JEDDAH: Berlin-based Palestinian singer-songwriter Aya Samra’s latest single, “Madina” is a reflection on identity, belonging, and the realization that home is something carried within.
“I was moving in Germany a lot; so many apartments and so many cities,” Samra tells Arab News. “I was searching for a place where I could feel at home. Every time I went to another city or another apartment, I built something inside that felt like home. That’s how I realized that I am ‘Madina’ — I’m carrying my whole family, my whole life and my whole culture, and I put it everywhere I go.”
The song mirrors Samra’s own journey. Born to a Palestinian family in Syria before later settling in Germany, she says living in Europe has made her even more aware of her roots.
Berlin-based Palestinian singer-songwriter Aya Samra’s latest single, “Madina” is a reflection on identity, belonging, and the realization that home is something carried within. (Photo credit: Dan Chitanta)
“When people asked me where I was from, I would say, ‘I’m from Palestine, but I was born in Syria,’” she explains. “I always felt, like, ‘I’m not from here, not from there, not from anywhere.’”
