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It was inevitable: Tara Moneka couldn’t have done anything other than art. The youngest of six children, she was born into an Iraqi Sufi family made up entirely of artists: a father who was an actor and comedian, a mother who was an artist, and siblings working in music, film, and interior design. In short, she has been immersed in this world since her earliest childhood, and today, in her twenties, she presents herself to the world as Tara Moneka, the Toronto-based artist who creates music blending Arab Sufi sounds with Afrobeat. She sings in several languages—English, Arabic, and Turkish, as well as Urdu and Spanish—even though she doesn’t speak them. She considers herself a good language mimicker when it comes to performing songs in languages she doesn’t fully master. Tara is also a passionate advocate for women’s rights. In fact, she founded her project Dijlah, composed entirely of female musicians—something still far too rare in the music world. For Mundial, she will be accompanied by a full band—mostly women—and will release her album in March 2027, titled “BIS” for Black Iraqi Spirit. Our journalist Sandra Gasana spoke with Tara, who is currently in Germany but is preparing to dazzle us at the Sala Rosa on Tuesday, November 17, 2026.
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