Nadine Altounji’s The Stories that Tie Us to Trees – Volume 1 EP launch

A unique fusion of Middle Eastern and South American rhythms, Nadine Altounji’s upcoming EP takes listeners on an extraordinary musical journey. With The Stories that Tie Us to Trees – Volume 1 the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist explores new sounds nestled at the crossroads of folk soul, traditional Middle Eastern music and Latin pop layered with electronic, Afro-Peruvian and Indigenous beats.

The result of a rich collaboration between Ecuadorian, Peruvian and Montreal-based musicians and poets, The Stories… is a vibrant tribute to a renewed sense of belonging. This opus embodies the darkly thrilling quest for dislocation and newfound identities. Co-produced by Mark Alan Haynes (Janet Jackson, Dead Obies, Patti Labelle and Gladys Knight) and Nadine Altounji, The Stories… features five original compositions with lyrics in Spanish, English and Arabic. An audiovisual EP par excellence, each song is accompanied by a video directed by Victorine Sentilhes.

The Stories that Tie Us to Trees – Volume 1 opens with an explosive tondero, a guitar rhythm from Peru. Escarba en mi alma (Dig Into My Soul) evokes the longing to reclaim cultural knowledge and the search for identity ravaged by conquest and colonialism. Shot in the Andes in Cusco and in Montreal, the video is the perfect accompaniment to this inspiring track.

A tribute to sisterhood, the EP’s second track Bint El Balad (Country Girl) honours Arab women who have left their homelands. This Middle Eastern melody smiles down on these women from the desert of a new world, like the video that incarnates the modern, liberated vision of these women.

Released on March 8, 2021 for International Women’s Day, the single Marcha de Flores (March of the Flowers) denounces violence against women. A wandering composition whose video includes images of protests in Peru and shots taken in Chad and Haiti.

The fourth track of the EP, 3ala Bali (On My Mind), is a poignant song about nostalgia for a homeland transformed by the ravages of war. The video by integrates images from Syria, Lebanon and Egypt along with photos of the artists’ families to add a personal touch.

No lo olviden (Never Forget) is the final track of the EP, an intercultural blend that fuses Afro-Peruvian rhythms of landó (guitar and cajón) with the Middle Eastern notes of the oud. Video release for No lo olviden: June 7, 2022

Born to Syrian parents, Montreal-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Nadine Altounji has been active on the cultural scene for some twenty years. An accomplished musician, she plays the piano, guitar and oud.

From June 15 – 25, 2022, Nadine Altounji will participate in the Afropolitan Nomad Festival in Douala, Cameroon. Presented by the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, the festival will feature performances as well as a creative residency.

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Date and Time

Friday, Jun 3 , 12 a.m. to Thursday, Jun 30 , 10 p.m.