Something is happening across North Africa right now. A new generation of creatives is building its own language, one that feels deeply connected to where it comes from while refusing to stay inside the boundaries of what has already been done.
That spirit is at the heart of DOWA9A, a creative platform bringing together music, fashion, art, visuals and media. Founded by Hamza Ait Badni, Bilal Rettab, Sarah Bourass and Taha Abdessamad, the platform grew from a simple realization: many creatives were moving through the same underground circles, sharing the same energy, but creating from separate corners. DOWA9A became a way to bring those worlds together.
Its approach is intentionally multidimensional. A musician can also be a visual artist, a designer can become part of a musical world, and a fashion project can exist alongside film, photography and storytelling. Rather than treating each discipline as its own isolated space, DOWA9A looks at the bigger picture and the culture surrounding it.
At its core is a strong connection to Morocco and its underground scene. The platform draws from the sounds, visuals and everyday energy of North African culture while allowing them to meet contemporary streetwear, experimental music and global creative influences. The result is not an attempt to recreate something that already exists elsewhere. It is an effort to build something that feels local, personal and forward moving.
That vision can already be seen through DOWA9A's growing roster, which brings together artists including mollart, prodthecat, exynozz, azel, rosehamz, moon/pinkshell, cxlltur, ussef777, ayano, rudy, lhardthegoat, astro, fulmini, revny, therealtox, yaya secoundo, apollo, zvcc, tahades, brousss and do2blx, among others.
The platform is also expanding beyond music. Its visual direction, shaped by youssef saoudi, ayano and zaid.zeo, adds another layer to the world DOWA9A is creating, while Inamineee represents its fashion direction.
One of the projects we are especially looking forward to is The Dual Tapes, a two-part collaborative project built around the contrast between day and night. With more than 20 artists and 10 producers involved, the project explores two different sides of Moroccan life while extending the music into a wider visual and cinematic world.
For ICONNER, this is where the collaboration becomes especially exciting.
ICONNER × DOWA9A is not simply about putting two names together for a single feature. It is the beginning of an ongoing exchange between two creative platforms, with a shared interest in discovering the people, sounds, images and ideas shaping what comes next.
Through ICONNER's Icons, Visuals and Sound pillars, we'll be exploring different sides of this generation and giving space to the creatives and projects that deserve to be seen, heard and talked about.
This is only the beginning. The first taste is here, and there is much more coming. 🖤🌙
DOWA9A FOUNDERS: Hamza Ait Badni · Bilal Rettab · Sarah Bourass · Taha Abdessamad
ARTISTS: mollart · prodthecat · exynozz · azel · rosehamz · moon/pinkshell · cxlltur · ussef777 · ayano · rudy · lhardthegoat · astro · fulmini · revny · therealtox · yaya secoundo · apollo · zvcc · tahades · brousss · do2blx
VISUAL DIRECTION: youssef saoudi · ayano · zaid.zeo
FASHION: Inamineeez
