7EMA

Marwan Hemma, aka 7EMA, was born in 1997. A Belgian-Algerian musician, performer and writer, he lives and works in Bern, Switzerland. He holds a Master’s degree in Classical Guitar and Baroque Singing from the Hochschule für Musik in Basel, and studied Creative Writing in the Master’s program of Contemporary Arts Practice at the Hochschule der Künste in Bern.

As a musician, 7EMA (pronounced h/ح), meaning “fever” in Arabic, draws inspiration from pop, classical music, Algerian chaâbi, and Sahrawi sounds. He mixes vocals and electro-acoustic guitar with microtonal synthesizers and 808 basslines, crafting a set that moves between intimacy and club energy. He sings in Algerian Arabic, expressing the ghorba — exile — and the re-appropriation of one’s own language.

Marwan Hemma grew up in Renens (CH), a cosmopolitan city. His Algerian father was an activist with La Fourmi Rouge, his Belgian mother a psychiatrist. Early on, he developed a strong sensitivity to activism and social justice. Today, he writes texts marked by deep poetic resonance and militant spirit. His work challenges Islamopho- bia, post-colonial legacies, and neoliberal drift, while staying anchored in personal experiences. He self-published his first novel, La voix volée.

Artist Statement

الصوت ا لمسروق (The Stolen Voice), 2025, novel
All Marwene’s got is his voice. Between the Sahrawi community, the bros talking nonsense and the authorities censoring a song, he spins an epic... Wesh, just open the book and read. I swear it’ll take you 1h, 2 max. It'll get you off your phone for a bit, so Y’Allah!

Dieu a démissionné (God Has Resigned), 2025, novel
A dinner. Paolo introduces his best friend Marwene to Alex. An octopus on the counter. A sterilized flat. Then blows.

Capturing materiality through oral language, blending dialogue with that “little inner voice that busts my balls.” Like a camera on the page: layers stack up, images collide, and the readers? They’ve got work to do.

7EMA alaa belek, concert 20 June, 20:30 at Carré Noir
Inspired by pop, Algerian chaâbi, and Sahrawi music, 7EMA crafts sets shifting between raw intimacy and club energy. He sings in Algerian Arabic, expressing the ghorba* (exile) and reclaiming his language through dance and voice.