HANNA BARAKAT

Hanna Barakat, has one hell of a set of lungs on her and she knows how to use them... Barakat’s vocals on “Wildfire” are stunning and showcase her incredible range and control. Laid over the heavy guitar riffs, Barakat sounds both enchanting and terrifying. This seems to be the point she is trying to convey, as she discussed her album being a mix of the seductiveness of “mythical sirens of the sea…[with] the double meaning [of] an actual siren, warning call, alarm!” - Good Night Magazine - Georgi McLaren

With the album mixed by Martin Nessi (Michael Jackson estate, Ariana Grande, Josh Groban, Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli, Ricky Martin, Kelly Clarkson) and mastered by Ted Jansen of Sterling Sound (Disturbed, Evanescence, Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin, Halestorm, Pat Metheny), it’s quite easy to see how Barakat’s beautiful vocals are able to be woven so superbly into a heavy track. “Wildfire” is nicely balanced and is definitely an ear-worm, with a strong chorus that sets you aflame with passion. With both feel good lyrics and triumphant instrumentals, I highly recommend checking out “Wildfire” on her latest album Siren. - Good Night Magazine - Georgi McLaren

An amalgam of genres and vocal style, Barakat isn’t afraid to go where she thinks the music should take her. - Parade Magazine - Laura B. Whitmore

When trying to describe an artist like Hanna Barakat, her voice and talent are such a given that it frees the listener to embrace the musical journey she takes you on. She is not afraid to step out of the box from song to song while still following her vision of song-oriented rock layered in a lucious soundscape of melodic instrumentation and vocals. There is a message, emotion, and uniqueness within each song that transcends trends while still embracing the familiar. - John Moyer of Disturbed

Blending active rock, metal, and her considerable World music influences, Hanna has a voice and style that demands your attention - Ghost Cult Magazine

Hanna Barakat, “Siren.” A native Texan born to an American mother and a Lebanese father, Barakat’s passion for Arabic music and culture led her to spend time in Beirut after graduating from Boston’s esteemed Berklee College of Music. “Siren,” her debut album, incorporates some of those influences into music that’s grounded in 1980s/1990s hard rock. With a powerful voice that’s placed front and center by producer John Moyer (bassist for the Disturbed), Barakat goes for big drama here, an intriguing contrast to the 21st-century indie sounds more commonly found in Austin’s primary rock venues. - Austin360 by Austin American Statesman - Peter Blackstock

Artists come and go like skin cells but, sometimes, there are those that truly stand out for their immense talents. Barakat is clearly a member of the latter - Pure Grain Audio - Christopher Gonda

While proudly paying homage to her roots, Barakat has cultivated her own style that merges Arab-Oriental influences with her love of rock music for a stunningly unique and original sound - Metal Nexus - Steve Savage

Drama packed, explosive track...“Leave Your Light On” brings a greater meaning, a steady tambourine beat and Barakat’s ever changing vocals. In this track, the young artist makes it known that when it comes to relationships, settling is not an option. - Audible Addixion - Danielle Schmid

If Amy Winehouse could somehow be resurrected and form a band with Adele, Christina Aguilera, and Linda Ronstadt when she was in the prime of her career, the result would be the sound of scintillating and sensational singer-songwriter, Hanna Barakat! - Clive Swersky, Host and Producer, Alive with Clive -- The TV Show Where Today's Top Singer-Songwriters Thrive!

Songwriter Hanna Barakat of Brooklyn, NY, won first place in the International Songwriting Competition 2016 for her song “Cycle.” The tune is a peace anthem for the world that incorporates numerous foreign instruments and languages, including a spoken-word section in Arabic - Berklee Today Summer 2016

Hanna Barakat’s 'Cycle' takes us on a multi-faceted journey through her Lebanese identity, exploring both inner (personal) and outer (regional, Israeli-Palestinian) motifs in a piece that combines Middle Eastern rhythms and modern rock. Hanna’s group includes oud and quanun players, plus two backup singers. There is a strong peace message. - Reza Tokaloo (March 4, 2010)

Hanna Barakat – Two things stood out to my ears while listening to the song submitted by this young lady from Beirut, Lebanon. First of all I really dig the whole Middle Eastern hard rock/metal sound the song has going for it. Second and more importantly this artist has supreme control over her voice, and she uses that control to great effect. If you like Amy Lee’s voice you’ll really dig this powerful vocalist - Penfold, The Ripple Effect (Sep 04, 2012)

The most unique song I heard that night was 'Cycle' by Hanna Barakat. Hanna is a first generation Lebanese-American. The Middle Eastern flare of her song was entrancing. Her band had great percussion and two very peculiar instruments (Oud and Qanun). The Oud and the Qanun players were authentic and astounding. The mix of music and Hanna’s incredible voice cast a spell over everyone. - Gerrit Hagen (March 4, 2010)

The Hard Rock Café filled up with fans relishing Hanna’s incredible voice and the guys’ talented musical styling. BNL suggests checking out this talented group. - Michelle K., beirutnightlife.com (Dec 09, 2011)

Going back to her roots: Born of a Lebanese father and an American mother, Hanna lived her entire life in the USA. At the age of eight, she visits Lebanon with her family for the first time. She returns last year on her own. ‘I became in love with Lebanon,’ she says. And now she returns to Lebanon to live, in order to be able to better understand her family, to learn the language and to sing and compose... ‘To write songs that make sense to me’ she says; ‘songs that tell the truth to the World’ - Nayla Rached (translated), AGENDA CULTURAL (Feb 18, 2011)

A new voice makes its way on the local scene: powerful, charismatic and captivating. It is the voice of Hanna Barakat who at the age of 21 lures you to her world. Her name is new on the Lebanese scene but her voice will leave its mark. - Nayla Rached (translated), AGENDA CULTURAL (Feb 18, 2011)

...It's not about writing songs for the sake of writing...the music has for Hanna a particular savour, an Eastern savour. From a very young age, the Arab music challenged and attracted [her], as much as pop, rock'n'roll and even the hardware rock'n'roll. In impossibility of choosing, Hanna starts to compose with “the intention to rather add Eastern savours to a framework of rock'n'roll”, allowing her, at the same time, to soften her voice and to have more melodic rhythmic phrases. These Eastern ornamentations serve an idea in filigree: to push those which do not know the Eastern music, a Western public primarily, to pose questions and to want to carry out research on this part of the world. “I leave key points that hint to this area [the Middle East] and these issues [political & religious conflicts] as opposed to spelling it out...”. Hanna always seeks to further go, to impregnate more Eastern music in the hope to introduce maqâms [arabic scales] into her compositions, and release her album... - Nayla Rached (translated), AGENDA CULTURAL (Feb 18, 2011)

Hanna does not cease a hum of a song, to sing at any hour of the day. It is almost her only drive and that is enough, because in certain cases, the talent is really innate. - Nayla Rached (translated), AGENDA CULTURAL

Hanna was an organized and personable face of our production team during the dozens of major concerts and events we produced over her several years working as YO-Team Production Assistant. Everyone in the organization from Executive Producer through the ranks relied on her to complete an array of simultaneous tasks, which she always did efficiently with aplomb, sensitivity and tact. She is also a talented musical performer, singer, bandleader, songwriter and organizer, and can be counted on to come through in the clutch with verve and veracity. - Tom Stein, Linked-In (Oct 29, 2012)

Hamra, Dany’s. Ce soir, attirée par une voix dont on ne me vantait que le bien, j’ai emprunté le petit escalier qui mène tout droit à l’un de ces antres musicaux qui porte bien son nom : Live. Ou Live @ Dany’s, pour les plus rodés. Ce soir, une nouvelle figure a pris sa place au sein de la production locale. Hanna Barakat, une vraie révélation, une découverte euphorique. Elle est là, décontractée, simple, souriante et espiègle devant son micro...Guitare, basse et percussions, l’ensemble exacerbe la voix de Hanna, une de ces voix qui s’envole sans aucune fausse note et vous emmène très loin, jusqu’à une interprétation ultra-puissante du roi de la pop, des Give Into Me et Dirty Diana de Michael Jackson; des « cover songs » assez rares à entendre au Liban. - Nayla Rached, AGENDA CULTURAL (Edition Papier) (Nov 30, 2010)

….Ce soir, Hanna interprétait des chansons de sa propre composition, rock, dans une ambiance acoustique, saignées à fleur d’émotion, féminine. Si vous tombez sur le nom de Hanna Barakat au fil de vos soirées mélomanes, c’est que vous êtes bien tombés. Sinon, essayez de provoquer ce hasard - Nayla Rached, AGENDA CULTURAL (Edition Papier) (Nov 30, 2010)

Une nouvelle voix se fraie un chemin sur la scène locale : une voix puissante, charismatique, captivante. Celle de Hanna Barakat qui, du haut de ses 21 ans, vous entraîne dans la sensibilité de son monde. Son nom est nouveau sur la scène libanaise, mais la portée de sa voix risque de perdurer. - Nayla Rached, AGENDA CULTURAL (Feb 18, 2011)

la musique a pour Hanna une saveur particulière, une saveur orientale. De tout temps, la musique arabe l’a interpellée, l’a attirée, autant que la pop, le rock et même le hard rock. Dans l’impossibilité de choisir, Hanna commence à composer avec "l’intention d’ajouter des saveurs orientales à un cadre plutôt rock", lui permettant en même temps d’adoucir sa voix et d’avoir des phrases rythmiques plus mélodiques. Ces ornementations orientales servent une idée en filigrane:pousser ceux qui ne connaissent pas la musique orientale, un public occidental essentiellement, à se poser des questions et à vouloir effectuer des recherches sur cette partie du monde."C’est un indice en plus en direction de la direction où je pointe, soit donc cette région". Hanna cherche toujours à aller plus loin, à s’imprégner davantage de la musique orientale dans l’espoir un jour d’introduire des maqâms dans ses compositions, dans l’espoir d’avoir un album... - Nayla Rached, AGENDA CULTURAL (Feb 18, 2011)

Drama packed, explosive track...“Leave Your Light On” brings a greater meaning, a steady tambourine beat and Barakat’s ever changing vocals. In this track, the young artist makes it known that when it comes to relationships, settling is not an option. - Danielle Schmid

Blending active rock, metal, and her considerable World music influences, Hanna has a voice and style that demands your attention - Ghost Cult Magazine

Drama packed, explosive track...“Leave Your Light On” brings a greater meaning, a steady tambourine beat and Barakat’s ever changing vocals. In this track, the young artist makes it known that when it comes to relationships, settling is not an option. - Audible Addixion - Danielle Schmid

From whispery to powerhouse, Barakat exhibits vocal prowess, holding the song selection together with skilled delivery. Pop influences poke through with songs like “Let Go” and “Leave Your Light On.” Middle Eastern musings set the stage for “Cycle.” The masterfully intricate vocal elements on the final track “Wanting to Go Home” are delicious. All are underlined by a hard rock and metal sensibility. - Parade Magazine - Laura B. Whitmore