‘Music has always been a form of protection,’ says Aziza Brahim. ‘In my childhood, it was my favourite toy – I spent many hours “playing”. Recently, through difficult times, music has again been a comfort, a place of resistance. For me, music has always been a way to heal.’
Nearly half a century since Spain’s withdrawal from Western Sahara prompted the Moroccan invasion, the status of Brahim’s homeland on the north-west coast of Africa remains unresolved. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) controls around 20 per cent of the land and Morocco occupies the rest. Fighting re-erupted in November 2020, after a 29-year ceasefire.
