Songs for the Atlas Lions of Morocco

What music do young Moroccans listen to at home and in the diaspora right now?

Street football in Marrakech, Morocco (Neil Faz, via Flickr CC).

Despite high hopes, Morocco’s Atlas Lions crashed out of the 2013 African Cup of Nations, but that didn’t prevent young Moroccans from bumping and grooving to radio pop. It also gives a sense of what young Moroccans are listening to at home and in the diaspora.

First up is the internationally renowned and veteran Algerian crooner Khaled, known for hits like “Aicha” and “Didi.” In late 2012, Khaled released a new album with a new single, “Hiya Hiya,” which features American rapper Pit Bull.

Then there’s Rihanna’s “Diamonds.” We hoped our national team would “shine bright like a diamond” at this year’s AFCON tournament. Rihanna’s melancholic song reflects our dashed hopes of football glory. Alas, Morocco may be more successful at next year’s World Cup.

Tombée pour elle” (English: Fell for her), is an R&B song by Booba, a Half Senegalese and half French artist who has been rapping since the mid-1990s.

Yes, Britney Spears & Will.i.am’s “Scream and Shout.” Moroccan music fans have not given up on Britney Spears despite her troubles. She is teaming up with Will. I.Am (from the Black Eyed Peas), this Gangnam Style-like hit is ruling Morocco’s airwaves and club scene.

Moroccan rap artists Fnaire and Soprano hail from the city of Marrakesh. Together, they perform what they coin as “traditional rap.” They mix traditional music (like Chaabi music) with hip-hop, infusing it with lyrics about social and political issues that resonate among Moroccan youth.

Further Reading

Not exactly at arm’s length

Despite South Africa’s ban on arms exports to Israel and its condemnation of Israel’s actions in Palestine, local arms companies continue to send weapons to Israel’s allies and its major arms suppliers.

Ruto’s Kenya

Since June’s anti-finance bill protests, dozens of people remain unaccounted for—a stark reminder of the Kenyan state’s long history of abductions and assassinations.

Between Harlem and home

African postcolonial cinema serves as a mirror, revealing the limits of escape—whether through migration or personal defiance—and exposing the tensions between dreams and reality.

The real Rwanda

The world is slowly opening its eyes to how Paul Kagame’s regime abuses human rights, suppresses dissent, and exploits neighboring countries.

In the shadow of Mondlane

After a historic election and on the eve of celebrating fifty years of independence, Mozambicans need to ask whether the values, symbols, and institutions created to give shape to “national unity” are still legitimate today.

À sombra de Mondlane

Depois de uma eleição histórica e em vésperas de celebrar os 50 anos de independência, os moçambicanos precisam de perguntar se os valores, símbolos e instituições criados para dar forma à “unidade nacional” ainda são legítimos hoje.