Roula has healed her way through mental illness labels like depressive psychosis and reactive schizophrenia by slowly thawing the deep freeze of sexual and emotional trauma that was the root cause of her hospitalization at the age of 23. With the help of some skilled practitioners, this creative and slow-cooked healing journey has given Roula a rich toolkit that brings both a balm to her wounded places and a wellspring of inspiration for her life, art and teaching. She has come to know the core of all her work as a relationship with the Beloved. For Roula, the Beloved is a palpable inner architecture to which we can attune and forever return.
With humour and poetic insight, Roula will share some elements of her story, her poetry and song, and her super-fun and healing movement practice.
Roula Said is a Juno nominated singer, dancer, poet and playwright.
Roula sings original healing songs created from her sufi-inspired poetry as well as traditional Arabic songs. She accompanies herself with qanun/table-harp and percussion. Roula has recently received a Playwright's Grant from the Toronto Arts Council for her one-woman show, 40 Days, where she tells her story to her father, who died when she was 40 days old. Roula also runs Om Laila Studio where she teaches drumming, singing and movement rooted in the Arab Arts and co-leads the funked up Arabic-Roma band, Nomadica. Oh...and she also officiates weddings, funerals and other life-cycle celebrations.
