Spark Artist

Lamiae Naki was born in the city of Fes, Morocco. She was drawn to music from a young age and began singing, writing songs, and using every resource to find new music and influences from widely varying cultures. Her family is well known in Fes' metalworker's guild, the Seffarine, and the complex polyrhythms that ring out from the blacksmiths' hammers were an early inspiration for Lamiae. She studied Andalusian music and other forms of classical Arabic music in Fes, and has continued to creatively apply her expertise to many other traditions in the ensemble she leads, Seffarine. In 2008 she met her partner in music and marriage, Portland based multi-instrumentalist Nat Hulskamp. Since moving to Portland, she has performed across the US, as well as Morocco, Canada, Indonesia, Spain and Turkey at venues and festivals like the Chicago World Music Festival and Toronto's Koerner Hall. Lamiae recorded her debut CD with her ensemble Seffarine in Jerez, Spain. The album was a collaboration with living legends of flamenco music, such as La Macanita and Diego del Morao, and received praise from world music journalists in the US, Europe and Africa and placed in the Transglobal World Music Charts top 20 and Afribuku's top 13African releases. Lamiae continues to record and perform with Spain's top flamenco artists, including her upcoming release with Latin Grammy winner Antonio Rey. Lamiae resides in Portland, composing and touring with Seffarine, and representing Arabic and North African culture in community outreach around the US.