Medina Tenour Whiteman

Medina Tenour Whiteman began singing Sufi songs as a child, learning initially from her parents in Dhikr (remembrance)  gatherings, and later studying a range of other music styles from jazz and bossa nova to flamenco.

Beginning to write her own songs, set to acoustic guitar, in her teens, Medina gradually incorporated a wide range of influences, and for some two decades has focused mainly on learning devotional folk songs from North Africa, Al-Andalus, the Levant, Iran, Turkey and beyond. Today she has developed a unique contemporary style with jazz, flamenco and Latin resonances, blending vintage and even medieval poems with traditional tunes from all over the Islamic world, together with her own compositions and lyrics. 

As a writer and poet, Medina is the author of three published books: Love is a Traveller and We Are its Path, Huma’s Travel Guide to Islamic Spain, and The Invisible Muslim: Journeys Through Whiteness and Islam, and frequently holds writing workshops to help emerging writers to develop their authentic voice and unique stories. For Sufi Festival 2025, Medina will be not only offering an uplifting show of Sufi devotional songs, but also facilitating writing workshops on the theme of Divine Love in Sufi Poetry.