Lena is a native of Falls Church, Virginia. She is the regular singer for several traditional jazz, swing dance, straight-ahead, Latin jazz and fusion groups in the D.C. area, and has appeared at numerous national and international festivals and venues.
Her sound is immediately reminiscent of the great jazz vocalists mixed with the interpretive ingenuity of bebop and modern jazz, while peppering influence from her Arabic heritage.
She has had the pleasure of working and studying with some of the world’s
top names in jazz, as well as classical voice (she is a classically trained
mezzo-soprano) and Arabic music.
Lena released her first solo album, "Written in the Stars", a collection of
standards and original compositions in 2009.
Reviews
and what people are saying...
Written in the Stars -
Lena Seikaly
(2009)
"Ms. Seikaly sings with a rich mezzo-soprano voice, using
intonation, timbre and control that reflect her classical training. Her
phrasing, feeling and improvisatory leanings come from an understanding of
jazz values. She makes the unconventional, even daring, decision to open her
debut album by scatting her way into "East of the Sun and West of the Moon."
Musicianship and her sense of proportion make the track, and the CD, a
success. Ms. Seikaly may scat too much for some tastes, but she does it with
a musician's grasp of harmony, not merely straining to be hip." ~ Doug Ramsey - artsjournal.com
Seikaly's voice takes her listeners into a world of intercultural romance that combines Palestinian warmth with the western passion of jazz. And while she gets her inspiration from legendary jazz artists such as Ella Fitzgerald and Betty Carter, she likes to spice up her music with an Arabic flavor. "I am extremely interested in the fusion of different musical styles. Being Palestinian has influenced the way I see music - I am always trying to connect what I do with Arabic culture and not limit myself to the Western framework."
~ Institute For Middle East Understanding -
Lena Seikaly
singing "Love Me or Leave Me" 
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