Rahma Ali

They say that the first step is often the hardest. For Rahma Ali, the decision to sing brought with it some serious challenges. Raised in a traditional Moroccan household, the idea of Rahma pursuing a career in music couldn’t have been further from her parents’ minds. ************************************************************ **“In my culture women do not get up on stage and perform,” she explains. “Traditionally women would not be expected to expose themselves to a mixed audience in that way.” ************************************************************ **But after turning her hand to more ‘acceptable’ work practices, Rahma soon realized that living up to other people’s expectations was not going to help her resolve inner turmoil. Trading acceptance from her culture for soul searching, she enrolled in a music course and has never looked back since. ************************************************************ *“I felt alive. I discovered a passion I didn’t know I had. It was a way of releasing a lot of the negative tension I felt from being in an environment that didn’t inspire me.” ************************************************************ *Rahma has since made full use of her music training and now takes on production, as well as songwriter and performer duties. Whether carving out her own soulscapes, supporting artists like Terri Walker or rocking the stage at Radio Onemusic in Brighton, Rahma is all about honing her craft. ************************************************************ *Hands on, proactive and determined, Rahma is manifesting her destiny, while acknowledging her heritage. In fact, the name she adopts as an artist implies ‘closer to God’ in Arabic and is a tribute to her grandmother. ************************************************************ *A perfectionist at heart, she believes that as an artist she has a duty to develop her craft and to keep her message positive. Like a young Sade with a head wrapped in Baduizm, hers is a sound that delves beneath the superficial surface of everyday life. In a world where reality TV stars serve as makeshift idols and wealth defines the worth of a human being, Rahma’s music is built on long standing values. ************************************************************ *Listen to the music and you’ll find no shortage of thought-provoking material: from the devil’s advocacy of “Nowhere”, to the Arabic-electro bounce of “Release Me”, to “Daddy Says”, a song that shows respect for her father and recognizes the sacrifices he made to give her family a better life. ************************************************************ *Rahma’s forthcoming EP - Vol. 1: BE - is the first of three volumes she intends to release over the next year. Produced by Naughty Boy and to be released mid 2008, it promises to be a potent blend of soul, hip hop, Arabic and Asian influences. ************************************************************ *Humbled by faith and dedicated by nature, Rahma has fought convention and won the right to her creative expression. ************************************************************ *“It’s taken some time to get this started,” says Rahma upon reflection. “I’ve still got a long way to go.” ************************************************************ *Join Rahma Ali on a journey of self-discovery and meet a woman whose music is imbued with true passion and purpose. ************************************************************ *