Aziza Brahim
★★★★
Mawja
GLITTERBEAT. CD/DL/LP
Clash-influenced fifth from the Saharwai singer.
A Spanish colony until 1975, Western Sahara was then fought over by Mauritania and Morocco (the latter now governs 90 per cent of the country, despite the protests of exiled nationalists). Forced from her homeland and a veteran of refugee camps, Brahim has every right to sing the desert blues, but this is a more rounded affair than that tag suggests, perfect for taking her concerns to the radios of the world. Mental health issues, aggravated by lockdown, resulted in time spent listening to The Clash and using them to spark the songs here – it’s not obvious, but among the elements leaving an impression are Brahim’s vibrato on Haiyu Ya Zuwar, the flamenco guitar (played on a Cuban tres), the layers of desert flutes (on Fuadi) and a production that shimmers with Saharan heat. Mawja may not rock the casbah, but it should seduce it.