In a Dubai recording studio, hijab-clad Ghaliaa Chaker tunes her guitar and belts out original songs as she builds a career that is turning heads for more than just her music. The 26-year-old Syrian, who was raised in the United Arab Emirates, has become a social media sensation, with 437,000 followers on Instagram and millions of views on her YouTube channel. She offers not only a unique sound but also an unusual look in a region where artists who wear the hijab, the head covering characteristic of Muslim women, are few and far between.
“I hope that I have paved the way for other” hijabi singers, Chaker told AFP at the studio. “It is a very beautiful thing to know that you have..
. given a push to a girl who has many dreams and is unable to achieve them because she has never seen another girl do the same thing.” Chaker, a keen motorbike rider who is part of an all-hijabi biker squad in Dubai, began composing and writing lyrics at the age of 16.
She drew inspiration from Nedaa Shrara, a veiled Jordanian singer who won “The Voice”, the Arabic version of the popular TV talent show, in 2015. Shrara had stirred controversy among some Arab fans who were not accustomed to seeing a singer wearing the head covering. But for Chaker, who says she often receives criticism online, Shrara was a symbol of “self-confidence”.
After seeing her, “I said to myself that I can do it too”, Chaker said. ‘Negative comments’ Chaker’s first song, composed in English, was picke.