Tunisian-American singer, songwriter, composer, producer, and activist EMEL, also known as Emel Mathlouthi, brings her all-female collaborative project MRA, an album that took her three years to bring to life, to Sharjah as part of her world tour.
EMEL will perform at the Tanweer Festival, taking place in the Mleiha Desert from November 21–23, 2025, where she’ll headline the closing day.
As part of her ongoing world tour, she’s already performed across Europe, kicking things off last September in Istanbul, followed by stops in Oslo and London. She now makes her way to Sharjah, UAE, on November 23rd, before returning to Europe for more shows in Brussels, Basel, Bellinzona, Mulhouse, Berlin, Hamburg, and Reutlingen, with more dates yet to be announced.
EMEL first rose to international prominence with “Kelmti Horra (My Word is Free)”, the protest song that became an anthem of the Tunisian Revolution. Her 2012 debut album, sharing the same title, earned global acclaim for its fusion of Arabic tradition and Western influences. She later expanded her sonic world with Ensen (2017), blending electronica with classical forms, and in 2020 released Holm (A Dream), a Tunisian Arabic adaptation of the Iranian classic Soltane Ghalbhaa, which gained millions of views within months.
EMEL’s music has always existed at the intersection of art and activism, singing in Arabic, English, and Spanish. She uses her work to address social and political issues, from dedicating songs to Mahsa Amini in Iran to consistently calling for justice in Palestine. Her unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian cause has defined much of her career, most recently through her collaboration with Turkish musician Coşkun Karademir on a musical tribute to the late Palestinian poet Refaat Alareer, If I Must Die.
Now based in New York, EMEL continues to push the boundaries of what Arabic alternative music can sound like, using her art as a form of protest and liberation. Her latest project, MRA, is a feminist statement made entirely by women, from sound engineers and producers to artistic directors and vocalists. The album celebrates women’s strength, passion, and creative power, standing as a symbol of collaboration and resilience within the music industry.
For more information and booking, visit emelmathlouthi.com
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