Noura Mint Seymali | |
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 Noura Mint Seymali in 2015 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Mauritania |
| Occupation(s) | singer, songwriter, instrumentalist |
| Instrument(s) | vocals |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
Noura Mint Seymali is a Mauritanian griot, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist.
Noura Mint Seymali was born in Mauritania to parents Dimi Mint Abba and Seymali Ould Ahmed Vall. Both parents were important musical figures in Mauritania. Her father, Seymali, is a Moorish composer who adapted Mauritania's national anthem. [1] Her step-mother, Dimi, was one of her country's most famous singers, and was known as the "diva of the desert". At the age of 13, Noura began composing for her mother, as well as touring with her as a backup singer. [2] Through the musical members of her family, she was able to master the ardin, a nine-stringed harp reserved for women, as well as get her feet wet in the world of performances. [3]
Following her marriage to her guitarist, Jeiche Ould Chighaly, Noura began playing weddings with him. [4] With the help of her husband, they formed their first band in 2004. After the local release of two albums, they returned to the studio to create the band's first full-length album, Tzenni. The album was released in 2014 via Glitterbeat Records. The band continues to play at music festivals around the world. [3] Her 2016 album Arbina was noted for its "fiery vocals [and] unconventional instrumentation". [5]
Noura is trained in playing the ardin, the traditional Mauritanian instrument for female griots. She considers herself and her music to be non-political in nature. [4] In 2018, Noura hosted the Malian Tuareg band Tinariwen during their travels in Mauritania, and appeared on their 2019 album Amadjar . [6]
Noura Mint Seymali has performed in many places around the world since their band formation in 2004. Some of the famous festivals that they've performed at are globalFEST, located in the United States; Festival au Désert, in Mali; and Hayy Festival, in Egypt. Noura Mint Seymali's combination of different genres of Moorish music with pop music has given them a large platform of audiences. [3] [4] Her band includes Jeiche Ould Chighaly on guitar and tidinit, Ousmane Tour on bass, Matthew Tinari on drums, Ayniyana Chighaly on backing vocals and ardin, and Mayassa Hemed Vall on backing vocals and percussion.
The music of Mauritania comes predominantly from the country's largest ethnic group: the Moors. In Moorish society musicians occupy the lowest caste, iggawin. Musicians from this caste used song to praise successful warriors as well as their patrons. Iggawin also had the traditional role of messengers, spreading news between villages. In modern Mauritania, professional musicians are paid by anybody to perform; affluent patrons sometimes record the entertainment, rather than the musicians themselves, and are then considered to own the recording.
Tinariwen is a collective of Tuareg musicians from the Sahara region of northern Mali. Considered pioneers of desert blues, the group's guitar-driven style combines traditional Tuareg and African music with Western rock music. They have released nine albums since their formation and have toured internationally.
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Dimi Mint Abba was one of Mauritania's most famous musicians. She was born Loula Bint Siddaty Ould Abba in Tidjikja in Mauritania. 1958, into a low-caste ("iggawin") family specializing in the griot tradition.
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Amadjar is the eighth album by the Tuareg band Tinariwen, released on September 6, 2019. The album's title means "the foreign traveler" in the Tamashek language. The album features guest appearances by Noura Mint Seymali, Micah Nelson, Cass McCombs, Stephen O'Malley, Warren Ellis, and Rodolphe Burger. The album reached number 74 on the Ultratop albums chart in Belgium.
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