Local singing talent Faouzia continues to make a big name for herself in the music world. The 23-year-old singer is best known for her hit song “Tears Of Gold,” which has over 40 million views on YouTube. Faouzia has been performing her music worldwide and worked with some of the world’s most prominent musicians.
Faouzia Ouihya was born in Casablanca, Morocco, in 2000. At the age of one, she moved with her family to Notre Dame de Lourdes before eventually settling in Carman.
Faouzia grew up listening to traditional Arabic tunes in her parents’ minivan. She speaks English, French, and Arabic fluently. Early on in life, it was important in the family that she and her two sisters learn an instrument. After pursuing the piano, Faouzia eventually took up the violin and guitar.
However, her impressive singing voice began winning her local talent competitions in Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes and Carman as young as eight years old. As a teenager, she started making videos on YouTube, which secured her big wins at international competitions for her voice. This caught the attention of artist David Guetta, who had Faouzia provide vocals for one of his tracks.
At 17, Faouzia was signed to a United States booking agent who handled big names such as Coldplay and Ed Sheeran. She has since recorded songs with John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, and many others.
After graduating from Carman Collegiate, Faouzia began attending courses at the University of Manitoba, where she hopes to major in computer engineering.
The past few years have been a whirlwind for Faouzia. She has been steadily rising in fame and popularity with her music, which is soaring her to new heights.
Faouzia can be described as a pop singer with R&B and synth-pop mixed in. Growing up, her music was based on feeling and emotion, as the people heavily inspired her early songwriting, which she was closest to. However, her newer songs have become more personal to her.
Paying homage to her Manitoba roots, Faouzia sang O Canada at the 2022 NHL All-Star Game in Las Vegas, with millions of people watching on television. The year 2022 marked her biggest on Spotify to date, with over 170 million streams of her songs.
In 2022, she also teamed up with John Legend for the ballad “Minefields,” which was dedicated to a friend of Faouzia’s from the Atlantic Records record label who had died in a car accident.
Earlier this year, Faouzia released her new song, “Fur Elise.” The song, which uses elements from the famous Beethoven composition, delves into themes of manipulation, devotion, and the desire to be seen and cherished by someone who holds power over you. The lyrics paint a picture of a one-sided and toxic relationship in which the narrator is willing to be controlled and manipulated by their partner in order to feel loved and valued.
The song and its live performance version have both had around 1.5 million views on YouTube to date. Faouzia’s song Fur Elise can be listened to at the link here: www.youtube.com.
Finally, Faouzia was in China last month and is currently participating in the Chinese TV show “The Singer,” which is very popular, with nearly a billion viewers watching each episode. In every weekly episode of “The Singer,” a rotating cast of seven performers sings live in front of a studio audience before the audience and 500 selected viewers vote for the winner.
Faouzia was going up against noted American singer Chante Moore in a couple of the show’s performances and had recently come in first place for two episodes in a row.
