Introducing…Hindi Zahra

Handmade

(Naïve; Digital Sept. 26/Physical Oct. 11)

“A contender for newcomer of the year” (4-stars) –The Guardian

“Hindi Zahra’s sensual vocals and intriguingly varied roots may carry just enough mystery and allure to unlock the elusive twin holy grails of crossover appeal and credibility.”- BBC

“A kind of postmodern Billie Holiday…the capacity to win fans way beyond the world music scene” –Telegraph

Moroccan-born, Parisian-bred songstress Hindi Zahra will make her American debut with Handmade (Naïve), out digitally September 26 with a physical release available on October 11. After the album’s worldwide release in 2010, Handmade captured audiences with Hindi’s sultry yet delicate melodies, ultimately taking the Prix Constantin (France’s Mercury Prize) in 2010. Her music is part blues, part jazz, and a dash of gypsy, exhibiting the myriad of colorful influences of Hindi’s past and present.

The self-taught composer produced and arranged Handmade in its entirety. Music is the story of her life- a family affair. The story of a Berber girl born in Morocco, Hindi’s father was in the army and her mother a housewife, occasional actress and singer of village repute. Her uncles were musicians in the post-psychedelic Moroccan scene of the 60’s and 70’s. She grew up to the sounds of traditional Berber music, the blues of the great Malian Ali Farka Touré and desert rock’n’roll. All of this occurred before she set out across the Mediterranean to join her father in Paris, taking her first job at the Louvre.

While the art was influencing her imagination, she started to hone her musical chops doing backing vocals on hip-hop-flavored soul albums before embarking on her solo career. “I soon got fed up with the machines and loops, but what I took away from that experience was the understanding of what I really wanted to do.”

The album’s first single “Beautiful Tango” is a smoky ballad; a whistle-along melodic tribute to love. This transfixing album pays homage to her heritage with ballads like “Imik Si Mik” (Little by Little) and “Oursoul” (Bygones) in her native Berber tongue.

A chanteuse with a vibrant flare, Hindi’s sound is stripped down and warm, revealing her authenticity. “Set Me Free” sings like a hymn with an impromptu performance by Hindi’s mother using plastic bags as percussion. Hindi effortlessly channels elements of contemporaries such as Keren Ann and Nouvelle Vague, and established women before her such as Suzanne Vega and Madeline Peyroux, while staking her claim in today’s landscape with her thoroughly original touch.

Exhibiting the patina of maturity, this formidable new talent’s storytelling will appeal to a wide array of music fans. The album is a melding of soul and folk similar to the feel of when Les Nubians or Sade burst onto the scene. This time, Hindi carves out her own path as she shifts seamlessly from American folk, to Paris tradition to Moroccan soul. A versatile multi-instrumentalist, Hindi has crafted her own soundtrack of soul-folk-jazz ballads with south Moroccan roots, on the cusp of African culture.

Hindi will be touring the US for the first time this Fall in support of Handmade, with stops in cities across the country including Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, and Chicago, culminating in performances at CMJ in NYC.

WATCH: Click here to see the video for album single, “Beautiful Tango”:

North American Fall Tour Dates:

9/30 Los Angeles, CA @ OohLaL.A. Festival

10/1 San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill

10/3 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir

10/4 Seattle, WA @ Triple Door

10/5 Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Theater

10/6 Calgary, ALB @ Iron Wood

10/7 Edmonton, ALB @ Haven Social Club

10/9 Winnipeg, MAN @ West End Cultural Center

10/10 Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center

10/11 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall

10/17 Toronto, ONT @ Drake

10/18 Montreal, PQ @ Corona Theater

10/21-10/23 New York, NY @ CMJ