Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
From Marock to Hibhub
Like the rest of the Arab world, Moroccans listen to a lot of Egyptian music, but Morocco-
pop is gaining ground. A generation of local DJs with cheeky names like Ramadan Special
and DJ Al Intifada have mastered the art of the unlikely mashup. And so have some of the
more intriguing talents to emerge in recent years: Hoba Hoba Spirit, whose controversy-
causing, pop-punk
Blad Skizo
(Schizophrenic Country) addresses the contradictions of
modern Morocco head-on; Moroccan singer-songwriter Hindi Zahra, Morocco's answer to
Tori Amos, with bluesy acoustic-guitar backing; Darga, a group that blends ska, Darija rap
and a horn section into Moroccan surf anthems; and the bluntly named Ganga Fusion and
Kif Samba, who both pound out a danceable mix of funk, Berber folk music, reggae and
jazz. For something completely different, check out the burgeoning Megadeth-inspired Mo-
roccan metal scene at Casa's annual L'Boulevard festival.
But ask any guy on the street with baggy cargo shorts and a T-shirt with the slogan MJM
(
Maroc Jusqu'al Mort;
Morocco 'til Death) about Moroccan pop, and you'll get a crash
course in
hibhub
(Darija for hip hop). Meknès' H-Kayne rap gangsta-style, while Tangier's
MC Muslim raps with a death-metal growl, and Fez City Clan features a talented but an-
noying kid rapper and an Arabic string section. The acts that consistently get festival
crowds bouncing are Agadir's DJ Key, who remixes hip-hop standards with manic scratch-
ing and beat-boxing, and Marrakesh's Fnaire, mixing traditional Moroccan sounds with
staccato vocal stylings. Rivalling 'Blad Skizo' for youth anthem of the decade is Fnaire's
'Ma Tkich Bladi' (Don't Touch My Country), an irresistibly catchy anthem against neoco-
lonialism with a viral YouTube video.
International musicians find themselves attracted to Morocco with increasing frequency.
The Festival of World Sacred Music held in Fez attracts an ever-more diverse range of
headline acts, from Björk to Patti Smith, while Rabat's Mawazine Festival of World Music
brings in the pop mainstream from Beyoncé to Elton John. The latter highlighted the some-
times delicate nature of the position of music in Morocco - while the government defended
Elton John's homosexuality against Islamist criticism Moroccan musicians have to tread a
finer line, especially if commenting on social issues. In 2012, and following the Arab
Spring, rapper El Haked was imprisoned for a year for 'undermining the honour' of public
servants when the video for his song 'Klab ed-Dawla' (Dogs of the State) pictured corrupt
police wearing the heads of donkeys. El Haked had previously been jailed for criticising
the monarchy.
