Biography
Who is Natacha Atlas?
Early life and background
Natacha Atlas was born on March 20, 1964, in Schaerbeek, Brussels-Capital, Belgium, and her birthplace is Tunisia. Her mother was British, and her father was of Egyptian descent. She grew up speaking French and English, later learning Arabic and Spanish. After her parents separated, Natacha moved to live in Northampton, England, with her mother, and she was raised listening to eclectic music from both Eastern and Western traditions.
Natacha later returned to Belgium at age 24 and worked as a belly dancer while serving as the lead singer of a Belgian salsa band. In April 1989, she made her recording debut as a guest vocalist on the Balearic beat-band Loca! Single Encantador. Through her work with Loca!, she met members of the British ethnic electronica band Transglobal Underground and became their lead singer and belly dancer.
Music career highlights
Natacha began to focus on her solo career with the release of her album Diaspora in 1995. She has since released multiple solo albums, including Halim, Gedida, Ayeshteni, Ana Hina, Mounqaliba, Myriad Road, and Strange Days. Her musical style combines Arabic and African elements in modern electronic music, and she has explored genres such as world music and jazz.
In 1999, Natacha achieved success in France with her version of Mon amie la rose, which reached number sixteen on the French Singles Charts. She has also contributed vocals to various film soundtracks, including Sex and the City 2, Hulk, and Kingdom of Heaven. In 2020, she rejoined Transglobal Underground for their album Walls Have Ears and started touring with the band.
Personal life
In 1999, Natacha married Syrian kanun player Abdullah Chhadeh, and the couple later divorced in 2005. She was subsequently in a relationship with British Egyptian violinist Samy Bishai, who produced her 2010 release Mounqaliba. The couple divided their time between London and France. Natacha has stated that she identifies with Sufism and prefers to describe her background as Anglo-Middle Eastern.
In 2001, Mary Robinson appointed Natacha as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Conference Against Racism. She was chosen because she embodies the message that diversity is a source of strength. She has also been a proponent of The Zeitgeist Movement and included clips from Zeitgeist Addendum in her album Mounqaliba.
Birthday and age
Natacha Atlas was born on March 20, 1964, which makes Natacha 62 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aries sign. Natacha shares the date with 35 other famous people.
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