Fled to Sweden in 2019 – now she is in the Melodifestivalen

Amena Alseai was 14 years old when the civil war broke out in the home country of Yemen.
The family fled the country and later came to Sweden in 2019. Now Amena is exhibiting in the Melodifestivalen.
“It feels sick, it’s completely crazy,” she says after five.

After moving the war in Yemen, Amena Alseai lived in Saudi Arabia and Turkey for a while before coming to Sweden. An experience that she believes has given her the opportunity to get to know many people and learn several languages, but something that has also been difficult.

– In the beginning I thought: I will not belong to any country, my country is destroyed.

She landed in Vimmerby with her family and decided to start with the music again.

– I’ve always been doing the music. But the passion for it disappeared when the war began. Then when I came to Sweden, I felt that it was the right time and place to come back to the music, says Amena Alseai.

Melodifestivalen in two weeks

Four years ago she lined up in Idol. Now Amena is taking the next step and performs in the Melodifestivalen, which has been a dream since she began to learn Swedish.

– The first time I saw it, I had a homework from school that was about watching Mello and writing about it in Swedish when I learned the language. Then I looked at Mello and now I’ll be with. It feels like the circle closes in some way.

The song’s message

She hopes that her intermediate contribution “Do Good Be Better” inspires people to dare to do their thing and not just do what is expected of one.

– I want everyone who listens to the song choosing their own way in life, and dares to stand up for themselves.

Amena competes in the fourth competition on February 22 in Malmö. See the entire interview in the clip below.