The young Franco-Moroccan released her first single titled “Casa” on June 9. In this interview, Ouidad discusses her dual career and her passion for music, which she has decided to fully embrace.
She is not afraid to dream big and embraces her ambitions. Ouidad came to France to start her pharmacy studies after obtaining her baccalaureate at the French high school in Casablanca, her homeland. With parents who are doctors, this scientific and secure path has always appealed to her, but the call of music seems stronger. The young woman has always had this light in her heart, but it is only once she graduated as a Doctor of Pharmacy and was well established in her profession as a pharmacist that she dared to venture into music and finally set free this “caged lion.”
Having lived in Nice for two years, the singer with a double life released her very first single on June 9, 2023, a track titled “Casa.” Her song has exceeded 325,000 listens on Spotify to date. The music video has already been viewed more than 315,000 times on YouTube. These numbers are more than satisfying for a debut, driving her to want more to achieve her dream: making music her full-time job.
How did you manage to combine pharmacy and music, two fields that are often seen as opposing?
I have always sung. On the other hand, I have always been cautious. Even in the education I received, I always learned to play it safe. And in any case, even though I have always sung, I have always been very interested in health since my parents are doctors. It was truly something I wanted to do. Beyond being a health professional, it was really about the knowledge I wanted to acquire. And music was like a frustration from not pursuing it.
At what point did the desire to make music resurface to the point you decided to pursue it?
When I was at the end of my studies, I realized something was missing. All my life, I thought I would do something in music, and I realized the years were passing, and I hadn’t taken it seriously yet. So, I told myself I needed to go for it; I had nothing more to lose as my studies were secured.
What do you want to convey with your music?
I would like people to be able to identify with me, to not be afraid to do everything they want to do. There is no box. I merge art and science, and I want to show that it’s not impossible to do both. I really want to send a message of hope and be an example for those who feel blocked from doing one thing or another. There are no limits; the limit is yourself.
How did you manage to find a balance?
I was in a permanent job, and I couldn’t do music anymore; it was impossible. I made the leap and resigned. Since then, I only do temporary replacements. So, I choose when I can work based on the music. I provide my availability according to recording sessions or concerts.
How was your first single “Casa” born?
I met my manager in Nice. She introduced me to my team: Matthieu Mendès, who composes, and Brav, with whom I write. We started working together in June 2022. I have many things to tell, having not grown up in France, and having undertaken long studies. We decided to tell a bit of my story so that as many people as possible could identify with it. We decided to talk about Casa, the city where I grew up, which also means “home” in many languages.
What is it about?
To introduce myself to the public, the best thing to do was to tell where I come from. I grew up abroad; it shaped and built me. Then, I had to leave the home where I felt good, and move to France and Morocco, which are very different; the traditions, cultures, and people are not the same. I experienced a bit of culture shock upon arriving here. I also pay homage to France, which cradled my early adulthood. I found it important to highlight the two countries that cradled me and helped build me as a teenager and then as a woman.
What were your musical inspirations?
We were somewhat inspired by traditional Arabic music. When I was in the car with my parents, we listened to a lot of Oum Kalthoum. We wanted to combine that with slightly more European pop music, as I also grew up listening to Britney Spears, Jenifer, and Rihanna. As my voice already has a lot of oriental intent, we decided not to overdo it.
A video accompanies the single, what is its story?
It’s quite funny because these videos weren’t meant to become a music video. We wanted to make a video to illustrate the song. Ideas started flowing, and we talked about doing it at my home in Morocco, with my aunts, my mother, and my cousins. What was supposed to be just a little live session turned into a shoot with several settings and scenes with my family members, as everyone played along. It was highly symbolic because it is truly where I grew up; I couldn’t have been better than there.
What can we wish you for the future?
As many performances as possible. I love concerts; I discovered the stage this year, and frankly, it surpassed everything I felt in the studio. May my music speak to as many people as possible, may it do them good, and may it also do me good. And then, as many projects as possible, albums, EPs, a gold record, a revelation of the year…
