Ghalia Benali

Ghalia Benali (born 21 December 1968) is a Tunisian singer, songwriter, writer, and graphic designer.

Her music has been noted for its links to multiple genres and defining contemporary Arabic music.

Benali's southern Tunisian upbringing and fascination with Middle Eastern and Arab legendary artists is palpable in her music style.

Her voice has been dubbed as multicultural and polymorphic.

Born in Brussels (Belgium), and raised in Zarzis, Tunisia, Benali embarked on her music career in the early 90s, during the rise of world music phenomena that exposed her to different cultures and philosophies.

After finishing her science and mathematics studies at the age of 19, Benali returned to Brussels to study graphic design at the Institut Saint-Luc of Graphic Arts.

Benali was born in Brussels, Belgium on 21 December 1968 to Ali Benali, a physician and cytologist, and Najia Somai, a beautician.

She has three younger brothers, Zied, Taher, and Bechir.

At the age of four, Benali's father ended his medical studies and decided to return to the family's homeland, where she grew up in Zarzis, a coastal town in southeastern Tunisia.

As a young girl, she started exploring her melodic fascination with recitations of the Quran, Indian, and Egyptian cinema, in addition to Middle Eastern and Arab musicians such as Oum Kalthoum, Sabah Fakhri, and Adib AlDayikh.

With the support of her mother, Benali used to play dress-up at family gatherings and perform for her guests, yet due to her shy nature, singing for a crowd was rather challenging.

She would occasionally pretend to be interviewed in front of her bedroom mirror.

Before becoming an artist and musician, she hoped for a job that would allow her to travel and explore the world and even considered becoming a flight attendant.

After finishing her science and mathematics studies at the age of 19, Benali returned to Brussels to study graphic design at the Institut Saint-Luc of Graphic Arts to express herself through imagery and artistry.

After graduating, Benali became an independent artist and graphic designer.

Soon her passion for music was further nourished after performing at her friend's birthday, which she considers the day it all started.

On 21 December 1993 Benali celebrated her 25th birthday, first on stage and the 10th anniversary of a venue called Amadeus.

She performed with a band she met on stage, together with J.P. Gebbler, a Belgian jazz player, classical western musicians, and a flamenco band.

In June 1994, CASA CAIUS invited her to tour in Portugal, where she performed in a line-up of 6 concerts in some of the most iconic historical places in North Portugal for the Roland company.

Four years later, the musician collaborated with stylist Vanessa Neirynck in the international styling competition "Brothers Cup" in China and came in second.

Later on, she left for Rajasthan, India, to learn dancing.

In 1999, Benali was invited by Kunsten-festival-des arts to perform in a concert in Bazaar in Brussels on a project with a new band that later on will be known as Timna/Wild harissa.

Hoping to present the music of Arab cabaret to Europeans and remain in touch with her origins, Benali performed with the trio "Kafichantas" with lute player Moufadhel Adhoum, and percussionist Azeddine Jazouli.

The project was a means to take westerners on a journey of Arabic culture.

While experimenting with acting and cinema, Benali released her first two albums, "Wild Harissa", a collaboration with Timna in 2001, and "Nada" in 2002.

In 2003, Benali started working on a multidisciplinary project that included music, story-telling, dancing, and graphics.

"Romeo and Leila" is a Benali autobiography, for every mythical character mentioned in the fictional tale refers to someone she met in her real-life journey.

As a young artist, Benali left her country and safe haven, searching for a love she only dared dream of.

Facing different cultures, beliefs, and social pressures, her departure was anything but mundane.

In the tale of Romeo and Leila, Benali is both the hero and heroine.

Both rising from different worlds, the only thing that could bring them together in harmony is acceptance.

The short story is about a secluded and overly-protected princess, and five short journeys she has to take to reach the divine perfection found in love.

During her hunt for five pearls that would be her liberator, she learns the lesson of a lifetime.

Originally written in French and translated to English and Arabic, "Romeo and Leila" shows us that love is rebirth, never death, as tradition and literature tend to carve in our subconscious.

The tale was performed by Benali as a musical in Belgium.

The personal project was not recorded with a music label, but with the help of the Palestinian founder of the Amal Festival in Santiago de Compostela in Spain, Ghaleb Jaber, and the Flemish community of Belgium.

Soon she became a widely recognized singer in Europe, and in 2012 she made her debut on an Arab stage.

Some of the most prominent projects Benali has worked on are Kafichanta, Wild Harissa, Romeo and Leila, Al Palna, and The Indian Hadra.

Benali has performed songs by Oum Kalthoum, Allegory of Desire, and MwSOUL.

In addition, she has acted, and collaborated with international bands such as The Spy from Cairo, Mad Professor, and The Metropole Orchestra.