Tunisian-American artist, producer and activist Emel Mathlouthi, known as EMEL, is set to perform at the at TD Music Hall in Toronto on April 5, 2025.
SWOMP caught up with EMEL to discuss the show, her career, touring plans and her latest album MRA.
EMEL recently released a new remix of her track "Lose My Mind" featuring Nayomi. The remix, created by Parisian duo Acid Arab, transforms the song’s original Arabic reggaeton groove into a pulsing, club-ready anthem with a four-on-the-floor beat and bursts of rave-inspired mizmar.
Known for her striking stage presence, she has been praised by outlets such as The Guardian for her "Björk-like glamour" and for delivering some of the most powerful performances at festivals worldwide. A newly released live video of her performing "Massive Will" at Le Centquatre in Paris showcases her dynamic energy on stage.
Her latest album, MRA—which means "woman" in Arabic—pushes forward a female-driven creative vision. Every contributor to the project, from producers to featured artists and musicians, is a woman. The album blends African trap, batucada, hip hop and drum and bass with powerful melodies and multilingual lyrics. Tracks such as "Souty," "Nar" and "Massive Will" offer a sweeping, genre-spanning listening experience.
EMEL's career has been marked by collaborations with designers Alaïa and Jean-Paul Gaultier, as well as scoring work with artists such as Shirin Neshat and Robert Del Naja. She also contributed to the soundtrack for Assassin’s Creed: Mirage. Her song "Kelmti Horra (My Word Is Free)," once banned, became an anthem of the Arab Spring and was later performed at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo.
Beyond the stage, she has played a clandestine concert in Baghdad, Iraq, and an underground all-women performance in Iran, documented in No Land’s Song. Last summer, she performed in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, facing backlash for her track "Naci En Palestina (I Was Born in Palestine)."
"I don't create things to be consumed," EMEL says. "I hope it transcends time, transcends boundaries, transcends cultures. Music can change the world."
Follow her at https://emelmathlouthi.com/.
Photo Credit: Amber Grey
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