Oud Knights with Amina and Shayma

About the Artist

Amina Eman Matter and Shayma Khalifa Al-Oraify, born in 1980 and 1977 respectively, are female oud musicians from Bahrain. Following a unique path, and building their talents and reputations on an instrument uncommon for most modern Arab women, the two have performed together now for more than seven years. Shayma and Amina have studied under Iraqi oud master Saad Mahmoud Jawad, and they take great pride in their efforts to perfect their craft and to present the culturally traditional sounds of the oud. Shayma and Amina have been invited to perform at numerous festival and events around the world, including the Bahrain International Music Festival (Manama 2004); Culture of the Arab World (Paris 2006); Bahrain National Day Festival (Tokyo 2007); and, at the 1st Summit of Arab Women’s Organizations in Bahrain (2006).  The duo represented Bahrain at the 19th Festival International de Musique Universitaire in France (2006), with their performances and music style greatly received by festival audiences and fellow musicians.