TAīīZ (DJ)

DJ TAĪĪZ is a multitalented Afghan artist, born in Hamburg in the 1980s into an artistic family. Currently, she is primarily working as a DJ. Her diverse musical background spans a wide range of genres, particularly South Asian and Afghan music, Hip Hop, Soul, and Flamenco. This eclectic upbringing has profoundly influenced her vibrant DJ sets, which blend SWANA (South West Asian & North African) music with genres like Hip Hop, Baile Funk, Afrobeat, Amapiano and many others, making her sound truly unique.

Passionate about integrating Afghan music into the global music scene, DJ TAĪĪZ works to highlight its beauty and diversity, while also striving to normalize Afghan (female) representation in the DJ industry. As a radio host and curator, she showcases Afghan and SWANA artists through events such as *Afghanistan’s Hidden Music Treasures* and her podcast *Soundspuren* on Byte fm.

In October 2023, she launched Deejaystān, an event where SWANA music is combined with a variety of other genres, including Hip Hop, Baile Funk, Afrobeat, Amapiano and many other music styles. This event was one of the first of its kind in Hamburg, marking a significant moment in the city’s music scene.

DJ TAĪĪZ is not only a trailblazer in the industry, but she is also the first Afghan woman to co-own a record label.

She is committed to challenging and resisting the dominance of certain communities within the evolving SWANA music scene, particularly in Germany and beyond, and addressing the general hierarchies that exist on all levels.

“It’s not just the Arab dominance, for example, and its current hype in popular culture, which is often whitewashed and exploited by non-Arabs and whites. For me, as an Afghan woman, the widespread Iranian racism and exploitation towards us, along with their tendency to whitewash, has always been a significant issue on many levels. It’s also our responsibility to resist that, no matter the strategy,” she says.