Ep 103. Amel Tafsout: The Healing Power of North African Culture
Raised in Algeria, Amel Tafsout grew up around traditional healing practices of her native country. In the mid-1970s, Amel moved to Germany where she founded the Pan-Arab dance company called ‘Banat As Sahra’ (Daughters of the Sahara Desert), and in the late 80s Tafsout moved to London, U.K, where she performed at various dance and music festivals and created a new dance company called ‘The Tafsoutettes’. She was also active member of the Latin Jazz band ‘Chakchouka’, the North African music ensemble ‘Mambo Duniya’, the Arab-Turkish band ‘Noor Shimaal’ and later the North African music ensemble ‘Saladin’s Orchestra’ with her husband, drummer Salah-Dawson Miller. Currently living in the U.S.A., she is an in-demand dance artist and musician. With a research in dance anthropology and coming from a Sufi spiritual tradition, Amel combines traditional healing with sacred dance, with her learning experience in Sound healing and Zikr, breath work, whirling and trance.
In this episode you will learn about:
Amel’s childhood in Algeria, and the contrast between home environment and French school
Orientalist’s stereotypes about the dancers of Maghreb
Differences between Amazigh (Berber), Maghreb and Arabic cultures
Healing powers embedded in the North African culture and traditions 
Releasing emotional blocks through dance and sound
Show Notes to this episode:
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