Sunday, February 15, 2015

Middle East Beats: Amani Yahya - Yemeni rapper

Amani Yahya, is a Yemeni rapper from Al Hodaida who is now based in Sanaa, the capital city torn by conflict. She faces the multiple challenge of being a young female rapper in a society that is deeply conservative and one of the least open to Western musical genres.
Brought up in Saudi Arabia, she returned to her country in 2010 and made her public debut in 2012 at The Basement Cultural Centre in Sanaa. Amani's blend of hip-hop and ballad which is often about free choice and dignity has found a favourable audience among Sana'a youth. In her song Mery, written in collaboration with guitarist Alaa' Haider, she tackles the story of a child bride expressing sorrow for her stolen innocence and defiance in the face of oppression.

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