In honor of the upcoming unity week celebrations, I decided to venture off from my normal music review tendencies and find something a little more adventurous in the field of music. After being recommended to visit the world music section on National Public Radio’s website, I discovered Yasmine Hamdan, a female singer from Lebanon who created a name for herself through her electro-pop infused Middle-Eastern style music and her indie-pop duo “Soapkills”.

I was not really sure what to expect when I started listening to her music, as I am much more familiar with western stylized music, but, I was impressed by Yasmine’s excellent voice and harmonization between two very different genres. She uses Middle Eastern folk instruments like the acoustic guitar to compliment her voice and also uses synthesizers for added instrumentation and effects. Yasmine has been known for drawing inspiration from earlier female Middle Eastern vocalists from the twentieth century, and most of her lyrics follow the same trends, covering topics like social frustration and civil unrest. This would be seemingly appropriate as Lebanon is entering a post-war period.

Yasmine is still considered an underground artist, but she is clearly gaining momentum and popularity. I would go as far as to compare her to New Zealand’s female singer Lorde, as both use a similar smooth, silky voice in their music. Also, both draw from some stylings of electro-pop and use live percussion to bring out the energy in the artist.

Her duo “Soapkills” is considered groundbreaking and influential. It is comprised of her and musician Zeid Hamdan, who is unrelated. Their work reflects on the youth arts scene and voice of Lebanon, and in January of 2013, the duo released an album whose proceeds went to relief causes for displaced Syrians. The music itself is innovative and outgoing and is often labeled as being trip-hop, a sort of experimental breed between heavy electro/electronica and hip/hop. I can’t say that I am a huge fan of “Soapkills” mainly because I don’t listen to either Middle-Eastern music or electro, but I admire the creativity and passion behind the music.

Overall, Yasmine Hamdan is a passionate young singer who deserves attention for her budding musical career. She is an excellent reminder that we are unified as a species regardless of background or orientation. Hopefully, in years to come, Yasmine’s voice will be heard in the mainstream United States but until then I can only say that I hope she succeeds in the world music scene.