This isn't an official Natacha Atlas Web Thing…her website is www.natachaatlas.net and there's a few other fansites floating around the Net. This section concerns Natacha's long-standing association with TGU, a source of confusion for many people including her and us. Any questions you have we'll be glad to try to answer.
We've stolen the following quotes from an old interview with Folk Roots magazine which is the most extensive one she's done in English and gives an account of how her solo career started and TGU's part in it.
"I sang with them from about the time they started in 1991, we went out on tour for the first time in '92. Then in '93 we sat down and came to an agreement that I was the fourth core member of the band. That was very much what I wanted." (NB: we think she's a year or two out on the dates here, but anyway…) "Charlie Gillett from Oval suggested a solo album. I went back to Dubulah, Alex and Hamid, laughing about it and said 'Charlie Gillett says I should do a solo album, ha ha ha' and Hamid said, 'Well, why not? In fact we can help you to do that. In fact let's start now!' I was going 'Hold on. Can you imagine how it's going to become? We'll all go mad. We'll be so busy. Haven't we got enough to do?'(she was right)."
Natacha's first solo album, 'Diaspora' dates from that period and is close to TGUs work of the time…it was produced by TGU and features the same team that made 'International Times. "Trans-Global underground was always meant to be about experimentation, about ignoring some of the rules. It's not like there isn't any thought in it, or 'Oh let's stick a sample of an Egyptian ney there for no reason.' But it is about breaking shackles. Whereas my stuff is more about working within the rules of Arabic music. We do want to make it more exciting but at the same time there are set things that you can do in Arabic music and we want to respect that."
The same piece describes 'Diaspora' as 'a London club scene take on Arabic music' which isn't a bad description. It's interesting that, in Britain, 'Diaspora' did better than its successor, 'Halim' while it was the other way round in France.. For more on this period, check out the History section.
It was the third album, 'Gedida' released in 1999, that really made Natacha a sucess as a solo artist, with the single 'Mon Amie Ma Rose' being her biggest hit to date, a cover of an old Francoise Hardy song. The album was produced by TGU with the exception of the British single 'One Brief Moment' produced by James Bond soundtrack man David Arnold (when not singing in Arabic, Natacha has been known to have a go at the odd Bond theme). By this time her solo career was taking up too much time for both acts to function properly without splitting in two and Natachas final show with TGU was at the Sound republic in London, December 1998 But TGU and Natacha continue to work together and TGU appeared in a number of guises on her next album, 'Ayishteni,' largely recorded in Egypt. On the London show of the tour for that album, TGU and Natachas English/Arabic band memorably appeared onstage together.
For 2004 Natacha is planning a Best of compilation and to mark it she and TGU have re-recorded ‘Leysh Ne Tarek’ the first solo single she did with us. So perhaps the wheel has turned full circle…
Natacha with Trans-Global Underground
‘Dream of 100 Nations:’ Natacha’s first ever session with TGU can be heard on ‘El Heddud;’ a raw version of what was to follow. She also sings on ‘I, Voyager’ and ‘Tutto Grande Discordia.’
‘International Times;’ Natacha sings on six tracks, amongst them the singles ‘Lookeehear’ and ‘Taal Zaman.’ There’s also a very obscure version of the title track that she appears on which was released solely as a single.
‘Psychic Karaoke;’ once again Natacha features on six tracks.
‘Rejoice, Rejoice;’ This was recorded while Natacha was living in Cairo but she managed to sing on two tracks and record short wave radio noises at various intervals throughout.
For more discography stuff, check out the Archaeology section.
