Djibril Cissé: From Football Star to Rising DJ

Ariana Remskar

Feb 24, 2020

Most will probably remember Cissé from his FC Liverpool days, where he won the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League. After calling time on his life on the pitch in 2018, he focused his attention to his other great love, music. We caught up with him before his show at Club Cirkus in Ljubljana. 

“I was mentally ready, and in terms of switching from football stadiums to festivals or club crowds, it took time, a little bit, but now I’m really excited to go play.”

Looking at your story, your three main passions are football, fashion, and music. You even talked in some of your interviews that fashion and music would be a direction you’d take when your sport career ends. How has this transition been for you, from stadium fields to blasting behind the decks?

To be honest, I was ready. I was prepared for this. I knew one day, the football was going to stop, especially because I was the kind of player where my physique was really important. I couldn’t cheat. I was fast and powerful, so you know, with age, you go a little bit slower, and then you have to stop. I was mentally ready. In terms of switching from football stadiums to festivals or club crowds, it took time, a little bit, but now I’m really excited to go play. 

Is music more of a passion for you, a business opportunity, or perhaps both?

To be honest, I see it as both. I know that if you do well, you can make a living out of it. It’s clearly a business opportunity, but before that, it was a passion. I've always loved music, even before I thought of making it my career.

You’re fresh off the runway for Jean Paul Gaultier, and you’ve also deejayed for Mariah Carey. That’s pretty impressive. Can you tell us more about it?

In terms of walking for Jean Paul Gaultier, it was clearly amazing. I didn’t know it was his last show when he called me. He said: “I’m doing something special and I want you to walk for me.” I mean, you don’t say no. I think it was two or three days before the show that I heard it was his last show, and that a lot of big names would be there with me. I was like: “Yeah, this is even better.” And for Mariah Carey, I did this warm-up, if you can say it like that, in Bercy (AccorHotels Arena), which is a big crowd, a big, big thing. When it gets to opportunities like this, you have to be ready, and you can’t miss out on them. You know, it’s Mariah Carey, so it’s going to be seen by a lot of people. I did well, it was a different kind of music than I usually play, but I had fun. 

How do you find music and fashion complementing each other? It seems a lot of musicians have ventured into clothing design as well. What has been your experience, combining the two?

There’s a link between fashion and music. When you have a nice catwalk, you need music. You can’t walk in silence, so it’s a simple relationship. When it comes to football and music, it’s the same for me. I needed my music to be focused and to prepare my game. So really, music is a part of everybody’s life. You know, it brings you back to different years, different memories of your life, and that’s what’s great about it. 

We wrapped things up with some advice for aspiring musicians. 

Cover photo: Marko Delbello Ocepek

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