Massi's music, which prominently features the acoustic guitar, displays Western musical style influences such as rock, country or the Portuguese fado, rather than traditional Algerian or Raï musical styles performed by most Algerian musicians. Massi sings in Algerian Arabic, French, and occasionally English and Kabyle (Berber language), often employing multiple languages in the same song.
Massi was born in Algiers, Algeria to a poor Muslim family of seven children. Encouraged by her older brother, she began studying music at a young age, singing and playing guitar. Growing up Massi immersed herself in American country and roots music, musical styles that would later heavily influence her songwriting. At the age of seventeen she joined a flamenco band, but quickly grew bored with the group and left.
In the early 1990s, Massi joined the Algerian political rock band Atakor, who were influenced by Western rock bands such as Led Zeppelin and U2. She recorded and performed with the group for seven years, releasing a successful album and two popular music videos. The band, however, with its political lyrics and growing popularity, became a target. Massi disguised herself by cutting her hair and dressing in male clothing, but she nevertheless became the target of a series of death threats. In 1999, she left the band and moved to Paris, France.
In 1999, Massi was invited to perform at the Femmes d'Algerie ("Women from Algeria") festival in Paris, which led to a recording contract with Island Records. In June of 2001, she released her solo debut album Raoui ("Storyteller"), which All Music Guide compared to 1960s American folk music. Sung mostly in French and Arabic, the album became a critical and commercial success in France. The following year she was nominated for "Best Newcomer" at the Radio 3 World Music Awards.
In 2003, she released her second album Deb ("Heart-broken"). The album's lyrics were more personal rather than political and it became one of the most successful North African albums worldwide. Three years later, Massi released her third album Mesk Elil ("Honeysuckle"). The album expanded on the themes of love and loss that had been explored on Deb and featured duets with Daby Toure and Rabah Khalfa.
Studio albums
* 2001: Raoui
* 2003: Deb
* 2006: Mesk Elil
* 2010: Ô Houria
* 2015: El Mutakallimun
* 2019: Oumniya
* 2022: Sequana
https://souad-massi.com/en/
Mesk Elil
Souad Massi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
فهد الوقت كوراق الشجار تبدا تدبل
و ريحة التراب كتصب الشتا
دمعة في عيني تلعب نتفكرك انتا
فهد الوقت كتغيب الشمس ما تزيد تبان
فهد الوقت كالطيور تهاجر الغصان
و ريحة التراب كتصب الشتا
يبانلي طريقي طويل بلا بيك انتا
شبعت الويل
و توحشت ريحة مسك الليل
توحشت الطرقان اللي حفظوني
توحشت حتى اللي كرهوني
و ريحة التراب كتصب الشتا
يبانلي طريقي طويل بلا بيك انتا
و توحشت و توحشت و توحشتك
شبعت الويل
و توحشت ريحة مسك الليل
وتوحشت وتوحشت وتوحشت وتوحشت
و توحشت ريحة مسك الليل
و توحشت وتوحشت وتوحشت وتوحشتك
…و توحشت و توحشت
The lyrics of Souad Massi's Mesk Elil describe the passage of time and how it affects the singer's emotions. The opening lines compare time to a constantly changing tree leaf, and how the scent of earth rises with the rain. The singer then expresses her longing for someone who is no longer present in her life, and how their absence has made her feel alone and isolated. She compares time to a setting sun and migrating birds, emphasizing how it never stops for anyone, despite the pain it inflicts.
The chorus repeats the phrase "I miss you" several times, emphasizing the singer's loneliness and longing for the person who has left her life. She misses the scent of "mesk elil," a traditional Algerian fragrance made from lily flowers, and how it used to make her feel comforted. The lyrics also illustrate how the singer has not only lost this person but also those who have turned against her, leaving her feeling completely isolated.
Overall, Mesk Elil is a melancholic song that captures the bittersweet nature of longing and loneliness. It is a reflection on life and how time and circumstances can change everything, leaving us feeling lost and longing for what has been lost.
Line by Line Meaning
فهد الوقت كالحال كل دقيقة يتبدل
Time passes like the weather, it changes every minute
فهد الوقت كوراق الشجار تبدا تدبل
Time is like a tree's leaves, it falls and changes
و ريحة التراب كتصب الشتا
The smell of soil is like the rain, it pours
دمعة في عيني تلعب نتفكرك انتا
A tear in my eye reminds me of you
فهد الوقت كتغيب الشمس ما تزيد تبان
Time is like the sun that sets, it fades away
فهد الوقت كالطيور تهاجر الغصان
Time is like birds that migrate from tree to tree
يبانلي طريقي طويل بلا بيك انتا
My path seems long without you
و توحشت و توحشت و توحشتك شبعت الويل
I miss you so much, my grief is overwhelming
توحشت ريحة مسك الليل
I miss the smell of musk at night
توحشت الطرقان اللي حفظوني
I miss the footsteps that kept me company
توحشت حتى اللي كرهوني
I even miss those who hated me
Contributed by Matthew A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.