Originally published on al.arte.magazine It is springtime. The year is 950. You are in Córdoba, the capital of Al-Andalus, Islamic Spain. You saunter towards the Great Mosque, strolling down the narrow paved streets. The city is bustling with activity. It is a bees nest, as people go in and out in pursuit of knowledge, and to read, search for cures, buy from the city’s skilled artisans, or trade herbs, spices, cotton, or silk. A light breeze tickles your nose thrills with the smell of a citrus tree standing on the patio of a nearby villa. All of a sudden you hear poetry, recited in a place far away. Yet you open your eyes, and realise it was just a daydream. The last song on Souad Massi’s newest album, El Mutakallimûn (Masters of the Word), floats out of the radio. On the 18th of October, Cairo Jazz Festival will invite singer/songwriter/guitarist Souad Massi to Downtown Cairo. Born in Algiers in 1972, this world-renowned artist brings music that carries global influences within, ranging from Portuguese fado to rock and folk rock, Middle Eastern arrangements, and African melodies. Eclectic as this may sound,…
