Bosaina
Bosaina is an Egyptian singer, songwriter, producer, art curator, actress, and occasional model best known as the lead vocalist for a number of bands in the Kairo is Koming collective, including Wetrobots, Zuli and Quit Together.[1] She has also pursued a solo project and participated in the Red Bull Music Academy in Tokyo in 2014,[2] and starred in Touchstone Pictures’ first Disney film in the Middle East, The United.
Bosaina | |
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Also known as | Boosykaat |
Origin | Cairo, Egypt |
Genres | Alternative, jazz, ambient, industrial, electro, pop |
Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter, artist, model, actress |
Instruments | Vocals, synthesizer, piano, sampler |
Years active | 2010 – present |
Associated acts | Wetrobots, Quit Together, Kairo is Koming |
Career
Bosaina has performed with a number of Cairo-based electronic bands, including Wetrobots, ZULI and Quit Together,[3] through her involvement with the groundbreaking Kairo Is Koming collective.[4][5] Her shows with the collective are often noted for their electric energy, The Guardian[6] stating that her "post-punk party girl attitude, which blends magically with head-banging blonde locks, high-kicks, and catsuits to create a dizzying spell".
She is also an independent music producer and solo performer, releasing her first EP of ambient and jazz-influenced music entitled 'NY, Apr–Jul 2013' in 2013.[7] Becoming a producer was the next logical step in her career, and on a layover back from a SXSW performance in Austin, Texas she decided to stay in New York and enroll at production school Dubspot to develop her debut EP New York, April–July 2013.[8]
Her work has often been controversial in her native Egypt, amidst all the unrest following the country's revolution,[9] where she says she's "been thrown off stage for not wearing enough clothes",[10] and lending her voice and support to the LGBT community.
She has toured extensively, including gigs around Egypt, Lebanon,[11] Germany, Austria, Switzerland,[12] Japan[13] and in the United States[14] at the SXSW Festival.
Other Work
Bosaina ran a Cairo-based fashion school for a number of years,[15] and has worked as a celebrity and editorial stylist internationally. She was also an actress in Touchstone Pictures' first Arab release, The United.[16] Bosaina currently serves as the Art Director/Visual Curator for alternative music space/culture venue VENT.[17]
Discography
EP
- Dirty Bourgeoisie (2011)
- Bang and Blow (2012)
- NY, Apr–Jul 2013 (2013)
- Two Names Upon The Shore (2017)
References
- Rolling Stone Middle East | Bosaina Continues to Fight For Respect in Egypt | http://www.rollingstoneme.com/music/bosaina-ii-continues-fight-for-respect-in-egypt-
- Red Bull Music Academy | Bosaina | http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/people/bosaina
- Al Monitor | Young Female Egyptian Musicians Break Barriers | Janne Louise Andersen | http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/06/egypt-female-musicians-break-barriers.html#
- KIK, Le tout premier groupe de musique electronique du Caire | Le Monde | Culture | http://mondeaccult.blog.lemonde.fr/2014/01/09/kik-le-tout-premier-groupe-de-musique-electronique-du-caire/
- ARTE Tracks | Bosaina and Wetrobots | http://vimeo.com/84663261
- The Guardian | New Music Form Around The World | https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/29/wetrobots-3-bosaina-new-music-from-egypt
- Cairo Scene | Bring on Bosaina | "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 26 October 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-26.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- Dubspot | Student Spotlight! Bosaina II, Barber Sonora, Morley Robertson, Alyosha Barreiro, Synesthetic Soul | Dubspot Student Spotlight! Bosaina II, Barber Sonora, Morley Robertson, Alyosha Barreiro, Synesthetic Soul | http://blog.dubspot.com/student-spotlight-aug13/
- Noisey by Vice | The Agony and Ecstasy of Electro Egypt | http://noisey.vice.com/blog/the-agony-and-ecstasy-of-electro-egypt
- BBC Newsbeat | Egypt elections: Musicians worried about their freedom| http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/18521079
- Wetrobots <3 Bosaina | SHARE Beirut | http://www.shareconference.net/en/program/wetrobots Archived 26 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- Norient | Die Antithese zur Revolutionsmusik | http://norient.com/stories/electroszene-kairo/
- Red Bull | Bosaina Electrifies Tokyo | http://www.redbull.com/mea/en/music/stories/1331664666773/bosaina-electrifies-tokyo
- RedEye Chicago | SWSX Coverage | http://www.redeyechicago.com/news/redeye-sxsw-street-fashion-style-2013-20130312-010,0,3791689.photo
- Cairo 360 | The Fashion Studio: Moulding Cairo's Fashion Future | http://www.cairo360.com/article/artsandculture/4117/the-fashion-studio-moulding-cairos-fashion-future
- Internet Movie Database | The United (2012) | https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2004405/
- Cairo Urban Initiatives Platform | http://www.cuipcairo.org/en/directory/vent