
Often known just as Emel, Tunisian singer and songwriter Emel Mathlouthi rose to fame with her protest song Kelmti Horra, which was banned in her homeland, and became an anthem for the Tunisian Revolution and the Arab Spring in late 2010. Since then, Emel has followed a path of sonic exploration and, these days, her honeyed vocals are often grounded with heavy electronics. Her most recent album, MRA, which means ‘woman’ in Arabic, puts the focus on female creativity, as well as diversity and representation. It includes collaborations with female musicians, producers and artists from Mali, Ukraine, Iran, Nigeria, France, the UK and India. She has performed at festivals including Escape Brooklyn, Summerstage, Desert Daze and Fusion Berlin; and has had her music featured in the Netflix film The Swimmers and the series Al Rawabi School for Girls.