Zara Moussa (born c. 1980) is a

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesNiamey Niamey () is the capital and largest city of Niger. Niamey lies on the Niger River, primarily situated on the east bank. Niamey's population was counted as 1,026,848 as of the 2012 census. As of 2017, population projections show the capital di ...

, Moussa first came to public notice in 2002 when she won a hip-hop contest in her home city which had been organized by the French embassy. Subsequently she became the first female rapper from

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...

to sign a record deal. The resulting album was titled ''Kirari'', from a

Hausa Hausa may refer to: * Hausa people, an ethnic group of West Africa * Hausa language, spoken in West Africa * Hausa Kingdoms, a historical collection of Hausa city-states * Hausa (horse) or Dongola horse, an African breed of riding horse See also * ...

word used to call people to battle. Her songs address social and political issues such as women's rights, domestic abuse, and matters of importance to public health; in this regard she is similar to other Nigerien rappers, such as Safiath. Many are performed in the

French language French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in Nor ...

, but some are in Zarma and some in Hausa. Her style blends hip-hop and other African influences. Moussa is married, and describes her husband, who has written some of her songs and assists in producing her recordings, as her biggest support in a country where music is often not seen as a worthwhile investment, and whose hip-hop scene is dominated by men. She has appeared at

WOMEX WOMEX (short for Worldwide Music Expo) is an international world music support and development project based in Berlin, whose main event is an exposition held annually in different locations throughout Europe. It integrates a trade fair, showca ...

as well.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moussa, Zara 1980s births Living people 21st-century Nigerien male singers Nigerien women rappers People from Niamey