''Kelmti Horra'' ( ar, كلمتي حرة, "My Word is Free") is the debut studio album by Tunisian

protest singer A protest song is a song that is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of ''topical'' songs (or songs connected to current events). It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre. Among social mov ...

Emel Mathlouthi Emel Mathlouthi ( ar, آمال المثلوثي) also known as Emel, born 11 January 1982), is a Tunisian singer-songwriter, musician, arranger and producer. She rose to fame with her protest song "Kelmti Horra" ("My Word is Free"), which became a ...

. It was released on January 24, 2012. The title track was written by Tunisian writer

Amine al-Ghozzi Amine Ben Aissa (born 1980) is a Tunisian-French writer. He goes by the pen name of Amine Al Ghozzi. Al Ghozzi went to university in Tunisia, and became a school teacher. He is currently pursuing a Master's degree at the Sorbonne. As a writer, A ...

and became an important protest song in the Tunisian and

Egyptian Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...

revolutions.

Track listing

Personnel

*Emel Mathlouthi, guitar, lead vocals and backing vocals *

Amine alghozzi Amine Ben Aissa (born 1980) is a Tunisian-French writer. He goes by the pen name of Amine Al Ghozzi. Al Ghozzi went to university in Tunisia, and became a school teacher. He is currently pursuing a Master's degree at the Sorbonne. As a writer, A ...

, lyrics *Zied Zouari, violin *Séverine Morfin, viola *Valentin Ceccaldi, cello *Imed Alibi,

djembe A djembe or jembe ( ; from Maninka language, Malinke ''jembe'' , N'Ko script, N'Ko: ) is a rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands, originally from West Africa. According to the Bambara people in Mali, the name of the djembe ...

shakers The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, more commonly known as the Shakers, are a Millenarianism, millenarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian sect founded in England and then organized in the Unit ...

*Vanesa Garcia,

bombo Bombo may refer to: Music *Bombo (musical), ''Bombo'' (musical), a 1921 Broadway production starring Al Jolson *Bombo (song), "Bombo" (song), by Norwegian singer Adelén *Bombo criollo or just bombo, a family of Latin American drums *Bombo legüer ...

*Jonathan Giovannelli,

balafon The balafon is a gourd-resonated xylophone, a type of struck idiophone. It is closely associated with the neighbouring Mandé, Senoufo and Gur peoples of West Africa, particularly the Guinean branch of the Mandinka ethnic group, but is now ...

*Sana Sassi, backing vocals *Jelila Bouraoui, backing vocals *Christine Audat, backing vocals *Amine Metani, backing vocals *Ahmed Nouisser, backing vocals

Reception

The album was received positively. Neil Spencer of ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

'' called Mathlouthi "a powerful new voice" and "a world diva with a difference", describing the album as twisting together "Arabic roots with western flavours" including rock and trip-hop. Music News describes ''Kelmti Horra'' as "a work of haunting and melodramatic beauty" with "an intoxicating and intriguing sound". Mathlouthi was called the "Voice of Tunisian Revolution" after the release of the song.

References

{{Authority control 2012 debut albums Emel Mathlouthi albums Arabic-language albums