Check Out Natali Manzour’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Natali Manzour.

Hi Natali, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Music was used as a soothing tool for me ever since i was in the womb. When I was born, my parents put Walkman headphones on my head and played music for me when they wanted t calm me. I grew up as an only child and spent a lot of time alone, so the music became my imagination, my escape, and my connection to the world. I would lay next to my boombox (which I still have), replaying songs over and over after recording so I can skip the. commercials on the radio. Music created emotions, characters, and experiences in my head and made me feel understood in ways people often times didn’t. Music became my imagination, my therapy, my escape, and my connection to humanity.

I moved out of the house at 18 years old and never went back and life kind of turned into living in survival mode. I was focused on paying bills and running a business, but music was always there in the background whether it was obsessively digging for songs online or taking dance and piano lessons,. Durring the pandemic, I finally got tired of not fully pursuing something I’ve always loved, so I signed up for The Beat Junkies Institute of Sound to learn Djing and turntablism. I wanted to fully immerse myself in the culture and learn everything I possibly could. I definitely am a person who doesn’t half ass anything and I go hard for my passions.

What surprised me most was how naturally opportunities started showing up once i committed to it. People began following my journey, reaching out to book me, and believing in me. Sometimes it seemed as if people were coming out of the woodworks to support me and the ones you’d least expect. It’s been challenging, humbling, exciting, and life changing. Sometimes when I play at big clubs and think about my life just a few years ago, I think to myself, ” how did I get here?’ or, who am I?’ lol

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not! One of my biggest challenges was realizing that loving music deeply didn’t automatically mean the technical side would come naturally. When I started I started studying at T.he Beat Junkies Institute of Sound, we had to perform techniques in front of the class and I developed intense stage fright. My hands would shake and I would put an extreme amount of pressure on myself before every performance, no matter how small the setting was. Even today, performance anxiety is still something I actively work through.

Another major challenge was learning the mind-body connection involved to djing and music production. I could often hear exactly what I wanted in my head, but translating that into timing, technique, scratching, mixing, or production was a completely different skill set. Studying music production at I O Music Academy was also overwhelming at times because of how technical and detailed the process is.

What kept me going was my genuine obsession with music and my willingness to keep improving. Even small progress motivated me to continue moving forward. One thing my teacher Mr. Choc always said is ,” forward motion,” and that mindset has stayed with me throughout this entire journey.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I tend to go all in on the things I am passionate about, so once Djing became a part of my life, the natural next step for me was music production, I enrolled at I O Music Academy because I didnt just want to play music, I wanted to fully understand how to create it from the ground up.

One thing I’m proud of is not being afraid to start over or pursue a.new career later in life. A lot of people stop themselves because they are afriad of failure, don’t believe it;s possible for them, or feel it “too late,” but I’ve never really thought that way. For me, going after something at all already feels like success. I’d rather try, struggle, evolve, and learn than stay stagnant wondering, “what if?”

The journey definitely hasn’t been easy. Learning music production challenged me creatively, mentally, and emotionally. It forced me to work through perfectionism, impatience, stage fright, and even school related anxiety I didn’t realize I still carired. I’ve made a. lot of music over the years that I never released because by the time I finished it, I already felt like I had evolved past it. Learning how to let go of perfectionism and trust myself as an artist is still something I am actively working through.

As a DJ, what I specialize in most is energy and putting a lot of intention into how I want people to feel. I want people to dance, release stress, be present, connect with each other, and leave with a real memory attached to the music. I spent most of my life being in e crowd so naturally I think from that perspective first. I’m always searching for music that moves peple, not just what’s trending.

I’m also known for having a really broad taste in music and good taste as I may add. Even though my sound is rooted in Afro House, tribal rhythms, Latin influences, Middle Eastern Influences, and electronic music, I listen to a large variety of music. I am constantly discovering new genres and souns. More tha anything though, authenticity is what matters to me. Ive never been interested in trends or chasing attention. Im always looking inward and trying to create from a real place, even if that path takes longer or veven if it doesn’t serve me in today’s ways of achieving success. Trust me, being authentic is rough these days, but my body , mind and soul seriously rejects copying trends or click bait.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
One person deserves a massive amount of credit is OG DJ Clos, I call him my sensei because I don’t know how I woul’ve gotten though a lot of this without hi,. When I was in DJ school and frustrated wanting to throw my headphones and walk out, he was somehow always calm, patient, and willing to help. Even now, if I’m struggling with technology, something breaks, or I’m in the middle of a gig panicking because I accidentally hit the wrong command, he’s one of the first people I can call. His knowledge is unmatched, but what stands out even more is how selfless he is with it . He genuinely loves music and DJ culture and never gate-keeps information. He’s one of those rare people who is extremely talented and extremely humble.

I also have to give a huge amount of credit to my music production teacher Ryan Hay at I O Music Academy. Music production can feel like decoding another language from a different planet sometimes, and he’s one of the few people who knows how to explain things in a way my brain understands. He is patient, encouraging, and honest in the nest way. He pushes me creatively while also making me feel comfortable enough to keep learning and experimenting.

And honestly, every single friend, supporter, promoter, coworker, classmate, acquaintance, or random person who has shared my work, listened to my sets, showed up to an event, booked me, reposted something, or belived in me in any way deserves credit too. The amount of support I’ve received throughout this journey has genuinely blown my mind, and I have a huge amount of gratitude for all of it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/missnatali.la/
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/missnatali-774564276

Image Credits
Photo shoot pictures taken by :Monsee.

ig: Monseeworld