peter
“I don’t really have any Libyan friends around me because my family and I kind of got pushed out of the Libyan community. We’ve always embraced Irish life, loved our Irish friends and neighbors and generally always remained quite open as people. Integration is key. The strength of my mother and siblings through these times has always been fascinating. My family is definitely my biggest inspiration for my music. Growing up, it was a struggle for me to stop considering what others might say about me. Traditionally, the difference between Ireland and Libya is quite big. Libya is more like Ireland fifty years ago where the church played a larger role in everyone’s lives and perhaps even affected their judgment of one another. Being raised as a Muslim-Libyan in a Catholic-Irish setting, I really see the role of culture-clash in all of our lives – mostly because I’ve experienced it first hand between two communities, including my own. I guess there are times that I’ve felt I’ve never really been fully accepted into either and I think my siblings feel the same too. The thing is, though, I see everyone as the same and I guess that’s why music is so special. It brings everyone of all kinds together. I love performing on stage because I feel the need to share that joy with everyone around me.”
Find her here: @farahellemusic