Meryem is starting to make a name for herself in the world of music in 2017 as she took the stage at
MadJazz festival in Marrakech and
Jazzablanca festival in Casablanca and made one of her first collaborations with Moulay Driss Alaoui Mdaghri, a great fan of Arabic and Andalusian poetry, who opened her the door to Italy, and subsequently to Francesco Santalucia. Together they produced a cover of the Algerian traditional song
"Ya Qalbi" which later will become one of her most known songs
. The artist moves on to have a musical tour in Indonesia and Italy. Her musical journey took an unexpected turn when "Ya Qalbi" came to the attention of
Emmanuel Barron, the head of the French label
Animal63 (recognized for artists like The Blaze and Myth Sizer). This encounter marked the start of a new chapter in Meryem's musical career, affirming her position in the global music scene. As he notably wrote
" … I came back to Paris two days later after meeting a mind-blowing artist, a rare woman, an artist living in a country where being an artist is not a simple choice. But above all I met a «voice,» but not only in the vocal, technical sense of the word. The voice of a modern Moroccan woman, a musician, believer and poet ... ". The fruit of this encounter was “Meryem”, the first album by Meryem Aboulouafa. It was released at the end of May in Europe and Morocco by the French label Animal 63, and was launched with the dreamlike music video “Deeply”. The 11 songs of the album, composed in both English and Arabic. Before her album release,
Emmanuel Barron suggested that he re-record certain titles with new collaborators. Two names are working on the construction or reconstruction of her tracks:
Jean-Baptiste de Laubier alias
Para One, known for his energetic techno and for his more contemplative soundtracks, inseparable from the cinema of
Céline Sciamma. And
Maxime Daoud, musician, arranger and producer of music with gentle melancholy under the name
Ojard. Following the release of her album, Meryem embarked on a tour featuring live concerts and made appearances on television and radio. Her debut album received a warm welcome from the music world and resonated well with music enthusiasts. == Discography ==