“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.”
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.
She has released two studio albums: ‘Shamat’ (2017) which she co-produced with Matthew Jacobson and ‘Risha’ (2021) which was produced by Grammy nominated producer Alev Lenz. In 2023 she wrote music for and performed in the applied theatre play ‘Olive Jar’.
Being creative in a society that worships the past