Malika El Barkani was born in Brussels, to a Moroccan father and a Polish mother. Aged 15, she left Belgium for Morocco, living there for five years. It was in Tangier, a fascinating city that still inspires her today, that she taught herself bass and guitar and formed several music groups. 

Passionate about sound recording and live audio, she returned to Brussels to study sound at INSAS. Alongside her work as a sound engineer and audiovisual director, she plays bass in various bands with different musical styles (Makara, Anne Raymon, The Vaporellas, Goldenboy, Toful Paüer, and others). 

In 2011, she decided to launch her own project, “Malyka.” Driven by the desire to write, express herself, and create music that reflects her – diverse and multicultural – she crafts pop and rock with Maghreb influences, and performs with her band across Belgium (Festival des Libertés, Théâtre Marni, Le Senghor, BRASS…).

Together with artist Abdel de Bruxelles, be ready to enjoy a special performance of Zorah – Spectacle Dessineat this year’s Festival, brought to you in association with Comic Art Museum - Brussels.

Set in the spellbinding atmosphere of Tangier the live-drawn spin-off of the graphic novel Tanger sous la pluie ("Tangier in the Rain"), Zorah takes you on a captivating visual and musical journey. Through the expressive strokes of world-renowned Abdel’s drawings and an original live soundtrack by Malika, the story focuses on Zorah’s difficult daily life and her longing for elsewhere.

Malika El Barkani Online

• YouTube