After her parents' separation in 1982, El Mouhandiz spent her childhood with her mother and siblings in Amsterdam.

At the age of 20, El Mouhandiz left classical music to follow her own artistic path, seeking to incorporate her cultural roots.

[2] On International Women's Day 2012, El Mouhandiz premiered her first short doc film, a short film about the acceptance of Muslim women in mainstream media and the music industry.

[4] From 2009 to 2018, El Mouhandiz was nominated on the list of the 500 most influential Muslims in the world for her work in the field of culture & art.

In her talk she spoke about how art and music create a new hybrid global culture.