5

MONDAY

What makes Souad Massi different from any other pop-folk singer with Tracy Chapman comparisons hanging over her head? Well, Massi is from Algeria, lives in Paris, sings mostly in Arabic, and is a fan of flamenco, French pop, and Middle Eastern classical music. On her impressive 2003 album Deb (Arabic for “heartbroken”), Massi shows off her ability to grab from a world’s worth of styles with only a few miscues. (She’s gotta drop those Natalie Merchant warbling and strumming affectations.) On “Yawlidi (My Little Boy),” she sounds strikingly like Chrissie Hynde singing with a Congolese rumba band, and on “Ghir Enta (I Only Love You),” she and her band use Western and Middle Eastern instruments to seamlessly integrate a number of non-American influences—the grandeur of Arabic orchestral music, the energy of Andalusian guitar- and violin-led compositions, and the somber strength of the finest North African–diva–sung ballads. Massi plays at 7:30 p.m. at the Birchmere, 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria. $25–$30. (202) 397-7328. (Steve Kiviat)