Written by: Sahar Alwan
The artist Alia was born in Sana’a to a conservative tribal family. She began her artistic journey at the age of 13, but her family and community reacted with suppression. She married at a young age, had two children, and her childhood passion for art and singing faded away.
She divorced early while bearing the responsibility of raising two children who needed full care. Thus, she began searching for a job to support herself. A friend advised her to pursue art and singing, so she decided to start from the right place, which was the choir at the time. This was like the musical institutes of today, and the artistic and cultural scene was of great importance to the Ministry of Culture.
The first sentence the artist Alia said to the choir committee was: “I want to work,” and this statement changed her life. As a member of the choir, she received musical training, participated in numerous festivals both locally and internationally, and after a short period, she became the right hand of the great artist Nabat Ahmed, staying with her for ten years. Alia’s artistic horizons expanded, and she decided to form her own band. She produced more than 52 cassette tapes, with some of Yemen’s most notable poets, such as Abbas Al-Jumeimi, writing lyrics for her songs, which reflected Yemeni societal realities.
Alia did not stop at singing; she ventured into acting in 1994 with the series Hikayat Sa’diya (also known as Nashir and Tasha), which was her first acting experience. Her second acting project was in the series Hikayat Saber.
The experience of Yemeni women in acting remained constrained by customs and traditions. After Alia became famous locally, she was asked to stop appearing publicly, as her community felt embarrassed by her. On the other hand, her responsibility as a mother required her to stay home for a certain number of hours each day.
After a career full of success and failure, Alia has left behind an artistic legacy that deserves to be documented and published. Even after retiring, she still maintains a cheerful spirit and a love for art.
