After performing in the political rock band Atakor in Algeria for seven years, which, with its growing popularity, became a visible target and caused its members to receive death threats, Souad Massi disguised herself as a boy, cutting her hair and wearing male clothing, then moved to Paris. She then began a solo career, heavily rooted in American folk, with tinges of Portuguese fado and sung in a combination of English, French and Arabic. Catching the attention of the media after her performance at the Women from Algeria festival in Paris, Massi established herself as a strong and politically active female singer/songwriter.
