The music industry in North Africa and its diaspora is booming, with female singers raising their voices while merging heritages and influences with masterful and empowering results. From tackling reductive stereotypes and providing much needed representation to simply being themselves, in doing so, these African female singers are empowering others to be themselves too— across Morocco, Egypt, Sudan, Algeria and Tunisia. Artists like Abir, Felukah, and Gaidaa are powerfully coming into their own, singing and rapping across languages and genres. As an Egyptian woman raised in the UK, I began my career writing predominantly about music. Their entrance into the mainstream, then, is something I have long been waiting for. Below, here are 10 of the best North African female music artists you should know.
1. Abir
Fez’s finest, the Moroccan-born, Virginia native Abir has been singing since forever, steadily ascending with soulful vocals and joyful dance-pop beats. Having been featured on tracks by the likes of Fabolous and toured with The Dream and Jacob Banks, her EP, Heat, released via Atlantic Records in the summer of 2020, merges East and West and sees her bring Arab pop into the mainstream, coming into her own with breath-taking results. Read our interview with Abir here.
2. Gaidaa
Dutch-Sudanese singer-songwriter Gaidaa gives a voice to powerful neo-soul and R&B ballads in a soothing blend of English and Arabic. She has garnered over 1 million streams independently and has performed at the iconic COLORS studio, where she sang Morning Blue, a record that sheds light on the political and social climate in her home country. Her debut EP Overture, was released this in July 2020.
3. Felukah
23-year-old Cairo-born Felukah is currently living in New York City, making waves across the world. The African rapper and poet — born Sara El Messiry — has released two albums in the two years since her emergence on the scene, the most recent of which, Dream 23, dropped in the summer of 2020. She is adept at switching from English to Arabic and with poignant delivery, tackles themes like multiculturalism, multiplicity and self-empowerment in her offerings.
4. Lolo Zouaï
Laureen Rebeha Zouaï, known as Lolo Zouaï, is an Algerian-French R&B and pop musician who has lived in the US since she was just a few months old. Fusing her many heritages and singing in French, Arabic and English, she released her debut album, High Highs to Low Lows, in 2019. It amassed over 26 million streams and marked her as ‘one to watch’ by the likes of The Guardian. She co-wrote Still Down on the Grammy award-winning album H.E.R and was hand-picked to support Dua Lipa on tour.
5. Dounia
Moroccan-American singer-songwriter Dounia first made a name for herself as an Instagram model, her body-positivity and activism paving the way for and funding a burgeoning career in music. Her first EP, Intro To, was released independently in 2017 when she was just 19, and has been followed by a slew of dreamy hits, including “Rich Girl Mood” featuring Kehlani. Her debut album, The Scandal, was released in the summer of 2019.
6. Naila
Egyptian-born and raised Naila is a multidisciplinary artist. From drawing and painting to her masterful vocals, she has been making a name for herself with a no-holds barred approach to creativity. With a tendency to psychologically and philosophically analyse herself and her environment, her collaborations with producer ASH, including on a remix to Moloko’s “Sing It Back,” have garnered millions of listens. Her latest single, “Lonely Tower,” was released February 2021.
7. Djouher
21-year-old Algerian-born Djouher was one of a handful of upcoming artists selected for Spotify’s recently launched campaign SAWTIK, which aims to spotlight emerging female talent in the region. With ethereal vocals, Djouher’s blend of alternative/pop and indie music gathers almost 50,000 listeners a month, and aims to speak for itself. Her bio reads, “Who am I? You'll figure it out through my music.”
8. Faouzia
Moroccan-Canadian singer-songwriter Faouzia has been playing the piano since the age of 6, and taking part in talent contests and posting covers to YouTube since she was 15. In the years since, the now 22-year-old has amassed over two million followers on Instagram, featured on “Battle” by David Guetta, been invited by Kelly Clarkson to do the Arabic cover for her song “I Dare You” and last year released the video for “Minefields” which features Grammy-Award winning John Legend. Her debut EP, Stripped, was released via Atlantic Records in 2019.
9. Sirine Miled
Tunisian singer Sirine Miled, a ‘diva since day one’ as reads her bio, was also spotlighted on Spotify’s recently launched campaign SAWTIK, as an emerging female talent from the region. Her pop tracks are sung in Arabic and are supremely catchy, amassing millions of views.
10. Ilham
Moroccan-New Yorker Ilham has a syrupy, alternative R&B sound, one which is catching the attention of many, Issa Rae included. The actress, writer and producer tapped Ilham’s track, “none of your friends business,” for an episode of HBO’s Insecure. The 24-year-old’s video for “never even know,” was released in February 2021. Passionate about debunking stereotypes and providing much needed representation, the video is a powerful ode to Black and brown Muslim women.
Listen to our International Women
Playlist for more tunes!
Listen to our International Women