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Natacha Atlas to perform at Skirball
The multi-ethnic songstress brings an eclectic mix of North African, Arabic and European sounds to Los Angeles
Natacha Atlas brings her eclectic sound to the Skirball Cultural Center
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Natacha Atlas herself is a blend of numerous cultures and languages. Over the years, Atlas has brought this diversity to her sound and this week, she is bringing it to the Skirball Cultural Center, where she will perform on Thursday, July 29.
Atlas, who grew up in a Laken, a Moroccan suburb of Brussels, Belgium, hails from Moroccan, Egyptian, Palestinian, Jewish and European ancestry. Her father was born in Jerusalem, while her mother is British. All of these sounds can be found in her music, which includes North African and Arabic roots and simultaneously incorporates UK pop, French chansons and western electronic beats. Atlas, who learned Arabic, French, English and Spanish while growing up, has used all of these in the course of her career.
Her roots have also earned her the appointment of Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Conference Against Racism in 2001. Mary Robinson, who, at the time, served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, appointed Atlas, noting that there is strength in diversity.
Due to her diverse Judeo-Islamic background, Atlas sometimes calls herself the “human Gaza strip” and advocates peace and harmony in both her statements and her lyrics.
While most of her albums focus on her Middle Eastern roots, her career has included collaborations with English film composer David Arnold, with whom she worked on recording several popular James Bond theme songs and French composer Jean Michel Jarre, with whom she collaborated on the track “C’est La Vie” in 2000.
In 2007, Atlas collaborated with Belinda Carlisle, contributing vocals to songs such as Ma Jeunesse Fout Le Camp,” “La Vie En Rose”, “Bonnie et Clyde” and “Des Ronds Dans L’Eau.” In the same year, four of her tracks were featured on the soundtrack of British drama Brick Lane, including “Adam’s Lullaby”, “Running Through the Night”, “Love Blossoms” and “Rite of Passage”.
After the successful release of her 2008 album, Ana Hina, two of her songs, “Kidda” and “Ghanwa Bossanova”, were used in Shamim Sarif’s romantic comedy about two women – I Can’t Think Straight. “Kidda” was also most recently featured on the on the Sex and the City 2 soundtrack, whose Abu Dhabi scenes were actually filmed in Morocco.
Atlas is currently in the process of completing her newest album, Mounqaliba, which is meant to explore the classical world and is inspired by the poetry of Rabindranath Tagore. Mounqaliba is scheduled to release on September 20, 2010.
Natacha Atlas
Thursday, July 29, 8:00 p.m.
Skirball Cultural Center
2701 N Sepulveda Blvd
Los Angeles
FREE; no reservations
Limited seating on a first-come, first-served basis
Parking: $5 per car carrying three or more people, otherwise $10 per car (cash only)