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Ruba Shamshoum

ABOUT

"No Arabic vocal diva, Shamshoum stylishly sidesteps stereotypes and instead maps out a highly contemporary and personal course."

- IAN PATTERSON, All About Jazz

"... and if her songs appear on the surface to be about love, there are undercurrents of longing and regret lurking beneath the surface that hint at wider political and historical themes.

- CORMAC LARKIN, The Irish Times

A creator of poetic dream pop, a fusion of soulful sounds. Her voice encapsulates jazz elements and Middle Eastern vibes with colourful harmonies. Her lyrics tell stories of femininity, vulnerability, and human connection to nature and to the self.

Ruba Shamshoum is a Palestinian musician, born and raised in Nazareth and currently living in London. Ruba's music draws from the sensibility of jazz, mixed with tinges of Middle Eastern elements. This mix complements her style and brings it to unique and distinctive places.

Ruba studied jazz performance at Newpark Music Centre in Ireland and was an active part of the Irish jazz scene. She wrote music for the film "When I Saw You", and released songs that were part of top indie charts in the Middle East and North Africa, generating much acclaim. She performed in international festivals in Ireland, the UK, and the Middle East. In 2016 Ruba gave a TED talk about "Being Creative in a Society that Worships the Past", hosted by the London Business School.

In May 2017, Ruba self-released her debut album 'Shamat' (Beauty Spots), written and arranged by her. In the record, she deals with identity, escapism, fear, and love. Each song on the album explores different shades of emotion.

In recent years Ruba collaborated on tracks with multiple musicians in Ireland and the Middle East. In 2019 she worked with poet Farah Chamma on the music and lyrics for a show titled Mai w Dai (Water and Light), which they performed in London in January 2020. In 2020, during the COVID 19 lockdown, Ruba wrote and released an original song titled "Patience"  co-produced by Kazz Torabyeh.

Ruba is Currently working on her next release with producer Alev Lenz, coming 2021.

Ruba @ TEDxLondonBusinessSchool //

Being creative in a society that worships the past 

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