Emerging Dutch-Sudanese hip-hop artist Gaidaa does not play around. Singing in a soothing blend of English and Arabic, her pared-back instrumentals draw attention to her stunning vocals, which sing meaningful and heartfelt lyrics straight from the soul.
She came to attention with her soulful track Morning Blue, a song released this month as an ode to Sudan. Wearing traditional dress against a plain blue background, Gaidaa presented the new track as part of a project by COLORSXSTUDIOS, where the international music platform launched multiple episodes of Sudanese artists singing about what their home means to them. With a sincere tone, Gaidaa’s track brings comfort through her lyrics of unity, asking us to join in together in a stance that will always be stronger than disparity.
Although Gaidaa’s music is currently focused on the region, she has established a solid base for herself in the Netherlands. Her vocals have been used to add a tender edge to Dutch musician Full Crate’s album ‘Still Growing’, where she sings honest lyrics about love and loss in the haunting track A Storm On A Summers Day.
Keeping it real seems to be what Gaidaa is all about – posting pics of friends and fam alongside the occasional vine-length funny vid, Gaidaa’s musicial personality and persona doesn’t seem far off from who she really is.
Selling talent and an incredible voice rather than just an image, Gaidaa is just as good in real life. This summer she supported trap house jazz king Masego on his Netherlands tour, showing how versatile her music is, ranging from downbeat political anthems to hip-hop, trap, jazz and soul.
What’s next from Gaidaa? According to the latest pic on her Instagram (where she’s gazing lovingly at her guitar), it has got to be new music. “Thanks so super duper uber ultra much to everyone that has been listening and messaging and just showing love man,” the caption reads, “Blesssinggggsss. And hello to all the new people following me. Welcome to my journey”. Safe to say, at MILLE we can’t wait to see what Gaidaa does next.