The Defiant Producer of Palestine: Yusor Hame

May 11

May 11 The Defiant Producer of Palestine: Yusor Hamed

Producer and singer Yusor Hamed is cherishing a new sound from within Palestine’s thriving music scene. Her musical arrangements fuse Northern African rhythms with Swedish electronica, sweetly accompanying the sound of Arabic tonalities and lyrics. A spiritual soundscape surrounds Hamed’s work, motivating her as she reforms societal expectations of womanhood and career choice. A defiant and steady confidence is heard throughout her solo work and collaborations, echoing Hamed’s drive to continually step up her game.

It was Yusor’s latest single, ‘Asli Barri’, that put her work on our radar; a track released on International Woman’s Day raising awareness for ending violence against women within the Arabic region. Produced and co written by Yusor alongside four of the most renowned Palestinian singers (Maysa Daw, Lina Makoul, Nancy Hawa and Noel Kharman), the movement of conversation this single encouraged was huge. With lyrics speaking of women’s worth and value, Asli Barri is a cry of courage, encouraging female liberation and appreciation. On the eve of Ramadan beginning, Yusor spoke to us about the connectivity of music, and how to overcome external expectations.

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Yusor Hamed started life surrounded by the sounds of Northern Africa. Having been born in Tunisia, before moving back to Palestine, she started learning the Qanun at the age of 7. The Quaun is a harp shaped instrument that has historically deep roots in Palestine, Syria, Egypt and Turkey. Attending a conservatoire to specialise in this traditional Arabic music, Yusor’s universe of influences started to expand. “I was surrounded by a variety and fusion of music the whole time. My parents would play classical and folk music while I was tuning into the latest pop hits coming over from America, and then there was the traditional sound of the conservatoire”. During her upbringing Yusor remembers continually hunting for more genres, from Morocco to Sweden. She’d analyse the difference between countries and their music, explaining to me how “it’s about the climate - how hot a country is - and the language spoken that shapes the sound. They impact the tempo, the rhythm coming out of each place.” This closs attention to detail has fueled the inspiration behind her work today,

After leaving school and stopping playing the Qanun, Yusor received a scholarship to study music in America. However, her parents feared her leaving home and moving abroad, resulting in Yusor turning down the offer. Feeling disheartened, she pursued an art degree instead knowing it would keep her in close proximity to fellow artists. Once graduating, Yusor was finally able to take the traditional musical training she had acquired and start building her career as a solo artist. Over the years, alongside releasing solo music, Yusor built up an impressive portfolio working with an array of popular male artists and rappers. However, she was somewhat in the shadows, struggling with her confidence and feeling invisible. “I could see how men have so much power, especially in Palestine, and as a woman, you’re not seen.” To overcome this barrier, Yusor decided to confront what was holding her back “I started to need something more - to work with artists who’d want to decide what we will say together.” By 2020, Yusor started a process of working with female musicians that became an act of healing through her sound. “In my lyrics, I was talking a lot about the relationship between my fears and surrendering them to God, the Universe. This set me free.”

Reflecting on her past, Yusor explains how upon entering the music scene, a simple decision to cut her hair short led to her being bullied by comments about her gender and being met by resistance by her society. “I was embracing my masculine energy at the time and I wanted to show it. But people didn’t want to see it. I felt like I wasn’t welcome within this society because I’m different”. The reaction of others knocked Yusor’s confidence, resulting in her under promoting her work and limiting her ability to flourish. Over time, by growing her hair longer, Yusor started to present herself in a way that was deemed more feminine. However, she was determined to continue challenging the suffocating stigmas assigned to gender. When discussing this, Yusor tells me the story of how, with her voice being deeper, she’s constantly misidentified as a man when talking on the phone. This is something she chose to work with, instead of against, in her current identity. “The masculinity and femininity is there in my presence. It’s in my lyrics, my voice and in the way I present myself. Now I am choosing to show both, I am being myself”. This is something that finally, Yusor has found her society to accept and praise her for.

After a year of healing through this spiritual process of music making and self-acceptance, Yusor Hamed decided it was time to rebrand herself and refresh the shape of her identity. “I had to think about what I wanted from music and where I wanted to go, what I wanted for my career”. In an act of determination, Yusor started studying other artists' visions, learning their ways to drive productivity. It was in this moment, at the beginning of 2021, that Yusor was contacted by Maysa Daw with a proposal to work on the project for ending violence against women. Having admired Maysa’s work from afar, Yusor describes this recognition as being a life changing experience. “It raised my vibes, it made me believe in myself and my creations and it made me feel seen. From two perspectives - as a singer, and as a music producer and composer”.

Accepting this opportunity with gusto, Yusor dedicated her time and attention to building the project from scratch. She took on the role of organising the communication, lyric writing, and recording between her fellow collaborators as well as producing and composing the entire track with Maysa Daw. “It was a hard responsibility but I didn’t feel alone. I felt I had kind, unique people to work with.” From the success of the single, Yusor has felt a shift, allowing her to invest in becoming a fully fledged producer. “I’m currently understanding and reading my identity as an artist. I’m not anxious about being in the music scene anymore, I can finally enjoy it”. This strength of character to walk confidently into her own shape as an artist is something that will only aid Yusor’s music. With such freedom of acceptance, it is only a matter of time until this musician shines even brighter.

Follow Yusor Hamed on Instagram @yusorhamed

Interview & Words: Bethany Burgoyne