nternationally-renowned musician Nawal returns to Athens, Ohio, on Sept. 30 for a free concert at the Ridges Auditorium.

Nawal is originally from Comoros, an island nation located off the east coast of Africa, between Mozambique and Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. She is a multi-instrumentalist and plays the gambusi (the Comorian lute), the mbira (Zimbabwean thumb piano), a diverse array of percussion instruments and guitar, but considers her voice to be her principal instrument.  

Nawal is known as the "Voice of Comoros" and sings primarily in the Comorian language, Shikomor, but also in French, English and Arabic. Her music reached a wide audience with the inclusion of her song "Himi" on Putumayo's Women of Africa collection. 

Nawal is now based in Paris and is touring the United States this autumn in support of her new recording Embrace the Spirit. Like her two previous self-produced albums, this release is an acoustic roots fusion of traditional and contemporary styles. Her self-penned songs are inspired by her Sufi heritage and are often calls for peace, compassion and human dignity. There are also political songs and calls to action that comment on today's global affairs, including the recent upheavals in the Arab world.

The concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. and is sponsored by the African Studies program at Ohio University. A free interactive workshop will be held from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ridges Auditorium