sovaj

French, Algerian and Brazilian Artist, Anissá Bensalah has been singing on stage since she was 15 years old : Sesc, Itamaratí, Palacio de Cristal, Candelária (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), Teatro Nacional (Brasilia, Brazil), Salle Ibn Zeydoun (Algiers), Salle Gaveau, New Morning, Institut du Monde Arabe, festival Solidays, Théâtre des Gémeaux, Centre Culturel Goulbenkian, Maroquinerie, Sunside-Sunset, Petit Bain, Studio de l'Ermitage, Salle Gustave Eiffel (Paris, France)... Dock 40 (Lyon, France), Théâtre de la Mer (Sainte Maxime, France), Festival Jazz au Château (Cagnes sur Mer, France), Festival La Rue des Artistes (Saint Chamont)...

Born in Haïti, Anissá Bensalah moved at the age of five, with her parents, to Dakar (Senegal) where she immersed herself in the local culture. At the age of 11, she moved to Beirut (Lebanon) where she discovered the damage of war.
In 1998, she moved to Paris and studied musicology at the Paris VIII University. She also pursued  ten years of classical vocal technique at the National School of Music with Odile Pietti, Florence Katz and Mercedes Proteau, and she studied jazz and brazilian music with Laurent Coq (french pianist jazz), Mônica Passos (brazilian singer) in Paris, Diana Goulart and the famous Amelia Rabello (brazilian singers) in Rio de Janeiro.

Anissá Bensalah has worked and collaborated with some important figures of brazilian music : The pianist Jõao Donato who gave her a new composition Equanto a gente namora, the guitarist Nelson Faria, the pianist and composer Rodrigo Zaidan, the bassist Josias Pedrosa and the drumer Lucio Vieira with whom she recorded a 4 tracks extended play, Eu sei e você sabe.

In october 2013, she released her first original album Matriz, produced by Ovastand (France) and distributed by Musicast. This album is played by french instrumentists : Automne Lajeat (cello), Frédéric Antetomaso (guitars), Julien Matrot (trumpet), Gui Duvignau (double bass) et Nils Wekstein (drums & percussions).

In April 2014, she has a landmark encounter with Remy Kolpa Kopoul (aslo known as RKK), a key journalist-"connector" of the French music industry. He gave her all his trust and attention, opening many doors for her.

In 2015, she recorded a 4 tracks extended play, Nejma, with Amina Mezaache (flute), Frédéric Antetomaso (guitars), Ricardo Feijão (acoustic bass), Nils Wekstein and Jonathan Edo (drums & percussions).

Currently, Anissá Bensalah presents her second album Sovaj (produced by Ovastand and distributed by L'Autre Distribution in France, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg, and by Idol in all digital platforms). She sings on stage with Hugo Sarton and Tim Campanella (drums), Philippe Monge (bass & keyboards), Fred Vellucci (guitars), and Josiah Woodson (trumpet), Philippe Lopes de Sa (saxophone) and Donia Berriri (piano) as featurings.

March 2019 - label Ovastand, distribution L'Autre Distribution & Idol
(France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)

France Musique - Ocorra Couleurs du Monde
By Françoise Degeorges
Diffusion on the 9 and 16 of november 2019

Mediapart - Zap Pow's blog
The Music of the day : Anissá Bensalah
Diffusion on the 26th of july 2019

Monte Carlo Doualiya - Music Hour
By Mayssa Issa
Diffusion on the 4th of june 2019

TV5 Monde - Maghreb-Orient Express
By Demet Korkmaz
TV Diffusion on the 28th of April 2019

RFI - Vous m'en direz des nouvelles
By Jean-François Cadet
Diffusion on the 10th May 2019

Beur FM - Le café des artistes
By Mourad Achour
Diffusion on the 29th of March 2019

RFI - Musiques du Monde
By Laurence Aloir
Diffusion on the 26th of May 2019

France Bleu - Musique en Seine
By Franck Duret
Diffusion on the 17th of may 2019

DNA Alsace - Musique-Concert du Lézard au Grillen
Artcile by C. Schneider
On the 3th of February 2019

October 2013 - label Ovastand, distribution Musicast (France)

France 2 - live at "La Cigale" Les Nuits du Ramadan
By Thierry Beccaro and Myriam Serrat
TV Diffusion on the 25-26th of July 2014, at 00:00 am

TV5 Monde - Maghreb-Orient Express
By Mohamed Kaci
TV Diffusion on February 2014

Radio Nova -Néo Géo
By Remy Kolpa Kopoul,
Coup de coeur du Babel Med 2013
Diffusion on the 4th and 10th of April 2013, and on the 29th of October 2013

Radio Monte Carlo Doulia - Music Hour (interview + lives)
By Mayssa Issa
Diffusion on the 7th of Novembre 2013

France Inter - Partout ailleurs (interview & lives)
By Eric Valmir
Diffusion on the 27th of December 2013

RFI -En Sol Majeur
By Yasmine Chouaki
Diffusion on the 23th of February 2014

Beur FM -Le café des artistes
By Mourad Achour
Coup de coeur de la rédaction
Diffusion on the 26th of October 2013

Les Inrocks
By Jean-Louis Nicolaou
On December 2013

El Watan
By Fatima Dridi
On March 2014

Télérama
By Anne Berthod
On October 2013

El Qantara - Arabic World Institute (Paris-France)
N°89
On Automn 2013

Gazelle Magazine
N°49
By Karima Peyronie
On october 2014

11/13/2021 - CaféPLUM - Lautrec (FR)

07/25/2021 - Autres Rivages festival - Uzès (FR)

07/07/2021 - Le Tamanoir - Gennevilliers (FR)

04/09/2020 - Tandem Scène Nationale - Arras (FR)

04/04/2020 - Le Bournot Aubenas (FR)

01/25/2020 - Le Sax - Achères (FR)

01/24/2020 - 25 de La Vallée - Chaville (FR)