Opening Elixir Festival, the Palestinian singer returns to Grand Junction with a unique fusion of poetic dream pop, jazz and Middle Eastern soul

Ruba’s voice encapsulates jazz elements, with her Middle Eastern roots and colourful harmonies complementing her dreamy style and take it to unique and distinctive places.

Ruba will perform songs from her albums Shamat and Risha, blending beautiful vocals with poetic lyrics, layered with colourful harmonies, live instruments, and electronica. Her lyrics tell riveting stories of femininity, vulnerability, and celebrate the human connection to nature and oneself.

Ruba will be joined on the evening by Nuno Brito on drums, Nina Harries on double bass, and Tom Sochas on keyboard and synth.

You will have another chance to see Ruba Shamshoum in the forthcoming Olive Jar performance.

The evening is presented by Grand Junction in association with Arts Canteen as part of Elixir Festival 2024.

ARTISTS:

Ruba Shamshoum

Born and raised in Nazareth and currently living in London, Ruba Shamshoum is a Palestinian singer, composer, and voice coach. Her voice encapsulates jazz elements with Middle Eastern influences and colorful harmonies. This mix complements her dreamy style, taking it to unique and distinctive places.

Ruba has made significant contributions to the world of music. She wrote music for the film “When I Saw You” by Annemarie Jacir and released songs that earned spots on top indie charts in the Middle East and North Africa, garnering much acclaim. Her international presence extends to performances at festivals in Ireland, the UK, the Middle East, and Canada.

In 2016, Ruba gave a TED talk on “Being Creative in a Society that Worships the Past,” hosted by the London Business School. Her creative journey is marked by the release of two studio albums: ‘Shamat’ (2017), co-produced with Matthew Jacobson, and ‘Risha’ (2021), produced by Grammy-nominated producer Alev Lenz.

In 2023, Ruba wrote music for and performed in the applied theatre performance ‘Olive Jar’ at Grand Junction.

Nuno Brito – drums

Nina Harries – double bass

Tom Sochas – keyboard and synth

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Arts Canteen

Established in 2010, we curate and produce events, exhibitions and festivals that support emerging, mid-career and established artists from the Arab world and surrounding regions, bringing their work to new audiences in the UK and beyond. We now have an international reputation for excellence and innovation in our work.