If you haven’t heard Moroccan music, but like American music, then I suggest you don’t plunge yourself into a bingefest of Moroccan beats, but rather try the gateway drug of Hindi Zahra.
At first listen, she doesn’t sound like someone who comes from a place full of sand, scarab beetles, and countless Kasbahs. She sounds more like someone from a place with Monet paintings, men in tight pants, and women with multiple bellyrings.
I recommend Hindi Zahra not only because of her smooth, Billie Holliday-esque vocals, but also because she represents the Euro-African culture that Morocco is known for. Also, for non polyglots, most of her songs are in English, with a few flavorful Berber lyrics thrown into songs like Imik Si Mik.
Born in Morocco, Zahra moved to Paris at age 15 where worked at the Louvre/wrote music. Not a bad coming of age period, if you ask me. Her style has been described as ‘jazz-blues-gypsy’, which is pretty accurate. Her swinging guitar riffs give just enough structure for her voice to glide through and reach her listener’s ears.
Her songs are great cafe fare.
If you enjoy Zahra, another wonderful product of Moroccan and Parisian culture is Malika Zarra, whose influences are more Bobby McFerrin than Billie Holliday, but the results are just as soothing and smooth.
Both women are chilled out introductions to Moroccan music and incorporate similar Berber strings in their bass lines.
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