Press
NURIYA - Tanita * * * * 4 Stars: A star in the Making > SONGLINES UK
Imagine a fusion of Latin, Middle-Eastern and Arabic-Flamenco music with some hip-hop and reggae thrown in for good measure. Then imagine a melismatic voice that swoops and soars with seemingly effortless ease, delivering lyrics that tell of love, life and loss in Spanish, English and French. Imagine this being performed by a [green]-eyed Mexican-born beauty of Middle-Eastern Jewish Heritage. It's easy to see why Nuriya is already making waves in her New York base. A living, breathing riposte to the erroneous notion that world music isn't sexy, Nuriya is surrounded by next-big-thing hype and it's only a matter of time before it crosses over to this side of the globe.
Nuriya caused a stir on touring Europe a couple of years ago with the redoubtable French outfit Babylon Circus, a feisty addition to the crusty ska and reggae crew. For her debut solo CD Tanita (Little Gypsy), however Nuriya delves deep into her cross-cultural past. A whole host of influences are thrown into the melting pot: Nuriya studied Afro-Cuban music in Cuba, Hebrew and Arabic melodies in Israel and composition in Paris. Thankfully Nuriya avoids a temptation to overcrowd her music. Aided by input from a host of esteemed Latin American and Middle-Eastern musicians (including her BBC Radio 3 award winning cousin Yair Dalal) on everything from percussion and guitar to piano and violin, tracks feel streamlined and carefully considered. Standouts include the horn-driven "Déjame Quererte" though Nuriya's own voice is the real highlight of this album as a whole. Somewhere in between Oum Kathoum and Maria "la Canillas" Abad of Ojos de Brujo, it's a voice that transcends appearance.
- SONGLINES UK: July 2011 No. 77 - Jane Cornwell
Press
Globetrotting Mexican Gypsy - One of the great discoveries...is Mexican singer Nuriya.
One of the great discoveries of the past months is Mexican singer Nuriya. Even though her background is Middle Eastern, Nuriya loves the Andalusian Gypsy sounds of Spain and Eastern Europe. Her stunning album Tamita incorporates Spanish Gypsy rumba, Eastern European brass sounds and even Jamaican dub.
Since early childhood, Nuriya was nurtured and immersed in Middle Eastern and Mexican cultures. “My story is not one that begins simply with me,” says Nuriya. “One must delve a bit further into past generations to understand the evolution of the person you see and hear now. I come from a family of Middle-Eastern Jews who fled their countries, Iraq and Syria, due to religious persecution. All of them were bound for the U.S. However the majority ended up being re-routed and sent to Mexico as U.S. immigrant quotas were filled upon their arrival.”
Nuriya has traveled, studied, and performed throughout Latin America, Europe, Israel and more recently, the United States. “Thanks to my mother, who was studying in conservatory at the time, my most formative years were abundant with music – Middle-Eastern, Mexican, South American, Caribbean, Flamenco, African, and Classical music,” adds Nuriya. “The sounds within me and my curiosity have taken me all over the world to learn and play music. David Oquendo, a long time teacher and friend, sent me to Cuba to study folkloric Afro-Cuban music and dance with the Muñequitos of Matanzas. In Israel with my cousin, Yair Dalal, I studied the Hebrew and Arabic melodies that have inspired some of those heard half way across the globe in Afro-Cuban music. Further enriched with these experiences, I went on to Paris to compose and tour Europe.”
Nuriya’s band on Tanita includes a multinational band on percussion, bass, horns, flute, guitar, piano, and violin.
Tanita shows us the passionate talent of one of the new young divas in the world music scene.
FULL ARTICLE: http://nuriyamusic.squarespace.com/press/?SSScrollPosition=0
http://worldmusiccentral.org/2011/04/21/globetrotting-mexican-gypsy/
Press
Nuriya TOP 5 Piece in Spin the Globe - February 2011
Monday's mp3: Mexi-Arabic Flamenco
Sometimes I wish I lived on the other coast. Not for the piles of gray snow and sub-freezing temperatures and odd aromas emanating from the subway platforms, but -- of course -- for the music and culture. I've only recently been introduced to the music of Mexican singer Nuriya, but her debut CD Tanita jumped easily onto the February Top 10 chart. Next Saturday, she's having a CD release party at Joe's Pub in New York, and I won't be there.
I may well be here on the west coast listening to her music, however. While she's from Mexico, you wouldn't know it from the Arabic-flamenco flavor of her music. Think Natacha Atlas meets Ojos de Brujo, with a Gypsy horn section tossed in to keep things interesting. This style of music from her own cross-cultural past. In Nuriya's own words: [SEE BIO SECTION]
With this background in mind, Nuriya's music really speaks for itself...Nuriya will be touring this summer; perhaps she'll visit us here on the left coast. We can hope, yes?
FULL ARTICLE: http://www.soundroots.org/2011/02/monday-mp3-mexi-arabic-flamenco.html
Nuriya TOP 5 Sound Roots - March 2011
FULL ARTICLE: http://www.soundroots.org/2011/03/top-10-world-music-cds-march-2011.html
JSI'S TOP 21 - February 2011 : NURIYA "TANITA"
Nuriya draws on her eclectic heritage for her wailing, Latin, Middle Eastern fusion mix. She is the modern nomad of a certain sort, her family initially immigrated from Iraq and Syria to Mexico and she now trains and tours in Mexico, LA, New York, Israel, Europe. “Tanita,” the title of this album means “little gypsy” and it lives up to its name.
Nuriya shows mastery of a broad range of world music styles and genres. The swelling multi-layered, cross cultural percussive sounds range from flamenco to afro-cuban drumming to Hebrew and Arabic melodies. These are weaved into a sensual, expertly crafted, virtuosic fabric of complex harmonies and rhythms....
