Meriem Ben Amor - Once Upon a Time… (Electrofone Music)
Add Date: 10/27/2020
Focus Tracks: "Ederlezi", “Ruhi”, & "Foug Elna Khel"
FCC: Clean
Formats: Chill & World
Artist Info: Tunisian-Canadian singer Meriem Ben Amor’s “warm and ethereal” voice blends the richness of Middle Eastern ornamentation with the softness and clarity of Western music. A multi-disciplinary musician, Meriem sings and plays both string instruments and percussion. Music has been an integral element for almost all of her life. She joined in her father's soulful Sufi chanting from a young age, learned the violin at 12, classical guitar at 17, and spent the past decade studying and playing the piano. In Tunisia, Meriem studied the Arabic Maqams and the Tunisian Malouf while finishing her bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering. She is a polyglot who speaks and sings in Arabic, French, Spanish and English. Her exposure to many cultural influences allows Meriem to sing in other languages like Romani, Ladino, Azeri, Farsi and Romanian.
Once Upon a Time… tells the stories of Meriem Ben Amor’s collaborations with artists from many cultural and musical backgrounds on her journey from Tunisia to Canada. The album’s eclectic influences range from the Middle East to Spain, France, Azerbaijan, Iran and many more as Meriem’s music traverses continents and eras, inspired by the folk songs she encountered.
Carmen Rizzo (Niyaz, AR Rahman, Huun Huur Tu, Coldplay) accompanies Meriem on the sonic journey as her collaborator, producer and overall sound wizard. The two-time Grammy Award nominee does a fantastic job blending Meriem’s performance to create beautiful, electronic modern versions of these classic songs.