Lebanese pop singer-songwriter, Yasmine Hamdan, has garnered global attention since the release of her debut solo album, “Ya Nass,” in 2013 and patrons headed to the Detroit Institute of Arts can enjoy a free show from the rising star on Dec. 7.
Hamdan will perform at 8 p.m. as part of the city museum’s Friday Night Live! Series, which often packs the Rivera Court performance area.
In a release, the museum called Hamdan’s album a “personal, modern take on Arabic pop music.”
The same album was lauded by NPR as a redefinition of Middle Eastern music in 2014. Reviewer Banning Eyre called Hamdan “one of the most free-thinking and inventive artists singing in Arabic today.”
A 2014 review from the UK-based outlet The Guardian said Hamdan deserves to be the next female celebrity from the Arab-speaking world.
“She has a sultry, seductive voice and gift for melody that is reminiscent of Souad Massi, and her best songs rely on acoustic guitar rather than the swirling synths,” the review said.
Hamdan has performed on four continents, and recorded a song for the 2013 vampire film “Only Lovers Left Alive” directed by Jim Jarmusch, a release said.
As part of their Arab Film Series, the Dearborn-based Arab American National Museum will be hosting a free screening of the film on Dec. 6 at 7 p.m., followed by a Q&A with Hamdan. Register for the event at the AANM website.
To learn more information about the free Detroit Institute of Arts concert, click here.
In a song called “Beirut,” featured on the album, Hamdan sings:
“Beirut, a flower out of its season, what a waste if it withered.”
Take a look at the video for the song: