Yasmine Hamdan (Arabic: ياسمين Øمدان‎; born 1976) is a
Lebanese singer, songwriter and actress, now based in Paris. She
became known with Soapkills, the duo she founded with Zeid Hamdan (no
relation) while she was still living in Beirut, Lebanon. The first
album released by Soapkills was Bater (1999). Soapkills was one of the
first independent electronic bands in the Middle East, and its
innovative approach exerted a lasting influence. To this day, Yasmine
Hamdan is considered an icon of underground music across the Arab
world.After moving to Paris, Hamdan collaborated with CocoRosie. She
teamed up with Mirwais (who was part of French electronic new wave
band Taxi Girl in the 80s, and produced/co-wrote some of Madonna's
albums), with whom she recorded the Arabology album (2008), under the
Y.A.S. moniker.Hamdan then joined forces with Marc Collin (of Nouvelle
Vague) to write and produce her first, self-titled solo album, which
came out in France and Lebanon in 2012 on Kwaidan Records), and was
released internationally (in a revised version with five new tracks)
in 2013 by Crammed Discs under the title Ya Nass. In this album, which
blends pop, folk and electronic sounds with melodies and lyrics
inspired by various Middle-Eastern traditions, Hamdan "has undertaken
the challenge of affirming and rewriting Arabic musical heritage",
according to the Al-Akhbar paper. Her personal life (she has lived in
Lebanon, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Greece and France) and her curiosity have
enabled Hamdan to playfully use various dialects of Arabic in her
lyrics, which alternate between Lebanese, Kuwaiti, Palestinian,
Egyptian and Bedouin, as well as some of the code-switching which is
so typical of Middle-Eastern humour.
Lebanese singer, songwriter and actress, now based in Paris. She
became known with Soapkills, the duo she founded with Zeid Hamdan (no
relation) while she was still living in Beirut, Lebanon. The first
album released by Soapkills was Bater (1999). Soapkills was one of the
first independent electronic bands in the Middle East, and its
innovative approach exerted a lasting influence. To this day, Yasmine
Hamdan is considered an icon of underground music across the Arab
world.After moving to Paris, Hamdan collaborated with CocoRosie. She
teamed up with Mirwais (who was part of French electronic new wave
band Taxi Girl in the 80s, and produced/co-wrote some of Madonna's
albums), with whom she recorded the Arabology album (2008), under the
Y.A.S. moniker.Hamdan then joined forces with Marc Collin (of Nouvelle
Vague) to write and produce her first, self-titled solo album, which
came out in France and Lebanon in 2012 on Kwaidan Records), and was
released internationally (in a revised version with five new tracks)
in 2013 by Crammed Discs under the title Ya Nass. In this album, which
blends pop, folk and electronic sounds with melodies and lyrics
inspired by various Middle-Eastern traditions, Hamdan "has undertaken
the challenge of affirming and rewriting Arabic musical heritage",
according to the Al-Akhbar paper. Her personal life (she has lived in
Lebanon, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Greece and France) and her curiosity have
enabled Hamdan to playfully use various dialects of Arabic in her
lyrics, which alternate between Lebanese, Kuwaiti, Palestinian,
Egyptian and Bedouin, as well as some of the code-switching which is
so typical of Middle-Eastern humour.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.