The first notes of Natacha Atlas’ rendition of Mon Amie La Rose can be misleading. The slow introduction sets a tranquil mood for the melancholic song before it is transformed into an oriental tune, with belly dance drums, oriental rhythms and arabesque vocals.
Such is Natacha’s style, the Belgian born chanteuse of middle eastern background, known for her eclectic fusion of Arabian instruments, North African beats, mixed with Western lyrics and electronic sounds.
Her version of Mon Amie La Rose, is far removed from the original with lyrics by Cécile Caulier and music by Cécile Caulier and Jacques Lacombe. With the interjection of Arabic lyrics and melodies, the song takes on a sultry and sensuous form, absent from the original performance by Françoise Hardy in 1964.
Working with the likes of Transglobal Underground, Michel Jarre, Natasha has performed around the world, more recently in Adelaide, Australia at the WOMADelaide festival. Official video clips of some of her songs are rare to find, many have used her music to showcase their belly dancing on YouTube, for hip-gyrating rhythms such as I Put A Spell on You.
