Natacha Atlas' Trans-Global Career

Natacha Atlas' trans-global career was sparked in the late 1990s when she created a surprise hit in France. She epitomizes today's celebration of diversity and is known for her unique style of music that is influenced by her multi-cultural background.

Early life and career

Atlas grew up in a suburb of Brussels, Belgium. She also spent time in England with her mother. Her father is a mixture of Egyptian, Palestinian and Moroccan ancestry while her mother is a British-born convert to Islam. All of these cultures have influenced her music, which is typically seen as a mixture of Arabic music and Western styles, such as reggae and hip hop. Although she began her career singing and dancing for a band in Belgium, she first gained recognition as the lead singer and belly dancer of the British group Transglobal Underground during the mid and late 90s.

Solo career

To date, Atlas has produced five solo albums and has gained popularity around the world. Beginning with a British and Belgian fan base, her French language tracks are very popular in France. Today, she is not as popular in Britain as one might expect because the country seems to regard multi-cultural music as a fad that has now passed. On the other hand, she has gained popularity in America and was featured in several popular video games, including a Grand Theft Auto game, and movies such as "Sex in the City 2."

Global activism

Atlas uses her position as a multi-cultural public figure to fight against discrimination across the world. She has a mixture of Jewish, Islamic and European heritage, and she tries to express all of these backgrounds and allow them to co-exist within her. Today, she is a Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations Conference Against Racism.

Natacha Atlas has achieved global popularity because of her unique style of music that draws on Middle Eastern, European and American influences. She epitomizes the reality of life today -- that most people do not come from one cultural or ethnic group. Instead, most people are a blend of cultures and should strive to acknowledge all the factors that make them who they are.