Hamed Zane Sinno

Hamed Sinno is a Lebanese-American musician and writer, recognized for his role as the lead singer of the alternative rock band Mashrou’ Leila and his advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights. After co-founding the alternative rock band Mashrou’ Leila in 2008, Hamed Sinno quickly rose to prominence as its lead singer, releasing their self-titled debut album in 2009. The band followed this success with ‘El Hal Romancy’ in 2011, establishing themselves as one of the largest musical acts in Lebanon and leveraging crowdfunding to achieve significant international recognition. Sinno’s powerful lyrical work, often delivered in Arabic, fearlessly tackled complex societal issues, including homophobia, political oppression, misogyny, and toxic masculinity, defining Mashrou’ Leila’s unique and impactful voice.

Sinno’s growing influence extended beyond music, as he was featured on the cover of Jordan’s My.Kali in 2012. Mashrou’ Leila continued their prolific output, releasing the album ‘Raasük’ in 2013, the same year Sinno graced the cover of France’s Têtu magazine. The band’s reach was further cemented in 2014 when they appeared on the cover of the Middle East edition of Rolling Stone. Their critically acclaimed album ‘Ibn El Leil’ followed in 2015.

In 2022, he contributed an essay to the significant anthology ‘This Arab Is Queer.’ He made his solo performance debut in 2023, premiering the song cycle ‘Poems of Consumption’ at the prestigious Barbican Theater in London. Sinno continued his foray into large-scale works with the premiere of his full-length opera, ‘Westerly Breath,’ at the renowned Met Museum in New York City in 2024. This same year, he further solidified his presence as a writer and intellectual with a contribution to ‘The Queer Arab Glossary,’ underscoring his diverse and impactful creative output.