because I find it so melodic, so I play with
this kind of thing," she says.
Interestingly, though much of her music
has been about celebrating different musical
traditions, Strong celebrates ancient human
beliefs that are universal. The theme may be
inspired by Berber customs and beliefs, but
Mezel found in them a much more unifying
understanding of the world. "All these
people believed in things like water, symbols,
sky, the stars – not just in North Africa but
anywhere in the world. So I was interested in
this because it allowed me to speak about
this profound common background of man,
of identity, of humanity." By bringing
together elements from different languages
and cultures in her music, Mezel has created
an album that celebrates the universal vitality
of life and humanity.
balance between men and women. Language
is the key," Mezel adds. So it was important
to her that certain songs were written in
Berber in order for them to be understood
instantly in Algeria.
"Each time I work with the Berber
language, it's a deep moment. It's a lot of
work. I have to be less abstract and use more
poetic, simple images," she says. "In French,
I can play on the ambiguity and sometimes
poetry – the level of understanding can be
different. It's true that I don't have this level
of poetry in Berber but at the same time my
poetry is free in Berber."
Ultimately, she enjoys working with the
sounds of words; it is about playing with
language, enjoying its rhythms and sounds.
"What I try to do is have English sound like
it's Berber or French sound like it's Berber,
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 The Linguist 19
ecclectic mix of styles, and I wonder whether
the type of music influences the language
selected for each song. "I start with the
language and it is from the language that
something develops," she says. "Sometimes I
will leave a bit of distance and listen to it again
and then, if the language is not working, I
might change it. But I try most of the time to
wait until the words deliver something."
While writing Strong, she surrounded
herself with her grandmother's traditional
pottery. Some pieces were decorated with
written symbols, which reminded her of the
protective symbols that she had often seen
written on walls in Algeria. "I spread the
album with this kind of symbol, related to
spiritual women. The place of women in
society is very challenged at the moment,
and I felt it was important to speak about the
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