How do you perform amid flying acrobats and a shapeshifting stage? Focus on the score and listen to the director's instructions through an earpiece, says Nesrine Belmokh. As a cast member of <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/things-to-do/2023/01/12/cirque-du-soleil-going-behind-the-scenes-at-family-friendly-dubai-show/" target="_blank">Cirque du Soleil</a>’s extravagant production <i>Amaluna</i>, which toured the world in 2012, the production was just one in the French-Algerian artist's oeuvre, which includes being a singer, songwriter and classically trained cellist. Moving on from the circus and orchestral performances, Nesrine, who performs under her first name, has also built a solo career and is back with her most personal musical album to date. Out last month, <i>Kan Ya Makan</i> is a dynamic collection of multilingual songs fusing everything from classical music and Arabic folk to North African Gnawa music. Translated to Once Upon a Time<i>,</i> Nesrine tells <i>The National</i> the eclectic album is a personal statement of intent. "I wanted to make an album that reflects who I am and really talks about my own creative journey and heritage," she says ahead of her <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/music-stage/2024/10/18/concerts-events-uae/" target="_blank">concert</a> at Sharjah's Jazz at the Island festival on Friday. "The truth is, I am a bit of a nomad. I was born in France to an Algerian family, but I have travelled a lot and lived in Spain, the US and Switzerland. I have always viewed myself as a bit of a traveller, and that has always been reflected in my music. But with this album, I wanted to show that and be more personal at the same time." Indeed, <i>Kan Ya Makan </i>is a vibrant listen that speaks of an artist with a restless muse. The sauntering <i>Bonnie and Clyde</i> combines elements of <i>Cello Suite No 1</i> by Johann Sebastian Bach, while <i>Leila</i>'s spiralling cello and vocal harmonies are a tribute to Egyptian songstress <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/music-stage/2024/02/17/umm-kulthum-film-television-books/" target="_blank">Umm Kulthum</a>'s <i>Alf Leila Wa Leila.</i> However, it is in <i>Dunia</i> where Nesrine emerges from her influences to lyrically and musically summarise her life’s journey. Over the rumbling bass line of the gimbri (a North African three-stringed lute), North African percussion, and moody cello lines, it also marks the first time Nesrine blends English and French in one song. She describes her freewheeling approach to songwriting as partly a reaction to her seasoned career as a classical musical soloist, where she performed in prestigious locations such as the Konzerthaus Berlin and Cello Biennale Amsterdam. "I think the album came from a growing and subconscious urge to do something that is rooted in the present," she says. "And to be anchored in the present, you have to really look at the world around you and, of course, within to transcribe all these thoughts and emotions." Then again, some of the lessons learned in those rarefied halls remain inspiring today. One of them was performing with the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/books/2024/10/19/michael-barenboim-censorship-germany/" target="_blank">West-Eastern Divan Orchestra</a>, founded by the Argentine-born Israeli conductor Daniel Barenboim with the late Palestinian-American scholar <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/music/life-beyond-edward-how-mariam-said-is-carving-her-own-legacy-1.843862" target="_blank">Edward Said</a>. "What left an impression on me was that the message of the orchestra and the music played was so powerful and important," she recalls. "It shows the possibilities that come with music and how it can transcend all kinds of barriers, whether they're genre or nationalism." Which brings us back to her Cirque du Soleil performance. Did she learn anything during her time with one of the most popular circus companies? “Sure: that everything is possible,” she says. “When you spend time with people who are the best at what they do – whether they are performers or technical crew – you learn about discipline, adaptation and how to multi-task. I feel that I have been doing that for a lot of my career. It’s more satisfying that way.” <i>Nesrine will perform at Jazz at the Island on Friday. The festival runs on Friday and Saturday at Al Noor Island, Sharjah. Doors open at 4pm and tickets start at Dh100</i>