Yasmine Hamdan

Yasmine Hamdan

Yasmine Hamdan is a Lebanese singer, songwriter and actress based in Paris. Born in 1976, she is known for work that sits across downtempo, electronica, pop and trip hop, with Arabic and wider Middle Eastern influences in her writing and vocal style.

Soapkills

She first becomes known as one half of Soapkills, the duo she founds with Zeid Hamdan while still living in Beirut. The project establishes her early reputation and remains one of the key parts of her discography.

Solo work

Hamdan later works with Marc Collin of Nouvelle Vague on her first solo album, which is self-titled in France and Lebanon and appears on Kwaidan Records. An international edition follows under the title Ya Nass through Crammed Discs, with a revised version that adds five new tracks. The record combines pop, folk and electronic sounds with melodies and lyrics drawn from various Middle Eastern traditions.

Other work

She is also part of YAS.

Background

Her origin is given as Beirut and Paris, reflecting her Lebanese background and later base in the French capital.