She sways her embroidered belt as the mesmerizing rhythm transports her –and the audience– into a seemingly other dimension. Yasmine Hamdan has been long recognized as an Arab music’s modern icon, but this year, she takes her playful voice to the Oscars.
Her song ‘Hal‘, featured in Jim Jarmusch’s latest film “Only Lovers Left Alive,” has been selected as one of the 79 tracks competing for Best Original Song at the 87th Academy Awards next month. The song, a part of Hamdan’s first solo album, is performed by the artist in the movie, as protagonists Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton watch her amazed.
Hamdan, a pioneer in indie/electronic music in the Middle East, became known with Soapkills, a duo that she founded with Zeid Hamdan in Beirut. After moving to Paris, she recorded the “Arabology” album in 2009 together with former Taxi Girl Mirwais, and in 2013, released Ya Nass, her first solo album.
The nominations will be announced live on Jan. 15 and the Oscar ceremony will be held at the Dolby Theater and Highland Center in Hollywood on Feb. 22.
For more information: Visit Yasmine Hamdan‘s website and follow the Oscars nominations to be announced on January 15.