Nina Oud Player & Singer

Biography

Nina is passionate about the acoustic oud, although in recent years she has bonded equally with her electric oud. She came to music relatively late in life, only to discover that the music had always been there somewhere hidden, waiting to be heard.

Although she is Lebanese, at 11 years old she moved to Sweden with her mother, escaping the war like so many others. She doesn't come from a musical family and did not play an instrument at all growing up.

At the age of 24, Nina visited Egypt to see the Pyramids. She also saw the Arabic Music Institute in Cairo, which is housed in the most beautiful building. Inspired by the architecture and feeling of the place, she enquired as to the possibility of studying there. She ended up enrolling almost immediately and did not go back to Sweden for 3 years, returning with an oud on her back and a diploma in her hand!

From this moment on, music has been her life and has led her from Egypt, to Spain, Greece and eventually Dubai. Music has never been a major decision in her life, but something that has always just 'happened'.
While she loves listening to jazz and Fairouz, Nina's favourite style of playing are the simple, traditional songs, like Sayed Darwish. Beautiful music and gorgeous words.

At present she teaches at an Arabic music school in Dubai.
Not content to stick to the norm, Nina brings a funky edge to both traditional and popular Arabic music with her electric Oud. Her gentle, soothing voice greatly compliments her out-of-the-box style and its this unique combination of classic and eclectic that has an uncanny ability to mesmerise audiences.