AMMAN — Zein
Sajdi, as known as "
Zeyne" is a 23-year-old Jordanian singer and
songwriter who was born and raised in Amman, Jordan.
اضافة اعلان
Zeyne was
surrounded by music from a very young age, and so, music easily became a part
of who she is.
"I
feel I am in a constant state of evolution and learning, especially now; but,
if I had to describe who I am today, I would say I am very story-driven,"
Zeyne said, in a recent interview with Jordan News.
"I
am in love with R&B/soul, but also want to reinvent that in my mother
tongue — the Arabic language, as a new sound."
The
singer also said that one of the main obstacles on her musical journey was
shyness.
"For
the longest time, up until March 2020 to be exact, I was shy of singing in
public — even to my own family members. But, when I finally found the courage
from within and gradually built the confidence through the support of my family
and friends, I got over the fear of singing publicly, and now, I feel
unstoppable," she said.
The
singer, who has been surrounded by music all her life, believes that music provides
a space for healing. "A year ago, I was fortunate to have the opportunity
to work and live in London — but the pandemic put all my plans on hold,” she
said.
“I found
myself back in my bedroom in Amman, with lots of time on my hands, so I started
doing covers and sharing them on Instagram. One thing led to another and I
became involved in the Jordanian Female Artist Collective at the Amman Jazz
Festival."
Zeyne then
connected with producer, Nasir AlBashir, and the two started working on an
original track. She also crossed paths with Hana Malhas, “a pillar in the
independent music scene and instantly connected on a personal and professional
level, which slowly developed into a mentorship," she said.
The
singer described herself as very story-driven, adding that her song “Minni Ana”
tackles anxiety and takes listeners on a stream of consciousness journey as the
singer tries to break free of boundaries — both social and preconceived.
"A
lot of new artists with new alternative sounds have been emerging in the
region, which is really exciting and inspiring", Zeyne said. "It is
starting to become more accessible to the listeners here."
The
artist, who is originally from Nablus, Palestine and frequently expresses her
love for her hometown through her music, said that her latest song “Nostalgia”
was written about Palestine.
"We
wanted to show how, through this song, it is possible for us to feel nostalgic
towards something we never experienced, but through our parents’ and
grandparents’ memories,” she said. “An inherited sense of loss and grief
towards the homeland. Many of us have not actually seen what Palestine was like
before it was occupied."
Zeyne’s
other songs tackle issues ranging from mental health to questions about
identity, love, and relationships and is working to release her first EP in
early 2022.
"It
will be based on my own personal experiences and feelings that I hope people
can resonate with," she said.
"I
am working on multiple projects at the moment — a lot of songs in the making —
and I am also writing songs for other artists as well, which is all very
exciting!"
On the
other hand, Zeyne said that "as a female Arab artist and musician, I have
a strong desire to create space for conversations that discuss a plethora of
different topics that are considered taboo in our society, such as identity,
mental health, relationships, and much more."
She
advised other female artists to always speak up and be vocal about what they
want in life, whether that be in the workplace or outside of it. "Our
voices need to be heard, loud and clear," she said.
The
artist, who started her career by doing musical covers and sharing them on her Instagram
account pointed out that "social media has played a huge role in my
career. I first opened my music account in March 2020 and started uploading
covers there. Through that, I met so many people from the local music scene,
and got a lot of support and love that pushed me to where I am today."
Zeyne
said that her ultimate goal is to make music that makes “people feel”. She
hopes to merge global influences into her own Arabic sound and release
originals that push “conventional boundaries of Arabic music."
"Believe
in yourself when no one will; because at least then, you have a starting point
from which you can jumpstart to even greater things. ... Follow your dreams and
seek to achieve them; you might surprise yourself one day," she said.
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