Qobuz Store wallpaper
Categories:
Cart 0

Your cart is empty

Meryem Aboulouafa|Meryem

Meryem

Meryem Aboulouafa

Digital booklet

Available in
24-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo

Unlimited Streaming

Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps

Start my trial period and start listening to this album

Enjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription

Subscribe

Enjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription

Digital Download

Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.

After the album closes, we can only wonder at Meryem Aboulouafa’s voice on her eponymous debut. We are held in a 38-minute hypnosis during which the Casablanca singer’s dreamlike organ takes control of our souls and senses, we embark on a hybrid voyage mixing soul, pop, electro, oriental music and faux film music. But like her contemporaries Kadhja Bonet (who often comes to mind), Weyes Blood, Jenny Hval and Lana Del Rey, Meryem Aboulouafa’s universe is also made up of sounds, ambiances and, above all, words… Her father raised her on all the classics (Beatles, Stones, Floyd, Dylan, Piaf, Brel, Brassens), before she went on to study music theory and violin at the Conservatoire, write her first poems in Arabic and French, and study interior design at Casablanca’s École Supérieure des Beaux-Arts. Guitar in hand, a young Meryem would write her first songs drawing the attention of Manu Barron from the label Animal (The Blaze, Myth Syzer, Johan Papaconstantino, Gabriel Auguste). With the help of Keren Ann she perfects her already solid first drafts which are intelligently assembled by production experts Para One and Okard. “Para One brought a cinematographic element to the recording which suits me well as I visualise a lot of my music and lyrics”, explains the singer. “Ojard is more about melodies, orchestration and the elaboration of complex harmonies and sounds.” A stripped-down piano here and lyrical neo-classical strings there. Continue on for warlike rhythms and a blend of electronic trip-hop. Throughout, instrumentals take care to follow the voice and introspective lyrics. “The Friend” evokes a muslim prayer and its poetic gestures, “Deeply” discusses the complexity of the human soul, “Breath of Roma” is a love letter to Italian culture, and so on and so forth. Eleven pieces make up this fascinating puzzle from beginning to end with great emotional finesse. We should narrowly avoid branding Meryem Aboulouafa the hidden love child of James Blake and Oum Kalsoum as this debut album (a Qobuzissime winner!) is the work of an artist of great personality. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz

More info

Meryem

Meryem Aboulouafa

launch qobuz app I already downloaded Qobuz for Windows / MacOS Open

download qobuz app I have not downloaded Qobuz for Windows / MacOS yet Download the Qobuz app

You are currently listening to samples.

Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.

Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.

From $10.83/month

1
THE FRIEND
00:03:03

Meryem Aboulouafa, Composer, Author, Artist, MainArtist

2020 Animal 63 2020 Animal 63

2
Breath of Roma
00:03:25

Meryem Aboulouafa, Composer, Author, Artist, MainArtist

2020 Animal 63 2020 Animal 63

3
Deeply
00:03:21

Meryem Aboulouafa, Composer, Author, Artist, MainArtist

2020 Animal 63 2020 Animal 63

4
Say the Truth and Run
00:03:57

Meryem Aboulouafa, Composer, Author, Artist, MainArtist

2020 Animal 63 2020 Animal 63

5
Je me promets
00:04:30

Meryem Aboulouafa, Composer, Author, Artist, MainArtist

2020 Animal 63 2020 Animal 63

6
Fighting
00:03:31

Meryem Aboulouafa, Composer, Author, Artist, MainArtist

2020 Animal 63 2020 Animal 63

7
Évanouie
00:03:33

Meryem Aboulouafa, Composer, Author, Artist, MainArtist

2020 Animal 63 2020 Animal 63

8
The Accident
00:03:40

Meryem Aboulouafa, Composer, Author, Artist, MainArtist

2020 Animal 63 2020 Animal 63

9
Ya Qalbi
00:03:06

Meryem Aboulouafa, Composer, Author, Artist, MainArtist

2020 Animal 63 2020 Animal 63

10
Welcome Back to Me
00:02:47

Meryem Aboulouafa, Composer, Author, Artist, MainArtist

2020 Animal 63 2020 Animal 63

11
We'll Get By
00:03:19

Meryem Aboulouafa, Composer, Author, Artist, MainArtist

2020 Animal 63 2020 Animal 63

Album review

After the album closes, we can only wonder at Meryem Aboulouafa’s voice on her eponymous debut. We are held in a 38-minute hypnosis during which the Casablanca singer’s dreamlike organ takes control of our souls and senses, we embark on a hybrid voyage mixing soul, pop, electro, oriental music and faux film music. But like her contemporaries Kadhja Bonet (who often comes to mind), Weyes Blood, Jenny Hval and Lana Del Rey, Meryem Aboulouafa’s universe is also made up of sounds, ambiances and, above all, words… Her father raised her on all the classics (Beatles, Stones, Floyd, Dylan, Piaf, Brel, Brassens), before she went on to study music theory and violin at the Conservatoire, write her first poems in Arabic and French, and study interior design at Casablanca’s École Supérieure des Beaux-Arts. Guitar in hand, a young Meryem would write her first songs drawing the attention of Manu Barron from the label Animal (The Blaze, Myth Syzer, Johan Papaconstantino, Gabriel Auguste). With the help of Keren Ann she perfects her already solid first drafts which are intelligently assembled by production experts Para One and Okard. “Para One brought a cinematographic element to the recording which suits me well as I visualise a lot of my music and lyrics”, explains the singer. “Ojard is more about melodies, orchestration and the elaboration of complex harmonies and sounds.” A stripped-down piano here and lyrical neo-classical strings there. Continue on for warlike rhythms and a blend of electronic trip-hop. Throughout, instrumentals take care to follow the voice and introspective lyrics. “The Friend” evokes a muslim prayer and its poetic gestures, “Deeply” discusses the complexity of the human soul, “Breath of Roma” is a love letter to Italian culture, and so on and so forth. Eleven pieces make up this fascinating puzzle from beginning to end with great emotional finesse. We should narrowly avoid branding Meryem Aboulouafa the hidden love child of James Blake and Oum Kalsoum as this debut album (a Qobuzissime winner!) is the work of an artist of great personality. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz

About the album

Distinctions:

Improve album information

Qobuz logo Why buy on Qobuz?

On sale now...

Leave Your Sleep

Natalie Merchant

Leave Your Sleep Natalie Merchant

Paradise Is There: The New Tigerlily Recordings

Natalie Merchant

Keep Your Courage

Natalie Merchant

Keep Your Courage Natalie Merchant

The Köln Concert (Live at the Opera, Köln, 1975)

Keith Jarrett

More on Qobuz
By Meryem Aboulouafa

Breath of Roma

Meryem Aboulouafa

Breath of Roma Meryem Aboulouafa

Évanouie

Meryem Aboulouafa

Évanouie Meryem Aboulouafa

Ya Qalbi

Meryem Aboulouafa

Ya Qalbi Meryem Aboulouafa

Playlists

You may also like...

Come Away With Me

Norah Jones

Come Away With Me Norah Jones

Turn the Lights Back On

Billy Joel

Crime Of The Century [2014 - HD Remaster]

Supertramp

Tubular Bells

Mike Oldfield

Tubular Bells Mike Oldfield

Tea For The Tillerman

Cat Stevens

Tea For The Tillerman Cat Stevens