Samira Said is a Moroccan vocalist who manages to blend the best qualities of Moroccan music into a contemporary Arabic sound that has made her a huge star. Samira quickly became one of the nation's favourite singers but her ambitions went beyond Morocco. In the early 1980s she took the advice of Abdul Halim Hafedh to move to Egypt and expand her career. There she recorded a song Al Hob Elli Ana Aichah, composed by Mohamad Sultan, and went on to recording with big names in the music scene in Egypt. By 1983, Samira was well known in Egypt and was soon having songs written for her by leading Egyptian songwriters. She proved her vocal artistry by being able to record classical Arabic songs in the manner of Oum Kaltsoum while also drawing on elements of rai, jazz and Western pop. Her latest album Youm Wara Youm takes chances - forests of strings sweep over a dance beat, a DJ's scratching lends a ragged rhythm to gutteral Arabic wailing - while Samira's voice coils and rises with considerable emotional power. All this and Samira's striking looks (pale skin, dark eyes and a lush mane of black hair) have made her hugely popular throughout the Arabic speaking world. While still largely unknown in the West, Samira's epic live performances and powerful recordings are definitely worth seeking out.