Noura Mint Seymali: Tiny Desk Meets globalFEST 2023

For the third year, Tiny Desk concerts team up with globalFEST for a thrilling online music festival - Tiny Desk meets globalFEST.
Bob Boilen | January 30, 2023
Hosted by Angélique Kidjo, the series echoes globalFEST’s live flagship event in spirit but is centered in the framework of the Tiny Desk concert series. This collaboration presents exclusive video performances from nine artists filmed in their respective homelands, on the road and in exile all over the world. There will be three nights of concerts, each featuring three bands, on consecutive nights beginning Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. ET. The globalFEST team wrote the following biographical information about each performer.
Noura Mint Seymali, Mauritania
Noura Mint Seymali is Mauritania's defining artist on the international stage. Drawing on the timeless repertoire of the Moorish griot, a hereditary class of musical poets / historians, her band conjures "a full blown sandstorm of hypnotic grooves, melding traditional Mauritanian instruments within an electrified psychedelic rock band.” Expanding a sound born of Arab and Sub-Saharan roots, Noura Mint Seymali bends the arc of Moorish musical tradition to fit our contemporary moment.
SET LIST
"Na Ha"
“Tasirit"
"Ghlana"
MUSICIANS
Noura Mint Seymali: vocals, ardine
El Jeich Chighaly: guitar
Ousmane Touré: bass
Matthew Tinari: drums
CREDITS
Producer: Matthew Tinari
Audio: Dahman Ba
Video: Dahman Ba, Line Diop, 2F Xaliss
Special thanks to Levrig Restaurant, Nouakchott
TINY DESK TEAM
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Editing: Joshua Bryant
Tiny Desk Team: Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Ashley Pointer
GLOBALFEST TEAM
Co-Directors: Shanta Thake, Isabel Soffer and Bill Bragin
2023 Curators: Shanta Thake, Isabel Soffer, Bill Bragin and Meera Dugal
Event Producer: Ian Thake
Host: Angélique Kidjo
Legal Services: Tamizdat
Legal Services: Duane Morris
Video Production: Karim Tabbaa
FUNDERS:
The Mellon Foundation
The National Endowment for the Arts
NYC Department of Cultural Affairs
SPECIAL THANKS:
Ken Umezaki
Fabian Alsultany
Steven Kirkpatrick
David Komar

[@Mr_Nobody913]

40 yr old me sitting in my house high as a kite late night scrolling through NPR music like “This goes hard. I don’t understand a word of it but I’m the microphone and she’s singing into my soul.”

[@SabrinaAngel]

😂 Right

[@mattjoiner9387]

I turn 40 next month. Thanks for paving the way❤

[@thelibraryofalexandria8191]

It’s a mix of West African Islamic mysticism and poetry

[@sydposting]

omg there are SUBTITLES on this video!! I'm genuinely impressed and grateful, this adds so much to the music. 🥰

[@Businessbts9]

The subtitle is not good in this video The true meaning of the words is so great than the subtitles that youtube does.

[@lj1177]

Come on people, where is the praise? This is superb music.

[@thiernoba4573]

Mauritania

[@wdlovesthee736]

Absolutely! The opening licks pulled me in & im soaring thru. Beautiful complex , awesome. Loving this !

[@jodawgsup]

who cares about praise? justin bieber got praise too, what gives

[@GabriellaGracexo]

0:16 - Na Ha 8:08 - Tasirit 13:00 - Ghlana

[@kateuhler7803]

Oooooooh, I love this🥰. The rhythmic layering and multi-meter work is brilliant and expertly delivered. And that voice!! Mesmerizingly beautiful. Love💜💞

[@Jonathan-Scales]

I feel so lucky that I got to make music with her in her home in Mauritania! A moment I'll never forget!

[@abusharifah72]

First heard her music about 30 years ago. Close friend in college lent me Her cd. May Allah bless her and my friend Jason .

[@bboicrazy8]

The groove on the first song is worth a like by itself.

[@jamesxanthios1317]

Wow is this from a tent in Mauritania? Respect. The last guitarist during the last song was something else 👊.

[@AnDre-ke4wt]

Thank you Very nice that such wonderful women's contributions are part of the festival.

[@masonrain9977]

She is amazing that control and subtly of note changes… fantastic

[@GabriellaGracexo]

Aaah, I love Noura Mint Seymali. So excited about this!

[@quokka1831]

Beautiful. I never seen someone like her on tiny desk, but I’m glad they’re giving some variety.

[@kafdita]

Fantástico. La seguiré en Spotify.

[@derrynator]

KGLW furiously taking notes

[@jasonreed585]

God better give this lady what she wants, because she's amazing.

[@konumbra]

14:47 this note was incredible! such a great sound !!!

[@designer354]

Africa moledi are just amazing

[@amelialogan484]

Bravo!!! I love Noura Mint Seymali. One day I will have the opportunity to see her live. She's on my bucket list.

[@JackWilson-rn7cm]

What in the npc

[@colombianbrucelee]

Psychedelic! Fantastic singer, vibrato while singing of oceans of wealth (thank you for subtitles!) What a treat🎉

[@geoffforduk]

Love the bassist playing right hand guitar, regular strings order but upside down

[@gbkny1]

I just watched five videos previous to this and this was the best one hands down. They brought the heat. The guitar player was pehenominal. Her singing although i did not know what she was saying...didn't matter, she still brought it. I loved it. Good group.

[@bapbap22]

the bass player reminded me of Michael Henderson on Miles Davis

[@Pollypocket712]

Love it ❤ power to her ❤ 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

[@JamieHearnMMA]

incredible musicians

[@josephjoseph6731]

Peace Be The Journey....🤲🏾🌍❤️🔥🔥🎶👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@thelibraryofalexandria8191]

The true Gems of West Africa

[@arcie3716]

Amazing ❤️❤️❤️

[@hamzaarbiarbi8889]

so poud of our great mauritanienne music..of my culture✌❤💚...what a performance...this make me think of my mom(رحمة الله عليها)😢...think you noura...think's tiny desk

[@kosmikkamelchannel4729]

Mais ouiiiii ! On aime tellement ! Encore !

[@dreamhelena7534]

Amazing !!

[@sgommerable]

Great set.

[@karmeladnanal-jabiri7077]

Cathartic

[@ntombihadebe4822]

This differently wonderfully made I love ❤️

[@lautaro.gyejujuy]

Llegué de casualidad pero me quiero quedar acá para contemplar el vídeo entero. Gracias Tiny

[@kraeswampjesus]

Powerhouse

[@TopRamin]

mesmerizing !

[@agentorange9586]

As a young blues guitarist and music lover. This goes hard.

[@kelcsticks9565]

New session found - this is amazing

[@ahmeddlimi1412]

My beautiful country 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼

[@charliedemosmusic]

Captivating ⭐️

[@pinkblossomsky]

That was a great jamming session! ♡

[@Davidcortest]

Increible.

[@ronib1882]

Soooo good!!!!

[@kuriostraveler]

Bellisimo! La música conecta la historia. Este sonido se parece a la música flamenca. Las bulerias! Extraordinario

[@bluepaint9923]

this goes hard

[@besah8426]

BRAVO!! ESPETACULAR!! GHLANA parece música do Led Zeppelin

[@realvilejelly]

This is amazing

[@TheNightList]

raw, cool, retro. this really spoke to me.

[@imsatanscott]

This is a WHOLLLLLLLEEEEE vibe.

[@georgemanley8247]

Am I the only one who noticed the very cool designs on the furniture? Where can I get my hands on some of those pillows?

[@thiernoba4573]

La fierté Mauritanienne

[@honorio765]

Eu gostei

[@topdetopw]

Bravo!❤️🔥

[@tshepokhumalo3419]

Beautiful Music👍🏻💞

[@ezbnchzy]

It took me a minute, but yeah, this stuff rocks!

[@yassinekhasbi3427]

Belle découverte

[@stephenmcg4299]

Isn’t this wonderful? Take a look at the fret spacings on his guitar. 😮

[@ygretz]

i love this so much ♥♥♥♥

[@nicolemartin1782]

🔥🔥

[@isra5962]

🙏🏼❤️🇹🇹

[@dplj4428]

Her singing style reminds me of a lighter style like Um Kuthum (Egyptian singer??).

[@TofunmiAwodein]

It's like a psalm

[@nikolas20762]

Muito foda

[@johnrodricks169]

interesting perspective

[@msjayfree]

❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@architecture6784]

💚💛💎

[@SabrinaAngel]

Her voice is soo sultry

[@lecrivain___]

🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@Alfa_Tauri]

😲💞

[@bloby3181]

Muy bonito, pero para cuándo NAFTA?

[@ben5160]

🙏🏻

[@devalpanchal4710]

What would you call this kind of music?

[@krisjonathangorre5081]

where's the full echo?

[@muzzybeat]

Upvote for three of them, downvote for one.

[@luke144]

😒

[@ChrisP3000x]

Tuners are around $30.

[@VCT3333]

Most non western music is microtonal. What sounds out of tune for western classically trained ears is in fact 'correct' in these traditions. Read about Gamakam in Carnatic music.

[@ChrisP3000x]

@@VCT3333 They were out of tune with each other.

[@Ouazz]

@@ChrisP3000xNo they weren't, you can hear it when they play the same notes its the same tuning, you're just not used to the scale since you most likely never listen to microtonal music and this particular scale

[@ceciliamackie]

OMG that’s awesome! Let’s connect?

[@arkishpromusic3395]

this is amazing