ZIA

In this interview, we delve into the world of ZIA, who share her inspirations and unique perspectives.

Zia

1. Introduce Yourself to the Casawi Community: What drives you? What's your artistic vision, and what sets you apart from the crowd?

Hey Casawi fam! I’m Zia, a DJ and producer based in Paris. I’m mostly driven by one thing: freedom—to think, feel, be, and live unapologetically.Growing up in Morocco, I never imagined and we wouldn’t let me imagine myself playing my music to an audience. It felt impossible. Clubbing and rave culture changed that for me, teaching me to embrace my true self and feel fully alive. That’s the exact energy I bring to my DJ sets, productions, and performances—a celebration of authenticity, connection, and pure liberation.

What sets me apart? Hard to answer but I guess, my journey and my roots. My music is my way of saying: it’s okay to be messy, joyful, and human. I try to make of my art a space where love, music and meaning collide to inspire liberation and unity. Both for the public, as for myself!

2. City Inspirations: How has your city influenced your artistic path? Share how its streets, culture, and energy have molded your work.

Paris is a city that holds a unique energy—a mix of chaos and elegance, luxury and street culture. Walking its streets, you feel this incredible tension between tradition and rebellion, luxury and etiquette mixed to a spirit of contestation and dissent. That’s exactly what I try channel into the music I create, sophistication yet free.

It’s a city with a duality that feels both comforting and deeply familiar to me. Parisian nightlife, with its underground raves, glamorous parties, and eclectic music scenes, taught me to embrace individuality and uniqueness. It’s a city of contrasts—refined yet raw—and that’s exactly how I think of my music: bold, authentic, and overflowing with emotion. Paris didn’t just welcome me; it gave me the freedom to explore and create, in many ways.

3. Creative Process: What fuels your creativity? Whether it's a ritual, a muse, or a moment of clarity, we're keen to learn.

Creativity comes to me in solitude. There’s something about being alone, with no distractions, that unlocks the depths of my imagination. When I sit down to create a track, a song, I don’t have a formula. I start with sounds, an instrument or a sample—anything that sparks something inside me. I listen intentionally, breaking down the layers, almost visualizing the soundwaves in my mind. It’s like constructing a puzzle, except the pieces come from emotions, feelings, memories, and everything I’ve absorbed from the world around me.

Clubbing and nightlife also feed my creativity, but in a different way. When I’m in a club, I let the energy wash over me—the beautiful chaos, the rhythm, the people. I don’t analyze it in the moment; I let my brain process it later, unconsciously weaving it into my work.

For me, creativity and the process of creation aren’t about control—it’s all about letting go. Letting thoughts and emotions flow freely, without judgment, and finding inspiration in life’s contrasts: the loud and the quiet, the connection and the solitude, the chaos and the stillness. That’s where my music comes to life.

4. City Lifestyle and Art: How the places you lived influenced your career and work?

Everywhere I’ve visited has left an obvious mark on me, but some places have shaped me in ways I can’t ignore. Marrakesh is my hometown and it is the city where my love for nightlife and clubbing began. I like to laugh and say that growing up in Marrakesh felt like growing in a Moroccan Las Vegas —I was quite early embedded in nightlife, parties, gatherings, surrounded by music and rhythms.

Paris, though, is where my artistic vision really took form. It’s where I discovered the power of a dancefloor as more than just a place of entertainment but a space of togetherness and freedom. A space to be and to feel, to create, liberate, and self-express.

I also cannot get away with this question without mentioning Spain and Latin America. My absolute love for electronic music was born in Barcelona, at my first real festival, Sonar. The energy, the vibe, the people, the music—it was both a revelation and a revolution to my teenager mind. I realized that electronic music was more than beats; it was a way of life, a language of love that transcends boundaries.

5. Latest or Upcoming Projects: Give us a glimpse into your current endeavors and what lies ahead on your creative journey.

I’m super excited about what’s coming up! I’ve just finished and about to release an edit of Aya Nakamura’s Doudou—our French queen B who absolutely killed it at the Paris 2024 Olympics opening. I wanted to pay tribute and give it a fresh twist by blending her RnB vibes with house music.I’m also wrapping up my debut EP, which was supposed to drop at the end of 2024... but you know how it is—artists and their endless creative battles! The good news? It’s coming in February this year, it’s been quite a journey but I can’t wait to get it out there.And of course, you can always catch me on the dance floor! Follow me on Instagram for the latest gig updates and guest list links—I’d love to see some of you there.

Zia

Zia

Zia

Zia

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Instagram: @ziamusiq

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ziamusiq