In a pubescent, underground industry, Morocco's female DJs are forging careers to the tune of their own beat

In Morocco, DJing is still considered by many as a passion one can’t rely on for a living. Forging a career in the Moroccan industry is among the hardest challenges one can undertake.

But many are pursuing their passions for the profession, as the country’s women continue to shine in so-far male dominated music circles.

Stranger Souma and Kawtar Sadik, two young Moroccan women paving their careers in the Moroccan DJ scene detailed the challenges they had to overcome, and the beauty of what their hearts desired to pursue in an interview with Hespress EN.

Together with Kawtar Saddik, Soumaya Laghiti is one of the very few Moroccan female DJs. She performs under the name Stranger Souma, which she has been using since 2018.

With a discography of 30 songs and great international collaborations, the establishment of “Volubilian Records” with Sarra Marzguioui was one of the most significant moments in Soumaya’s career.

“Investing in-house and controlling the musical identity ourselves was very beneficial, as we were able to understand and know the music industry in an in-depth manner,” explained Souma.

Some of her most memorable experiences so far have been playing at the “Les Machines de l’Ile de Nantes” Festival and at the “Sfinks” Festival in Belgium, which were her first two big festivals after the pandemic.

“I can still remember how overwhelmed and happy I felt meeting the public again and seeing them sing and dance to my tracks. Representing Morocco, and sharing glimpses of our cultural heritage through electronic music is one of my main goals,” recalled Souma.

She took part in Visa For Music’s latest edition, as opposed to Kawtar, who participated in Visa’s virtual edition that preceded it.

When asked how was it to perform a music genre that almost always requires playing and mixing before a crowd and interacting with their energy, Kawtar Sadik said “well I imagined that I had millions of people in front of their laptops or phones watching, which is why it was magnificent and it was my first showcase as a singer/DJ so it will forever hold a special place In my heart.”

Way before being a DJ and dominating the Moroccan festival scene with her unmatched performances, Kawtar won the singing show “Studio 2m” in its 2013 edition.

The change of carrier from singer to singer and DJ was prompted by Marwa Hachim, Kawtar’s manager and longtime friend who believed in her and accompanied her every step of the way.

Souma’s participation in Visa For Music was marked by how impressed she was by the crowd, as the event gathers music lovers from all over Africa and the Arab world, and by having the famous singer Hindi Zahra in her crowd.

On her performance, Souma said that “It was a magical moment connecting with an audience that doesn’t necessarily listen to electronic music but appreciates good music in general.”

One thing that always amazes me is the public’s positive energy when I play my music in Morocco, explained Souma.

“I had so much positive feedback from festival-goers and other fellow artists, and it always motivates me to go forward in the exploration of themes such as freedom, utopia, women-empowerment, internal exploration, and spirituality,” she further added.

Kawtar Sadik was spotted at the opening of FIFA’s Club World Cup in Tangier, and she described the experience as stressful.

“We only had one month to prepare everything, to produce the music, to collaborate with the dancers and work with Dizzy Dros… Yet it was an honor to perform and represent my country during this grand event,” stated Kawtar.

Kawtar’s music has a lot of inspiration from old Moroccan songs, known for mixing and singing live, she said that she is very attached to her roots which she tries to display relentlessly in her original performances.

Both the DJs took part in the grand festival of Rabat last year. Kawtar used to perform as the crowd gathered every night, and Souma took the stage with the Rapper Snorr who officially opened the event.

“I had the pleasure of sharing the stage with the very talented rapper and singer Snor. I was solicited by his manager to build up his tracklist and direct his live set for the Grand Concert of Rabat. As a live performer and music producer, I am always looking for challenges, and this was the opportunity for me to adapt my skills to a genre that I certainly love listening to, but have never explored so far in my career,” said Souma on her experience at the event.

Speaking on the current state of the Moroccan DJ scene, and the DJ scene in general which is dominated by men, Kawtar ironically said that it’s a “Man’s world”, but it would be nothing without a woman, she added.

“For years it was a men’s domain like a lot of domains but now it’s our time, like many fields where people don’t want you, a woman, to succeed because then men will have to work harder to match you!” she explained.

Despite the challenging hardship, Kawtar encourages aspiring  Moroccan female DJs to stay strong and help each other, “after all, it’s about sharing!” she emphasized.

Stranger Souma gave a more in-depth explanation of the current state of the DJ scene, “The electronic music scene is in full development; each year we see many new emerging artists and festivals making their debut. The competition will always imply improvement; this is very positive since it never stagnates. Artists, festivals, and cultural actors will do their best to meet and exceed music lovers’ expectations.”

There is also a great demand from the public for a more inclusive and diverse scene, highlighted the DJ.

This is joined by many new artists who dare more and more to challenge not only the public but also the festival programmers, said Souma.

“It is clear that an inclusive industry is a perfect ecosystem where creativity and productivity have no gender,” said the artist.

Souma had the honor to mentor 10 women DJs during the FeMena Morocco residency, and she recalled how hardships were a very important question on their minds, to which most DJs responded that since it is a job mainly done by men, having access to knowledge may be sometimes challenging.

“This is why I am engaged in transmitting what I know to women and gender minorities,” concluded the talent.

With her music, she explores the relationship between time and history, new technologies, and the identity of modern Morocco, with its Amazigh, African, and Arab influences.

Her advice is, “If you are an aspiring artist, and want to make a living through your passion and succeed in your career, you have to be kind, patient, and hardworking, and you have to believe in yourself and your talent first. Don’t forget to surround yourself with people who appreciate you for who you are and not for what you do.”