Following her last album, dedicated to the queer cultures of Kuwait, the producer is back on Hyperdub with Medieval Femme, a new project inspired by medieval Arabic women’s literature.
Born in Dakar, the Kuwaiti producer Fatima Al Qadiri remains attached to Senegal, as evidenced by her participation on the soundtrack of Atlantique, directed by Mati Diop. She draws on all the influences encountered on her path of immigration from West Africa to the Arab world, not to mention the United States.
With her new album, Medieval Femme, the DJ is now inspired by the classic poems by Arab female writers, making for a “fantastic album of crazy romantic arabesques.” Fatima recalls these forgotten poetesses, including Al-Khansa, transporting us to an Islamic garden in which the present seems totally dissolved, leaving room for letting go.
She plunges us into a deeply dreamlike space, reminiscent of the golden age of Arabic women’s literature, as in the single “Malaak,” which refers to “angels.” The composer uses the lute, an omnipresent instrument during this medieval period and places it in a futuristic setting, with vocals that lull us like a mantra. Fatima honors the nostalgic style of the writers of that time and reconciles us with our own melancholic sides, helping to convert sadness into a beautiful dream.
Medieval Femme will be released on May 24 via Hyperdub.
Find Fatima Al Qadiri in our Songs of the Week playlist on Spotify and Deezer.
