Kelmti Horra (Arabic: كلمتي حرة, "My Word is Free") is the debut studio album by Tunisian protest singer Emel Mathlouthi.[1] It was released on January 24, 2012. The title track was written by Tunisian writer Amine al-Ghozzi and became an important protest song in the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions.[2][3]
| Kelmti Horra | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | January 24, 2012 |
| Label | World Village |
Kelmti Horra was reissued for the first time on vinyl in 2022 to celebrate its 10-year anniversary.[4] The reissue which was also out on CD, included bonus tracks.
Reception
editThe album was received positively. Neil Spencer of The Guardian called Mathlouthi "a powerful new voice" and "a world diva with a difference", describing the album as twisting together "Arabic roots with western flavours" including rock and trip-hop.[5]
Music News describes Kelmti Horra as "a work of haunting and melodramatic beauty" with "an intoxicating and intriguing sound".[6] Mathlouthi was called the "Voice of Tunisian Revolution" after the release of the song.[7]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Houdou'on (The Calm)" | Emel Mathlouthi | 5:31 |
| 2. | "Ma Ikit (Not Found)" | Emel Mathlouthi | 3:57 |
| 3. | "Dhalem (Tyrant)" | Emel Mathlouthi | 3:55 |
| 4. | "Stranger" | Emel Mathlouthi | 4:12 |
| 5. | "Ya Tounes Ya Meskina (Poor Tunisia)" | Emel Mathlouthi | 4:46 |
| 6. | "Ethnia Twila (The Road is Long)" | Emel Mathlouthi | 8:23 |
| 7. | "Kelmti Horra (My Word is Free)" | Amin al-Ghozzi | 6:29 |
| 8. | "Dfina (Burial)" | Emel Mathlouthi | 6:22 |
| 9. | "Hinama (When)" | Emel Mathlouthi | 5:28 |
| 10. | "Yezzi (Enough)" | Emel Mathlouthi | 7:14 |
Personnel
edit- Emel Mathlouthi, guitar, lead vocals and backing vocals
- Amine alghozzi, lyrics
- Zied Zouari, violin
- Séverine Morfin, viola
- Valentin Ceccaldi, cello
- Imed Alibi, djembe, shakers
- Vanesa Garcia, bombo
- Jonathan Giovannelli, balafon
- Sana Sassi, backing vocals
- Jelila Bouraoui, backing vocals
- Christine Audat, backing vocals
- Amine Metani, backing vocals
- Ahmed Nouisser, backing vocals
References
edit- ^ "Emel Mathlouthi | Festival International Nuits d'Afrique de Montréal". www.festivalnuitsdafrique.com. Archived from the original on 2017-08-30. Retrieved 2017-08-30.
- ^ Daniel Gumbiner (2012). Now That We Have Tasted Hope: Voices from the Arab Spring. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 22. ISBN 978-1614520207.
- ^ Caroline Kulsum and Noor Al Khatib (25 June 2011). "Minstrels of the Arab Revolution". Gulf News. Archived from the original on 27 April 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
Emel Mathlouthi, a Tunisian musician is yet another protester who asks for equality and tranquility in her native country: The morphine we've been injected with for 23 years is no longer enough to dull our pain. She had always said that one of the artists that she looked up to the most was Bob Dylan, she considered him to be her idol.
- ^ "Kelmti Horra 10 year Anniversary – Emel – Vinyl + CD". Emel official. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 2022-06-22.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Spencer, Neil (February 18, 2012). "Emel Mathlouthi: Kelmti Horra – review". The Observer. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
- ^ "Emel Mathlouthi". Music News. 18 March 2012. Retrieved September 23, 2012.
- ^ "Emel Mathlouthi Is The 21st Century's Catalyst For Change". NPR. November 8, 2018.