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Our Cali Fam #16, Zara Ali is more known as ZEZE and founder of Safi Club. Safi Club was founded in 2021 as a platform where they could express themselves through music and building bridges for a subcultural community. Since our first team-up last year together with Tusabe, Tommy Collection by Tommy Jeans and Blonde Inc the night club scene have seen even more of ZEZE and it was a given to have her playing at our boat party for the 20 year anniversary. We met up a couple of weeks back to take some photos with the FRÉNE x CALI XX COLLAB JACKET
Tell us more about your background and how it has affected you and inspired you to start Safi Club
I came to Sweden as a refugee when I was 6 years old. We lived in a very multicultural area for a while before my family moved to a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Stockholm. It was just like the ends but with a lot less diversity. There used to be a Nazi march every year in the area that ended by a gathering point, with a stage and massive speakers and a big crowd of supporters. The stage was just beneath our balcony so we couldn’t avoid the hours-long racist slurs. Being a middle eastern girl during that time was not easy, I was clearly different from the other kids at school and they clearly didn’t like it.
I gained awareness pretty early of what cards I’ve been dealt with in life. And the xenophobia we went through taught me to be unapologetically myself. Music came to be a medium of self-expression for me ever since. It also gave me a sense of belonging. I watched music videos on MTV every day and downloaded hundreds of songs into my little MP3. It had everything in there! Tupac, Bob Marley, Arabic bangers, Persian songs about heartbreak, Baile Funk, Vybz kartel and more. I held on to my MP3 player during my whole childhood and it steered me into what I’m doing today. I have always been into different underground movements and communities around the world.
When I started my journey as a DJ I felt like there was not enough diversity within the alternative club scene in Sweden. I wanted to take the matter in my own hands and contribute to that. That’s how the idea of Safi Club came to be. We always made sure to book international acts as much as we could, just to build bridges and inspiration in Stockholm.
Amapiano is on fire, and you were one of the first DJs playing it in Sweden. Any other genres you see blowing up soon?
I’ve always had a soft spot for rhythms that are subcultural, spiritual and that is innovative to the music scene. Amapiano is all that! But most interesting is that it opened up a huge gate to electronic music for many people. I also believe that Amapiano changed the electronic music scene, it made it more diverse and euphoric. I’m hoping to see more music from different parts of the world taking over, especially the Middle Eastern diaspora. Arabic Afro House fusions or Kurdish/UK Jungle like the one BIJI ft. Conducta just released!
Favourite gigs?
My latest gig at Paris fashion week was so fun! I was surrounded with that good feminine energy and one of my favourite artists Brazy joined and performed her song ‘Attends’. Also my upcoming gig at Way Out West is already a favourite. I’m warming up for Uncle Waffles, it’s crazy!
Safi Club has been a place to express yourself through music, another way to express yourself is through clothes and makeup. Did the interest for clothes go hand in hand with the music interest?
Definitely! I haven’t changed much since I was a kid. Everything mini me saw at MTV’s RNB and Hiphop music videos with big gleaming eyes is still influencing me. My big sister used to have a bunch of gossip magazines of celebs and artists. I used to cut out a collage of the best dressed artists to save as an inspo for me as an adult. I wish I actually did save it for now, but I’m sure the collage was fire!
