Sonia M'Barek began singing maluf - traditional Tunisian court music - as a child under the tutelage of her grandmother. Its affinity with like styles in Algeria, Libya and Morocco voices the music's historical origins in southern Andalusia, before the Reconquest drove Muslims and Jews from Spain in 1492. Many of the exiles settled in the medinas of North Africa, bringing their musical heritage. Maluf was and remains primarily a male domain, making Sonia M'Barek a rare female soloist of the genre. She trained in the Tunis conservatory, and has performed widely in Tunisia and the neighboring Maghreb. While rooted in the traditional maluf repertoire, M'Barek steps beyond it by delving into the sharqi or cabaret music (the so-called "belly dance") of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. She also pens many of her own compositions, and collaborates with younger artists who repudiate the commercial formulas of popular pan-Arabic music. Not yet 30, M'Barek possesses a smoky, soul-piercing voice that resonates with the euphoric, transcendental quality singers strive to project and listeners esteem - tarab, in the Arabic. This studio recording deftly pairs M'Barek with a small classical chamber orchestra (takht) of oud, kementché, ney, qanoun, violin, violoncello and percussion. The result is a passionate contemporary exposition of the Iberian, North African and Levantine musical nexus, one audibly rooted in medieval Andalusia. (Michael Stone)

Sonia M'barek was born in Sfax, Tunisia. From 1977-1986 she attended the national conservatory of music in Tunis, graduating with a diploma of Arabic music. Since then she sang for some musicals theater ("Asker Ellil", "Eté 61", "Taht Essour", "Didon"), films sound tracks (“the dance of fire”, “Abulkacem Echebbi”). In 1992, she published her first album solo "Liberté". She gives back homage to the the Tunisian lute player Ali Sriti with the involvement of Anouar Braham," Tarab" (1993-1994). At 1997, second solo album "Tawchih", 1999, edition of the album "Takht". 1997-2002, Animation of several conferences and workshops of singing on the Arabic music: France, Belgium, Switzerland, Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon, Jordan.

Dedications
Tunisia: 1987, Festival of Tunisian song: Artist of the year
1987, Festival of Tunisian song: price of the Best song Khali el hozn baîd alik. songwriter Rachid Yeddes
1994 & 2002, Insignias of the national command of cultural merit
1995, Didon of the feminine excellency
1997, homage from the festival of the Arabic creative women
France: 2000, golden Diapason for the CD" Takht"
2001, awards a medal of the city of Clermont Ferrand
Jordan: 2002 Festival of Arab song, price of the best interpretation