Los Angeles, CA- Yasmine Hamdan is a star in the  Middle East.  Her sonics push the boundaries of music from the region through the incorporation of numerous and varying styles, and have earned her a loyal fanbase throughout the region and Arabic communities throughout the world.

I was first introduced to her music when I was forwarded a link to the official video for her single “Balad“. The video contained english subtitles so I could understand the political and social messages that sang about, but when I delved into those recording she had available on Spotify, I found myself entranced by the overall mood and aesthetic of her recordings. The feeling that stirred within me during my listening sessions- despite me not understanding a word that she was singing- prompted me to attend a rare Los Angeles performance by her at The El Rey.

Yasmine’s live performance was as captivating her music. With her resonant, alto voice, she captivated me with words that I did not understand and moved in way that was equally mysterious. From floating ballads to hypnotic dance rhythms to intense rock numbers, Yasmine and her band had me fixated on the way this foreign (to me) music had me feeling.

I spent some time after the performance to speak with some attendees to see whether or not I was the only one who didn’t speak Arabic. I wanted to get a sense of how the music, whether they understood it or not, made them feel the same way I did. (On mobile devices, hold your finger on the photo to read their quote)

"I was moved. It touched me. It was as if I was understanding what she was singing, even though I didn't understand  a word that she was singing. It's the first times it's happened to me. I was a bit surprised myself, but, her music is amazing. Very moving. I wish that more people get to know her"- Annick.
"I like jazz. I like anything that's different ... and she's different. Her Arabic music is a bit higher in tone, [...] so you have to be patient, adjust to it first ... but once you do ... once you get past the high pitch and accept it, [you realize] that she is pushing the limits. She's taking the music to a different level. She's creating a style that very [unique]." - Atnan.
"I just love the sound of it. I feel that it takes you to a different place because what she does is very different than anyone who does music from that region. I'm fluent in Lebanese, but she sings in different dialects. She mixes it up. There were a few words I could understand, and I won't necessarily understand the song, but I fall in love with the melody. It's different. For someone who sings in Arabic, it's very different from what anybody else does from that region". - Regine.
"She invokes a lot of the classical vocalists. A lot of her songs are inspired by [classical Arabic songs]. [N]ostalgic songs about Beirut and Lebanon, the discord and the love that still exists. It's [...] the fact that the content is being discussed in the specific Arabic language [....] I think there's a huge connection with our generation born in the 1990s [....] we still connect and live within the diaspora, connecting with the music and the traditions and the Arabic language" - Deena (left) and Yazan.

Music truly has no language. It speaks in emotions and at the El Rey, even though I know not a single word in any Arabic dialect, I was enchanted by Yasmin Hamdan’s musical performance.

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Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.
Yasmine Hamdan @ El Rey 11/14/17. Photo by Derrick K. Lee, Esq. (@Methodman13) for www.BlurredCulture.com.

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