Hind Laroussi was a household name in the Netherlands long before her Middle Eastern-sounding pop song 'Your Heart Belongs To Me' became the Dutch entry in the 2008 Eurovision Song contest. Her bid for Eurovision fame was stranded in the qualifying round - one of several ups and downs in what has so far been a roller-coaster career.

Cultural identity
For Hind, having a mixed cultural background is more than just her family history. It's her identity: "It's very important - it's who I am: I am half Moroccan, half Dutch" she says. But knowing that doesn't always make it easy. Being able to travel comfortably within very different cultural circles was clearly a benefit, but for a while it made Hind wonder whether she fit in anywhere.

                          
(Photo left: Hind performing at Zuidpleintheater in Rotterdam)

"Before I turned eighteen I had no difficulties because, for me, it was normal to celebrate Ramadan and Christmas and Sinterklaas... but when I turned eighteen, I started realizing that I didn't know what I wanted to believe in. I was like, 'ok, what am I?' I was raised as a Muslim, but then again I don't pray 5 times a day. So I began to search myself. I think the most important thing is that you have to believe in who you are and find yourself a way in the world. And don't do that because other people believe in Allah or God. You have to feel what your inner heart says."

Typically Dutch
On the face of it, Hind's early career looked like a typical, yet above-average, success story of an aspiring Dutch performer. There was hardly a hint of her 'otherness' in those early years. She first acted and sang on stage at the age of eight, and then took lessons in singing, dance and cabaret. At 17, she performed at a theatre in the Dutch city of Gouda, and was invited to audition for a special broadcast on a European music television channel. She soon joined televised Dutch contests such as the Soundmix Show and Idols, fashioning herself after American ex-model, singer and actress Vanessa Williams.

From R&B to pop, jazz  to fado
Then the first signs began to appear that Hind had more to offer. She impressed audiences with her wide vocal range and ability to sing in a variety of styles. Equally comfortable singing R&B, pop, jazz and fado, she experimented with lyrics in different languages - including Portuguese and Arabic.

Her mixed cultural background was clearly an asset. Hind's first single 'Summer All Over Again' reached the top 10 of the Dutch charts in September 2003. Her debut album Around the World 'went gold' and won an Edison award, a top distinction for pop music artists in the Netherlands.

Dutch-Moroccan or Moroccan-Dutch?
Being raised in a bi-cultural family has influenced Hind as an individual and an artist. Asked whether she considers herself to be a Dutch-Moroccan singer or Moroccan-Dutch singer, she chooses the first, but quickly points out that she usually sings in English. The Arabic influence in Hind's music is easy to detect, and the singer explains why she incorporates both Arabic instruments and rhythms:

"I really like the ethnic sound of the Arabic music - I really like the strings and the percussion and I love to dance to it, so I belly dance a lot in my shows."

But Hind is also frustrated by the stereotypes she hears.

"A lot of people say that [my music] is Arabic music with pop music. But it's basically pop music. I mean, if Beyoncé makes a song which has Arabic influences that Shakira joins into, they don't ask her 'Is it an Arabic song?'... I don't know where that comes from."

An open mind
In today's multicultural society, identity is often a matter of choices. Hind has made a few choices that say a lot about her mixed background. Last month, for instance, she sang at the Carré Theatre in Amsterdam during the Liberation Day celebration, before an audience that included the Dutch monarch, Queen Beatrix. A clearer expression of her Dutchness is hard to imagine. But she also recently visited the Israeli-occupied territories where she performed with the Arab Orchestra of Nazareth, and toured Palestinian refugee camps on a trip organized by Civilians for Peace. Clearly, she hasn't forgotten her Arabic roots.
Hind's identity and music are all a product of her mixed cultural heritage, at least in part. But has it made her more successful? Hind thinks so.

"I'm quite rich, if I can say that. [When you are] raised with two cultures, you learn to live in two different ways... so you get more opportunities and more things to learn. So that gives you an open mind."

22 June 2008

[Copyright Radio Netherlands]