Lina Sleibi :”I truly believe in love, peace, equality, and justice”

Raised in a family of music lovers, with two parents teachers, Lina Sleibi always loved music. Although she pursued a bachelor in business and administration, she also studied music at the music conservatory in the West Bank. Very quickly, she is noticed for the beauty of her voice and a decisive encounter with the Bahraini composer Mohammed Al Hassan at the Tunis festival in 2012  launches her career. Two years later, she releases “Helwa Y baladi” a cover of the famous Egyptian singer Dalida which received a huge success and millions of views on Youtube. Since then, she participated in concerts all over the world where she sings original songs and covers in more than seven languages. Among her repertory: classical Arab artists like Dalida or Fairouz but also contemporary ones like Coldplay.

How did you start singing?

I was raised in a musical family that loves and appreciates art and music. I started singing from a very young age and I studied music and violin for four years at Edward Said Conservatory of Music and the Bethlehem Academy of music. I was involved in the school choir, the church choir, and after that in the university band.

What was your first success?

In 2014, I released my first single « Rajje’ly Yah » in collaboration with the Bahraini composer Mohammed Al-Hasan. After that, I was invited to a very famous talk show in Lebanon called  « Kalam Nawaem » broadcast on MBC 1.

Since then, I have participated in several local, regional and international musical productions, shows, and concerts, and have a discography of more than 30 songs in different languages such as Arabic, English, French, Italian, Hindi, German, Aramaic… etc, to include both originals and covers of which have a viewership in millions, and in collaboration with many musicians from around the world. 

How were you approached by the Dubai Opera?

After the success of the cover I did for Dalida’s song « Helwa Ya Baladi », which hit over 7 million views on my YouTube channel, I was approached with the idea of the tribute to Dalida by Arts Canteen, which is producing for the show. I was very happy to be chosen for this tribute, for the love I carry for Dalida and her songs.

Which topics are important for you in your songs?

I don’t want to carry out a specific message. My choices are wide, and what matters the most to me is getting to choose what I feel I need to put under the spotlight or what has a meaningful message to spread. Although, in each song, I choose to sing I put a piece of my heart in it. So every song among these and others has a special story.

As a Palestinian artist, don’t you feel you have to carry a specific message?

I truly believe in love, peace, equality, and justice, so I aspire to convey artistic and humanitarian messages through my voice, songs and the concerts in which I take part in. 

What is your favorite song from Dalida?

Each of Dalida’s songs has a special beauty in it whether it is the compositions, arrangements, to the lyrics. The dearest to my heart is « Helwa Ya Baladi », in which it talks about the love for one’s hometown.