Amena

Her influences are wide-ranging and personal, including Arabic film musicians Mohamed Fawzi and Mohamed Abdelwahab, Egyptian folk musicians Sayed Darwish and Sheikh Imam, and Levantine musicians Fairuz, and the Rahbani Brothers. These voices shaped her musical language from an early age, and continue to inform her approach today. Amena’s work blends the melodies, maqams (modes), and rhythms of Arabic music with the harmonic and improvisational characteristics of jazz and the syncopation of South American styles. The result is a sound that moves across borders but stays grounded in feeling and story.

Amena performs with a dedicated ensemble of musicians whose diverse musical backgrounds reflect the openness of the project. Konstantinos Glynos from Greece on the kanun, Ziad Hisham from Egypt on guitar, Julian Woods from the UK on double bass and Anmol Mohara from Nepal on drums. Together, they create an environment that values connection, listening to one another and expression through improvisation.

Having performed across the UK during her time at Guildhall, Amena is now writing and developing new material that explores the space between song and improvisation, tradition and reinterpretation. She is especially interested in how Arabic music can grow and evolve in dialogue with other genres, and how it can resonate with new audiences in London and beyond.