“The night I laid my eyes on you,
I felt everything around me move,
Got nervous when you looked my way,
But you knew all the words to say…”

If you don’t recognize the preceding lyrics then I feel bad for you…because you’ve been missing out! The fact is some time in the last decade you would have HAD to have heard them at some point. If you’re a dance music enthusiast (and you probably are as evidenced by finding this article) then it’s likely that not only can you identify the originating song in question, but you’ve probably also grown to love it as I have.

“Mi amore, don’t you know,
My love, I want you so,
Sugar, you make my soul complete,
Rapture tastes so sweet…”

With these words, one of the defining musical compositions in the current generation of Electronic music was born. A decade on from it’s release, “Rapture” can still be heard in one form or another the world over. DJs like Armin Van Buuren, Starkillers, Tristan Garner, Gareth Emery, and even Avicii have all given it the remix treatment in recent years and thusly have re-introduced it to a new breed of clubbers and music lovers. Even Dirty Dutch mogul Chuckie made a cheeky mash-up of this seminal classic which he debuted at EDC Las Vegas to great acclaim. The song’s influence is felt across all of Electronic music.

I can’t imagine a world where “Rapture” didn’t exist as part of dance culture. It was one of those seminal hits that proved that Trance was a legitimately beautiful genre of music, as much as Classical, Pop, or otherwise. The track itself though owes all it’s success and memorability to the sultry voice behind its words: the immeasurably talented Nadia Ali.

Since storming on to the scene ten years ago she has moved from strength to strength, collaborating with artists across the Trance, House, and Progressive scenes; Armin Van Buuren, Arty, BT, Tritonal, Schiller, Dave Dresden, Alex Kenji, Alex Sayz, EDX, Sultan & Ned Shepard, and Tocadisco are just some of the musicians to have shared the studio with her. Her voice on a track is just magical.

Believe it or not, she sounds just as great live – as evidenced by her 10/10 performance I caught this St. Patrick’s Day in Seattle where she wooed a crowd of 5,000+ revelers with her smooth delivery and disarming beauty. Couple that with the fact that her previous appearances in Vancouver have all sold out in advanced and you have a pretty sure indicator that she is a live act to behold. With a wonderful aura and stage presence, a wide repertoire of hits to draw upon, and a voice that is mesmerizing, she really is a talent unparalleled in the realm of live dance music.

At the End (pun intended!) of the day, everyone will have a Nadia Ali tune that speaks to them, but whether it is in fact “Rapture”, “At the End”, “Pressure”, or any one of another of her multitude of releases, I think all can agree that Nadia has never failed to write and sing music that speaks to us; music that is quite simply beautiful.

Nadia Ali is performing live at Five Sixty on March 30th, 2013.

Check out the event details here: http://twisted.ca/NadiaAli