NOTE: All photos are copyright of Howard Shiau Photography 2025
Moroccan born Canadian singer/songwriter Faouzia (aka Faouzia Ouihya) took her Citizens Tour to a rainy Toronto evening at a sold out Opera House on Wednesday, October 19th. Fans had been waiting in the rain for hours before doors, eagerly awaiting the show. While the name Faouzia may still be considered an up-and-comer, over two million Instagram followers and YouTube subscribers say otherwise. After releasing her debut EP “Stripped” with the fabulous “Tears of Gold” in 2020, she followed it up with her first full length studio album “Citizens” in May 2022. Included on that record is “Minefields”, her duet with John Legend. Not too bad for your first LP!
Opening for Faouzia was Miami-based Latin artist Carmen DeLeon, who made sure you remembered her name by telling the crowd they probably don’t even know her name!! Smart marketing! The 21-year old bundle of energy, who also talked non-stop in between songs, bounced around the stage with her infectious grooves, followed closely by her dad, who was filming the whole time on his phone! Artists like DeLeon are the reason why you should never miss an opening act. You discover some incredible music and give yourself the opportunity to see amazing rising stars!
Click on photos to enlarge
Faouzia got the ball rolling quickly with the fast paced “Puppet” from her recent album and then to the powerful “This Mountain”. if you looked just at her EP and LP, you wouldn’t realize that she would be able to crank out 17 songs on her main set. However, she has a whole catalogue of songs that she has not released on those records! It’s easy to compare her to voice, music and quick rise to Dua Lipa although I feel like Faouzia’s vocal range is even wider. Even more amazing is that she seemed to sing about 99% of the show in chest voice, and when she transitioned to head voice, it was so smooth. Her voice control is absolutely incredible!
After ending the main set with fan favorites “Minefields” and “Tears of Gold”, I figured there wouldn’t be an encore because there was also no encore listed on the setlist. I was pleasantly surprised when she came back out for an encore of “You Don’t Even Know Me” and “Elon”, with her seated in a chair for the final song. What a wonderful concert! Seeing how packed the venue was, it feels like she could easily fill a much larger one and I fully expect that to happen the next time I see her. Definitely someone to watch!
Click on photos to enlarge
Setlist
Intro/Puppet
This Mountain
Thick and Thin
Born Without a Heart
Secrets
Habibi
I Know
Solie
Desert Rose
Bad Dreams
How It All Works Out
My Heart’s Grave
Hero
Don’t Tell Me I’m Pretty
Anybody Else
RIP
Minefields
Tears of Gold
Encore
You Don’t Even Know Me
Elon