Tour'n'sol Prod.
Iwal, formed in 2014 in a small town in the Aurès region of Algeria by Nesrine Chimouni and Fayssal Achoura, combines in a unique way traditional Chaoui heritage with Blues and rock influences.
Iwal, meaning “infinite hope” in the Chaoui language, was formed in 2014 in a small town in the Aurès Mountains of Algeria by Nesrine Chimouni and Fayssal Achoura. The two artists and their bandmates burst onto the Algerian art scene in a unique way, combining traditional Chaoui heritage with their Western influences, ranging from rock to folk and reggae. They were an instant hit!
Their project was born out of their infinite love and respect for Chaoui music. Nesrine, originally from Algiers and passionate about ancestral cultures, discovered the magnificent Aurès region in 2012 and fell in love with it. For Fayssal Achoura, a Chaoui by birth, Aurès culture is part of his daily life. Over the years, they have deepened their knowledge of Chaoui musical heritage and enriched their own repertoire.
Iwal stands out for its deeply innovative musical approach, where the heritage of the Aurès mountains is reinvented through contact with Western aesthetics. By combining Chaoui singing, the bendir and the sounds of the gasba (traditional reed flute) with rock guitars, bass, drums, and folk sensibilities, the duo has created its own musical language.
They manage to subtly and powerfully bring together two worlds that seem worlds apart: on the one hand, rhythms and melodies rooted in Aurès culture; on the other, the codes of rock and blues. This fusion of genres has given rise to their own unique style. They have developed an original and surprising style that they themselves call Rock Reckrocky and Blues Rahbi. These experiments open up a new musical field, both respectful of its roots and bold in its openness.
By integrating and combining their own stories—Nesrine’s passionate discovery of the Aurès and Fayssal’s daily roots—they offer music and lyrics that belong only to them. Their art thus becomes a space where cultural memory is extended into contemporary forms, capable of reaching an audience far beyond their native mountains.
The Iwal project is part of a context marked by censorship and repression, giving their discography a deeply committed dimension. In 2019, as the Algerian people rose up during the February 22 movement, Iwal released the single Jarrassen. The song is carried by the emblematic phrase: “So many hidden truths and silenced voices in your pay. But you forgot to extinguish the love that burns in our hearts!” It is a cry of resistance against the repression of young people and dissenting voices.
A few months later, Nesrine and Fayssal moved to Béjaïa to work on their first album, Hamghart. They crafted an intimate, collaborative project. Despite the pandemic and its constraints, the album was released on April 1, 2022, thanks to the support of CSB Productions, Sidi Bémol’s label.
Hamghart, “the old woman,” is the voice of wisdom, history, and the earth, the one to whom we ask the big questions. The album is presented as a symbolic dialogue, a quest for meaning carried out by an inspired and committed duo. More than just a band, Iwal sees itself as a social project. With this first album, they hold up a mirror to free interpretation, with the aim of raising awareness, transmitting hope, and elevating spirits through culture. Among the album’s strongest tracks, Ac’hal occupies a special place. The music video dedicated to it features a couple of musicians in a hostile world, spreading their message of love in all directions… Quite symbolic.
The band is resident in France now and works on their new album.
Group available in trio or quintet
Trio:
Nesrine Chimouni - vocals, ukulele, harmonica, percussion
Fayssal Achoura - vocals, guitar
Amine Tadjer - flute
Quintet:
Nesrine Chimouni - vocals, ukulele, harmonica, percussion
Fayssal Achoura - guitar, vocals
Abdenour Djemaï - electric guitar, vocals
Youcef Boukella - bass, vocals
Merouane Slimani or Maamoun Dehane - drums
Inumiden
“Being on stage as husband and wife is in itself somewhat revolutionary. The mixed gender of the group helped break a taboo in the heart of Chaoui country, where women are still confined to the most traditional roles, the group originating from a small mountain village south of the Aurès.”
Liberté Algérie
“The second part of the evening was marked by the breathtaking couple Nesrine and Fayçal Achoura from the group Iwal. In a completely different register, this duo and their musicians (drums, bass, percussion, etc.) put on a spectacular show combining rock-folk, blues, and Chaoui music. Dressed in a beautiful traditional Chaouia gown, Nesrine waltzed between singing, storytelling, dancing, and harmonica playing… Her positive energy and spellbinding voice transported the audience on an “initiatory journey.” Iwal prayed for rain and sang about the earth, roots, and childhood through songs such as Arenjey, Hamghart, Bouzahtala, and Zizi. The performance by Fayçal (vocals and guitar) and his sweetheart shook the audience, who, unable to dance due to health restrictions, contented themselves with applauding and singing along to the duo’s songs.
El Watan
“With folk, acoustic, and rock rhythms accompanied by harmonica, bendir, and gasba, they take listeners on a journey into a world of tales, proverbs, and legends. Though seemingly lighthearted, the songs on this new album are marked by a militant approach and a desire to highlight the Chaoui heritage.”
Music in Africa
“The album offers a wide spectrum of musical styles, including blues, reggae, folk, and Manouche. The styles burst forth and coexist throughout the 16 tracks, which recount Hamghart’s destiny: his aspirations, his life, and his experiences. The ball opens with the eponymous track, which features electric and acoustic guitars, as well as the tumba and udu, and is intended as a cry from a society that has lost its bearings. The odyssey continues with compositions marked by both a sociocultural foundation and a modern musical approach. We find Yudan (ö gens!), which narrates the symbiosis of man with the earth, Hilelli (Liberté): an ode to freedom that existed long before us and will continue to exist after us. Ac’hal (Love) celebrates love, and Inumiden (the Numidians) is a tribute to ancestors, co-written in collaboration with historian, researcher, and playwright Khaled Bouali, where modern instruments meet Chaoui instruments such as the guesba (reed flute) and the bendir (percussion).”
Zénith de Constantine, Théâtre National d’Alger, Festival International « Art-Tifariti », Festival Européen organisé au Théâtre National d’Alger, Festival International du Film IMEDGHASSEN, Institut Français d’Oran, Institut Français de Constantine, Institut Français de Tlemcen, Institut Français d’Agadir, Festival International des Rencontres Cinématographiques de Béjaïa, Festival Ultrason, Studio de l’Ermitage, Le Hangar, Théâtre Régional d’Oran, Théâtre La Fourmi d’Oran, La Belle Maison, Le 213 Concept Store.
