Press
MYSTIC DANCE – 2018
***** “(Mystic Dance is) a tour de force that builds and expands on the rich promise of (Amira Kheir’s) 2014 release Alsahraa… Singing in a striking voice full of subtle power, she handles futuristic desert blues, floating Afro-jazz, Arabic rock and traditional Sudanese folk with equal aplomb… From the moody atmospheric opener ‘Amwaj (Waves)’ to the joyously swaying syncopation of the closer ‘Sameeri (Kindred Spirit)’, she doesn’t put a foot wrong… She even tackles Kurt Weill’s ‘Speak Low’ and delivers it with a deathless jazz-soul poise to rival Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald’s famous versions. A contender for album of the year” – Nigel Williamson, Songlines
**** “Mystic Dance is an assured mix of traditional influences, a contemporary sensibility and classy production… Amira Kheir is a talent” – Simon Broughton, Evening Standard
**** “What is impressive about this album is that the fusion of the two (musical tradition of Sudan in East Africa, and music of the West) has been so well thought out and then executed with such a charming intimacy… One singer that Amira Kheir could be likened to is Algerian Souad Massi… It indeed is the elasticity of Kheir’s voice that communicates so effectively here and one, not uncommon to other singers such as the great Oum Kalsoum, who have the capacity to make their voice sound like an instrument… There is just the faintest hint at pastures beyond on a sumptuous cover in English of the Kurt Weil standard, ‘Speak low’… One of the joys of this interpretation is how Amira Kheir lingers with intent on individual words. An outstanding and highly personal take” – UK Vibe
“(Mystic Dance is) an intoxicating concoction, both poetic and soulful” – Peterborough Express
“The arrangements (on Mystic Dance) are uniformly excellent, the various East African and Western elements combining together like never before… At the heart of this, is Kheir’s voice… Rich, flexible, by turns plaintive and cool. Completely in control. This is world-class music made right on our doorstep” – Jamie Renton, fRoots
“A unique blend of Sudanese music with jazz and desert blues from the distinguished vocalist” – Crucial Material, Music is my Sanctuary
“(Mystic Dance) is a wonderful fusion of world music, jazz and pop. The traditional singing styles and rhythms join the jazzier harmonies and timbres of the modern day… Mystic Dance is a groovy and poignant record that’s an essential…” – Can This Even be Called Music
“Amira Kheir places the ancient kingdom of Nubia on the map… Her third album crosses soul, jazz and traditional rhythms of East Africa… Marked by a superb contralto voice. Mystic Dance is fascinating” – Vincent Caffiaux, Starwax
“This child of the diaspora born in Italy now residing in London, is seriously attached to her Sudanese roots… Her European upbringing allows her to easily incorporate touches of soul or jazz into her music, but when you close your eyes listening to her voice, whether it’s when she sings in Arabic or in English, what we see are the points of the Nubian pyramids of Meroe, the banks of the two Niles, and the immensity of the desert… Get ready to dance with them in their Sudanese cosmos!” – Djolo, Cultures d’Afrique
“Amira Kheir is no stranger to making critically acclaimed albums. (Her 3rd album) has a beautiful sound that smoothly blends the nostalgic tones of East Africa: North Sudan/Southern Egypt Nubian musical traditions, the Nubians being one of the oldest and most notable civilisations of Northern Africa, dating back to the 8th century” – Rhythm Passport
ALSAHRAA – 2014
**** “A fine album from a singer that seems destined for bigger things” – UK Vibe
“Kheir’s music possesses an identity that transcends geography… Cerebral, unaffected, spontaneous, natural. A wonderful, outstandingly pure voice that creates a performance with an incredible impact.” – African Business Magazine
“An engaging presence with a lovely honey ‘n’ spice voice” – fRoots
VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE – 2011
“Bold and poetic… Beautiful and fearless” – Songlines
“A charming performer who’s captured her live sound well on this debut album” – The Independent
” A stunning set infused with many influences but anchored in the sounds and identity of her homeland Sudan” – Fly Global Music
“Amira Kheir sings from the heart and soul” – Inside World Music
“A real global fusion that soothes and makes you want to move” – Afrilove
“Amira Kheir’s mesmerising first album comes from a place of gritty determination and commitment by the artist to her art” – Pambazuka News
“Une diva du désert est née!” – Journal du Mali
Interviews
Review on Rhythm Passport: here
Review on Pan African Music: here
Review on UK Vibe: here
Review on Djolo: here
Review on Starwax: here
Review on Evening Standard: here
Interview with Internazionale: here
Interview with Wiriko: here
Selected as one of “10 Amazing Jazz Artists from the Middle East and North Africa” by Mideast Tunes: here
Selected as one of “13 African Artists that will mark the next Decade” by Rede Angola: here
Review of Performance at LIFEM Festival: here
Interview with Rhythm Passport: here
Review on UK Vibe: here
Interview & Feature on SouthWorld: here
Audio Interview with Whats On Africa: here
Interview & Feature on Journal Du Mali: here
Review & feature on Pambazuka News: here
Interview & feature on Afrilove: here
Album review on The Independent: here
Interview & feature on Fly Global Music: here
Album review on Inside World Music: here
Vox Africa Interview & Performance: here
Interview & feature on Die Welt: here
BBC World Service Interview & Performace: here