Dina El Wedidi: Contemporary Female Arab Music

On this Podcast we speak with Dina El Wedidi, an Egyptian singer, songwriter, composer and producer based in Cairo. She rose to prominence in 2011 when she lent her voice, together with other musicians, to the modern operetta Khalina Nehlam (Let us Dream). This song captured the spirit of the moment and became an anthem for the Arab Spring, an important movement of pro-democracy uprisings that were sweeping North Africa and the Middle East at the time.

Dina’s musical career thus far has been shaped by an array of projects both diverse and exploratory. In 2012 she was chosen for a mentorship with celebrated musician Gilberto Gil, touring widely with the Brazilian icon, and in 2014 she released her debut album Turning Back, which was a collection of original songs rooted in Egyptian folklore and Arabic poetry.

Dina participated for several years in the Nile Project, which was a collaborative, border-crossing initiative that put music in service of the environment. Her latest release Slumber (2019), was an experimental electronic album that saw Dina honing her production skills to reveal the music hidden in the sonic landscape of Egypt’s railways.

This artist’s musical palette is coloured by everything from traditional music and jazz to underground rock and electronic music. It is also anchored in the stories and sounds that have given shape to life and culture in her region, in her experience as a woman and a musician in the Arab world.

Dive deeper into Dina’s own music and a selection of songs by some of the musicians that have most inspired her, with this playlist.