Emel Mathlouthi: Dancer in New York

About Emel Mathlouthi

Emel Mathlouthi, known as Emel, is a Tunisian-American singer, songwriter, and producer whose work grew from the protest circuits of North Africa into a hybrid of Arabic song forms, electronics, and chamber-like arrangements. Her early repertoire helped define the soundscape of the Tunisian uprising, and her later albums shift between Arabic and English with a deliberate sense of structure. In New York City she has appeared in community and multidisciplinary settings, including Brooklyn Poetry Slam and BRIC, with events like Habibi Festival at BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn. Her performances favor precision and direct address over spectacle.