Mauritanian artist Noura Seymali to open Hayy Festival

This year's Hayy Festival kicks off on 18 July with a concert by Noura Mint Seymali from Mauritania. This is the first time for Culture Resource (Al-Mawred Al-Thaqafy), Hayy Festival’s organiser, to host a musician from Mauritania. Noura Mint Seymali started her musical explorations at the age of 13 as a back-up vocalist for Dimi Mint Abbas (1958 – 2011), one of Mauritania's most renowned musicians. Seymali's music is a fusion of folk, reggae, blues, hip hop and zouk, with lyrics tackling contemporary issues such as desertification, women in Islamic society, and terrorism in the Maghreb, among others. Ahram Online is an official media sponsor of Hayy Festival, which will be held between 18 July and 2 August and will host five female musicians. Check out the festival's complete programme here