Kiya Tabassian

»For me as a child, Umm Kulthum was the voice of God,« admits Ghalia Benali. »Her voice touched the soul, not just the ears.« Born in Brussels and raised in a family of artists in Tunisia, the singer came into contact with different styles of music at an early age – and continues to dance between cultures to this day. One of her greatest inspirations remains Umm Kulthum, arguably the most famous voice in the Middle East, whom Benali considers her »honorary grandmother«. Together with Iranian setar virtuoso Kiya Tabassian and his Ensemble Constantinople, Benali devotes herself to setting the poems of the »Rubaiyat« to music.