XENIA GHALI | BusinessWoman | CPMagazine

Xenia Ghali is a Greek songwriter, record producer and disc jockey. She is the founder of Funky Sheep Records, and is known for her dance music singles and fashion oriented videos.

How did your desire for music come about? I have been classically trained on the piano and flute since I was approximately 5 years old. When I was 15 I went through a huge rock phase and taught myself the guitar and drums. I formed a high school rock band in which I played lead guitar and took my first steps into songwriting. That was when I realised that I had a huge passion for creating music. After I graduated high school, I went on to receive my Bachelor’s in Music Composition and Production in the UK. During my time there, I began going to a lot of House music parties and became infatuated by the whole scene. I invested in buying a couple of secondhand Technics 1210 turntables and 5 vinyl House records and taught myself how to spin. One thing led to another and I began performing at local clubs until eventually I was doing shows at Ministry of Sound in London. While doing shows, I began producing a lot of House and Electronic Dance Music as well. After I graduated from the UK, I received a Master’s in Music Composition, Production and Film Scoring from NYU and simultaneously started to professionally produce and DJ both in the States and in Europe.

What do you like most about music? The power it has in truly connecting people and bringing them together no matter how ‘different’ to each other they may be.

Does your family support you? Very much and I feel extremely blessed. Even when I may feel insecure about something or when I doubt myself, they are always by my side and support me.

What have you learned from your previous

successes? With each step you reach in your career you have to become motivated and work twice as hard for the next step

What have been the biggest difficulties as a woman

in the music industry? There aren’t as many female producer/DJs as there are men in the industry so inevitably it makes it harder to be taken seriously. Having said that, when you are focused and work hard, gender does not make a difference. Eventually it pays off and your efforts get recognition.

Has any person or any particular situation

inspired you? I have been inspired by many people, within the Music Industry as well as in general. One person that comes to mind immediately is Sia. She is an incredibly talented artist and a true role model for women in today’s Music Industry.

Do you do any work within the music industry to

support women, and if so how? I am very passionate about encouraging women in industries such as mine which are male dominated as well as standing up for female empowerment in general. I’ve had a lot of messages from younger girls who ask me for advice on trying to break into the industry as producers or DJs and I always try to help in any way I can.

Within the industry I am very vocal about how women need to be given equal opportunities and I have taken part in campaigns such as ‘Adidas Originals presents the young generation of Superstar: The icons of tomorrow’ where I encouraged the females of today to pursue their vision within the industry with grace, passion and dedication; all while ensuring they stay true to who they are because being yourself is the only way to let the uniqueness of one’s art come alive.

What are you currently working on? I am coming to the end of my summer tour in Europe (which included headlining the Colour Day Festival in Athens and Summer Paradise Festival alongside Sunnery James and Ryan Marciano) and I am currently getting ready to release several new singles which I am very excited about!

What advice would you give to women who have just started in music to allow them to follow their

dreams? Never let anyone make you doubt your abilities. With passion, hard work and drive, women can accomplish anything they set their mind to.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS TO: My parents, my sister, my friends, my incredible team and all of you.