Ghalia Benali is one of the great cross-border artists between Arabic music and poetry as well as Western styles. The Belgian-Tunisian singer and composer blends Arabic Maquam music with jazz, flamenco, and free improvisation; her deep contralto voice and extraordinary stage presence have earned her the nickname « Aretha Franklin of Carthage. » After concerts in 2017 at Kampnagel and most recently last year in the sold-out Great Hall of the Elbphilharmonie, she is now performing in the large hall at Kampnagel with a chamber ensemble, presenting a program of music and poetry from the Arabic-speaking world – and demonstrating how energetically the Arabic singing heritage can be revitalized and made captivatingly accessible to new generations.