About the Artist:
I am an emerging Egyptian-American musical artist based in New York City. Drawing inspiration from both guitar driven folk and classical Arab music, I explore how music allows me to connect with my heritage despite being thousands of miles away.
Music has always been a steady presence in my life, from singing hymns in the Coptic Church to playing around on my grandparents’ piano, to joining choir in school, and eventually learning the ukulele and guitar and composing music digitally by my teenage years. By 15, I landed my first production credit, and by 18, I was producing for friends and writing my own songs.
I never really saw music as a career path until finishing my first year of university and felt this irresistible calling to pursue my passion, which led me to move back to my hometown of Los Angeles and start putting out music, performing in town, and joining a community of indie artists, many of whom have become some of my closest friends. I put out my first EP in January of 2024 and have since moved to New York to finish my undergraduate degree at Columbia University, where I study history and music of the Arab world.
Artist Statement:
My new work demonstrates the intersection between classical Arab music and contemporary indie folk, based on my process of learning how to play the Oud, a traditional Arab folk instrument. The two recordings attached grapple with being far away from home, and holding onto the history of your parents, grandparents, and those that came before them.
