Dina Samte – Music overcomes all obstacles
When Dina Samte sings, it’s hard to believe she’s only 17. Her expressive voice and expertise at the keyboard suggest a professional with years of training and performance experience. Even more remarkable is that not only is Dina entirely self-taught, but she was also born blind.
Dina Samte is a member of Bnei Menashe, a group living in northeastern India which is descended from a Lost Tribe of Israel. She made aliyah in 2007 along with 230 other members of the community. Now living near Jerusalem, Dina credits Shavei Israel, which facilitated the process for her and her family, with “taking us in her wings like an eagle.”
Dina was born in Churachandpur, a rural village in Manipur with limited facilities for teaching the blind. “I received no formal education,” she says. But her aptitude for music became quickly apparent. Her father bought her a small keyboard when she was just 9 years old. “I learned by myself without any help,” she says proudly.