Karima El Filllali (1987) was born into a family of Dutch seafarers and Moroccan migrants and grew up on the cusp of two worlds. Music and spirituality played an important role in her upbringing. Her mother introduced her to singing, baroque music, and the church – while her father introduced her to Islam, and his collection of Moroccan music cassettes. Here she first discovered her homeland’s folk music, Quranic recitations, and the incredible voice of Egypt’s greatest diva: Oum Kalthoum. 

At a later age, she became so fascinated with her father’s heritage and its spiritual and musical traditions, that it ultimately drove her to go on a quest to Morocco. It was here that she began to study Arabic, and engulf herself in everything from gnawa to lyrical Arabic singing techniques. When she finally found a teacher – a grandmaster and Sufi singer – she dedicated herself to studying the art of tarab: music that brings the listener to a state of ecstasy and into an experience of something bigger than oneself. 

After returning to The Netherlands, Karima applied what she had learned and soon became known for her authentic homages to Oum Kalthoum – but also for more experimental work, often characterized by cultural influences from Africa, Europe, and The Middle East. She has collaborated with renowned artists like Malian diva Oumou Sangare and Moroccan gnawa master Mahmoud Guinea and received an Award of Honor from the Minister of Culture of Morocco for her cultural contributions to the country.