AZIZA BRAHIM

Sahari

GLITTERBEAT 7/10

Sub-saharan homesick blues

A long-term refugee from the disputed Western Sahara, most of which has been under Moroccan occupation for decades, Aziza Brahim’s songs of yearning are rooted in exile. Now living in Spain, Brahim proudly celebrates the poetry and music of her ancestors on her third album with gorgeous, imploring, desert-blues laments like “Ard El Hub” and “Mujayam”. A first-time collaboration with Spanish musician Amparo Sanchez, Sahari blends rootsy elements with lighttouch electronics and occasional Spanish lyrics. One reggae-infused track, “Las Huellas”, has a jarringly incongruous hippie-busker feel. Thankfully it is counterbalanced by delicious highlights like “Lmanfa”, which couches Brahim’s soulfully sultry sighs in filigree webs of sinewy, luminous guitar.