Singer and songwriter Syna Awel hails from the Berber cultural region of Kabylia in Algeria. She took her Kabylian background with her to Nice, where it blended with jazz, pop and French folk music. For her debut Awel, she enlisted the lauded French-Algerian jazz drummer
Karim Ziad as arranger and producer. Ziad formed a flexible band around Awel, with the addition of North African percussion and
… flute in addition to drums, piano, and double bass. Organically, jazz and pop blend with Awel's Berber and sometimes French vocals. Her voice is warm and powerful, with Arabic twists instead of blue notes and scats. "Life is wonderful," is the one English phrase that suddenly pops up in opening track Dnunnit Leali. It certainly is on this compelling album. (MR)more
