Oum - Haylala - Afrika Festival Hertme 2016

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Oum (in full Oum el Ghaït Benessahraoui) spent her childhood in Marrakech. Crazy for jazz and soul, she joined a Christian gospel choir at the age of fourteen and soon became one of the soloists. In 2003 she decided to focus entirely on singing. Oum's career started with the release of her first two albums 'Lik'Oum' (2009) and 'Sweerty' (2012). With her third album 'Soul of Morocco' (2013), in which she mixes the Gnawa and Hassani rhythms of her Saharan roots with the soul and jazz she grew up with, she made her international breakthrough. Her latest album 'Zarabi' was recorded at the end of last year in the South Moroccan desert of M'Hamid El Ghizlane and is strongly colored by the very special environment of the Sahara. Oum wants to emphasize her versatile identity with an atypical but carefully balanced quartet (oud, double bass, percussion and trumpet). She wants to show her attachment to local traditions while at the same time remaining open to modernity and outside influences.

Oum vocals
Damian Nueva double bass
Camille Passeri trumpet
Natasja Rogers percussion
Yacir Rami oud