Koumiya embodies the many faces of a diasporic identity under tension. Through his self-titled debut EP “koumiya كُمِّية” (GŒ020), the artist explores and reclaims a North African heritage long pushed to the margins, seeking to trample persistent stereotypes and colonial imaginaries.

Between collective revolt and introspective poetry, between defiance and vulnerability, Koumiya moves through a hybrid sonic landscape where Darija, Arabic, French, and English intertwine. Influences merge without hierarchy: rap, drill, bass music, dub, dream pop, and footwork collide to create a resolutely diasporic sound, carried by voices that articulate an emancipatory and combative form of poetry.

The very name Koumiya refers to the traditional dagger predominantly worn by Imazighen peoples. Both ornament and weapon, a symbol of tribal belonging, it is traditionally passed down from father to son. A transmission that was broken in the artist’s family history, turning this musical project into an act of reclamation and remembrance.