Ma Faiza isn’t an ordinary DJ who dishes out popular EDM music to masses in big cities and her new all-India Maximum Tour stands testimony to it. One of the first ladies of the genre in the country today, the Africa-born British artist has earned quite a name for herself and has come a long way from the beaches of Goa where she began. In town for the Chennai leg of her tour, she talks to us about her beginnings and being a woman in a male-dominated industry.
“I fell in love with electronic dance music in London and it changed my life. There was a club I used to frequent called Megatrapolis and seeing the community of people there, exchange of information and the underground culture was fascinating. I came to Goa in 1993 and the music at the parties was horrible then. I started selling my own tapes with music I brought down and played at parties and houses to sell them,” Ma Faiza tells us about the start of her journey.
She goes on to say, “With the Maximum Tour, I wanted to visit as many cities as possible, including the small cities I haven’t ever performed in before. I wanted to kickstart the electronic scene in these cities as well and the response so far has been amazing. I’ve also been auctioning a hat at each event to donate towards underprivileged children’s education.” Talking about her stop at Chennai she says, “I think it’s great that Chennai can party late in the night but I’m not sure of how consistent they are. I would like to think the scene is very vibrant. I have lots of DJ friends here as well and I know there are several worthy artists and labels here so I’m excited to play this weekend.”
When asked how she feels about the lack of women in her field, she answers, “It took me 20 years to get to the point I am today. There are few women, especially in India, in the music industry because they’re scared of taking risks and don’t have their family’s supports. I’d love to see women as not only DJs but also producers, promoters and even club owners!” “I think not looking like a normal binary girl worked for me because then people banked on my talent,” she laughs and concludes, “Today, I see a lot of beautiful women who may not be the best DJs but are popular nevertheless. But it’s good that they’re able to get their foot in the door and evolve from there. I believe you need talent to back you up, because looks fade but talent never does.”
