Mounira Mitchala
The Sweet Panther
About
In Chadian Arabic, her first name, Mounira, means “radiant”, and her stage name, Mitchala, the “sweet panther”.. The resplendent young artist more than lives up to them.
One of the few female Chadian singers to have won an international following, Mounira has faced a succession of obstacles in her career and has had to struggle for acceptance in her highly conservative country, which has suffered continual political conflict and a number of civil wars. As a female singer in Chad, where “artists are seen as worthless” and the weight of religion and tradition make things even harder, Mounira showed exceptional courage and determination in gaining recognition.
After the jury chaired by Salif Keita unanimously awarded her the Prix Découvertes RFI in 2007, Mounira Mitchala released her first album, Talou Lena (Marabi, 2008), and then recorded a second one for the Lusafrica label: Chili Houritki, produced by Camel Zekri, for release on 5 March 2012.
