Dahab Faid Tinga, known professionally as Faytinga, was born on June 10, 1962, in Asmara, Eritrea. She is a singer and musician from the Nilotic Kunama and Tigrinya ethnic groups. Faytinga joined the liberation struggle at the age of fourteen during the Eritrean War of Independence, serving until 1991. Her musical career began with the Sibrit Cultural Troupe in 1990, touring the US and Europe. She toured for the first time as a solo artist in 1995 and released her first album, Salada Godda, on tape in 1997. She won second prize and was named the first East African woman singer at the 2000 Ma’ Africa festival in Benoni, South Africa. Faytinga's breakthrough came with the release of Numey in 2000, followed by Eritrea in 2003, both on Cobalt Records. Faytinga has performed globally, representing Eritrea as a cultural ambassador.
