Algeria, a gateway between Africa and Europe, has suffered over 50 years of violence and continues to suffer from battles between Islamic militants and the country's military.

Speaking to the BBC World Service's Everywoman programme, she explained why she speaks out about her troubled homeland.

"To remain silent," she says, "would mean the terrorists have won."

Storyteller

Choosing to mostly sing in Arabic, Soud Massi's current album has led her to be described as "one of the finest young artists of the year."

Entitled Raoui meaning Storyteller, the title track asks for "a story to forget my life".

But Massi finds it impossible to distance herself from the problems facing her native Algeria.

"People are being killed but nobody knows who is behind it," she asserts.

"A lot of people say that it is the government, others say fundamentalists, but we do not know the truth."

With folk songs which rally against aggression and inequalities, Massi hopes to raise awareness about the ongoing crisis.