Souad Massi Interviews

CD: That's right! Thanks for your time this evening. We look forward to seeing you at Womad. Is this your first visit to Australia?

SM: Yes! I don't know anything about Australia. It will be a great surprise for me.

CD: I note from your interviews that you grew up in Algeria listening to Western style music? When did you begin to add traditional elements to your music?

SM: Yeah...when I grew up in Algeria I was listening to country music because I was influenced by the music of the movies - the western movies. I included
some traditional music into my own music when I moved to France because when I was in Algeria I never listened to traditional music. There is a balance between
traditional and western music - they exist side by side on the radio etc.

CD: We hear in the west that it is difficult for women to perform and be politically active in Algeria as it is dangerous at this time. Is this true?

SM: Yes, I think it still is. From 1985 onwards it became very difficult to perform in Algeria so I didn't choose to perform very much at that time. Even though
I did anyway. It was difficult even to go to rehearsals. I had to prepare myself psychologically and be accompanied as it was dangerous. It was not a fear to be imprisoned or prosecuted but to be killed. Not only artists but intellectuals, actors, lawyers, anybody who has some kind of influence in some way.

CD: I beleive you even considered giving up singing at one stage?

SM: I gave up befoe I came to France yeay...because it was becoming very dangerous and I couldn't live as a musician. I had to make the choice to either give up or move.

CD: Do you see any solution to this situation?

SM: Yeah, I think that giving the artist an opportunity to be able to speak about what is happening in the country is already a step towards tolerance and giving the possibility and allowing an artist the possibility to express themselves and be an ambassador of the people and the country as well.

CD: Are the young people taking up music as a form of protest or social comment or are they still fearful?

SM: It depends on the people. Some people listen to music every day because it is a part of their life and some people sing because they like to sing. There is a new movement in terms of rap music where singers use it as a form of rebellion.

CD: On the new CD you have been compared with Tracy Chapman and even Joan Baez. Does your new CD follow in this vein of socially aware songs?

SM: I was very flattered to be compared to great artists. And I hope I can write things that have a meaning as well as being nice to hear. It is important to me. The most important thing to me is to be honest on the stage.