Roufaida

ALBUM RELEASE SHOW

Rotterdam-based singer-songwriter and BIRD-local Roufaida produces understated indie pop with guitar, guembri, vintage Riffin cassette samples and beats (á la Björk, Fairuz and Aldous Harding). Through layered, minimalist and rhythmic puzzles, Roufaida tells stories of loyalty, love and alienation. In the words of The Daily Indie: “Roufaida’s warm voice initially sets you off on the wrong foot, after which she promptly pulls you into the darkness with hushed outbursts and her distinctive timing.”

As a child, like many other children of Moroccan migrants, Roufaida traveled with her family by car to Morocco in the summer. During those drives, Riffin and Arabic music sounded against the backdrop of an increasingly reddening landscape. “When I started listening to that music again, something happened; within its rhythm I recognized a rhythm that is present in my body as well. It felt very natural to work with that.” Her lyrics’ themes are about hope and opportunity. “As different as we seem, we are the same in our sadness, our love and loneliness.” See and hear for yourself!