Maemo

Maemo is the music project of Swiss-born, half-Moroccan singer Malika Alaoui, now based in Berlin. Malika toured the world for four years as the lead singer of the Alegría show by Cirque du Soleil before founding Maemo, a project that symbolizes her unwavering pursuit of creative expression and artistic freedom.

Described as “Afropean Nomad Chanson,” Maemo is a five-piece band with Malika as the primary composer and lyricist. The band members include:
- Malika Alaoui (CH/MA): Lead vocals and percussion (bendir, glockenspiel, guiro, shakers)
- Modi Lafta (IQ/DE): Flute ney and Clarinet (alternating with Valentina Bellanova)
- Valentina Bellanova (IT) Flutes, ney
- Gábor Hartyáni (HU): Cello
- George Birkett (UK): Guitar
- Matteo Bowinkelman (DE): percussions (surdo, bendir, congas, bongos, karkabas,..)

Maemo’s songs are performed in French, Creole, Moroccan Arabic (Darija), and invented languages. The music is deeply rooted in the sounds of Northern and Western Africa, Caribbean rhythms, blues, and jazz, while also incorporating elements of French chanson, Eastern and Central European Gypsy traditions, poetic circus music and even touches of ancestral voices influences.

Spontaneous and authentic, Maemo’s sound is an emotional journey blending intense joy with deep melancholy — like a cry from the heart.

Ultimately, Maemo is an ode to life, celebrating the beauty of the present moment.

(Photos by @poetic.perceptioniste)