A charismatic singer, 25-year-old Dina El Wedidi was part of Cairo's underground music scene until last year, when the Arab Spring allowed her to give a wider voice to her political views through her songs. El Wedidi started composing songs when studying Oriental Languages at Cairo University. From 2007 to 2010 she joined the El Warsha Theater Troupe as a singer and actress, exploring Egyptian folklore and performing in such unlikely places as a Cairo prison. During this period, she also performed classical Egyptian and Arab songs with the Habayebna band, before establishing her own band in 2011, fusing local and global styles of music. Wedidi caught the attention of a growing audience after her songs were posted on Youtube.

In 2012, El Wedidi was awarded a protegee role in the Rolex Arts Initiative, for a year of musical mentorship by legendary Brazilian musician Gilberto Gil. She is also taking part in the Nile Music Project, a musical and environmental initiative that brings together musicians and thinkers from all over the Nile Valley.

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