By Lina Makoul gives fans the last word on her new album – and a whole lot more besides. In fact, #YOM Project is a direct reflection of her fans’ thoughts and feelings after Lina invited them to put pen to paper.
Here’s how it came about. Palestinian singer-songwriter Lina was looking for a way to keep her fans engaged during the first Covid-19 lockdown. She thought up a quirky challenge, inviting fans to write lyrics or a few lines. Through her Instagram page, Lina asked her followers to write and express their thoughts and feelings. The lyrics came flooding in.
Picking one text at a time, Lina Makoul challenged herself to edit the lyrics, arrange the music, sing and play the song, plus shoot and post the end result online – all within one day. This went on for 10 days straight.
Inspired
Lina didn’t stop there. Inspired by the response to her Instagram challenge, she took the idea a step further and compiled a 10-song acoustic album. Out now, #YOM Project – ‘Yom’ meaning ‘A Day’ in Arabic – serves as a showcase for Arab female songwriters of all ages. Arab females between the ages of 15 and 55 wrote the lyrics for eight of the tracks. Each track on the album is accompanied by a video shot and edited by Lina using only using her smartphone.
Now, leading streaming platforms in the MENA region have picked up on #YOM Project. Spotify, Anghami and Deezer placed it on key editorial playlists, with #YOM Project also featuring on Anghami’s Arabic Indie playlist cover. Check out Biji A’abali from the album below.
Creative Freedom
While the world became stunned by the global pandemic last year, 2020 was a transformative year for Lina Makoul. The artist, who splits her time between Akka and London, reinvented herself. She broke away from her label and managers to emerge as an independent artist with full creative freedom. Lina uses her experiences growing up in a culturally challenging surrounding to inform her music.
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