Hanan EL-Shamouty grew up in Cairo. She studied both Western music (piano) and classical Arabic music (qanun / 84-string zither) from an early age. She took her master’s degree in film music and graduated in 1993 with a Master of Art degree. In 2001 Hanan EL-Shamouty founded the Layaly Ensemble for classical and traditional oriental music in Berlin, with which she produced the CD Orient-Okzident in 2004. In addition to „Oriental-Jazz“ she is also engaged in the Sufi music of the Mevlavi and medieval music. Hanan EL Shamouty brings in her work tradition with modernity and musicians of oriental and western music styles together.