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Fnaire

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Fnaire
Birth nameMohcine Tizaf, Khalifa Mennani, Achraf Aarab
OriginMarrakesh, Morocco
Genresrap hip hop ta9lidi rap, morap
Occupation(s)rappers, singers, producer
Instrument(s)bendir, sintir, qraqeb
Years active2001-present
MembersMohcine Tizaf,

Khalifa Mennani,

Achraf Aarab
Past membersHicham Belkas (deceased), Dj Van

Fnaire (Arabic: فناير) is a Moroccan hip-hop group originating from Marrakech, established in 2001. The group originally consisted of four members: The current members are: Mohcine Tizaf (lead vocalist and songwriter), Khalifa Mennani (composer and vocalist) and Achraf Aarab (vocalist and business manager), and Hicham Belqas. The group's name is Arabic means "the lanterns."

Fnaire gained national recognition in 2004 following their release of "Mat9ich Bladi" (Don't Touch My Country), a solidarity anthem responding to the May 16 Casablanca bombings. The track received extensive airplay across Moroccan media platforms, including radio, television, and early internet channels.[1] This exposure led to invitations to perform at major cultural events such as: The Casablanca Festival, Timitar Festival and Gnaoua World Music Festival. They also performed at the 44th Marrakech Popular Arts Festival in 2009.[2]

In 2013, Fnaire became one of the first hip-hop acts to receive the prestigious royal decoration Order of Ouissam Alaouite by Morocco's King Mohammed VI.[3] Fnaire expanded their global profile through "Arabic Dilbar", a collaboration with Canadian-Moroccan star Nora Fatehi, released via India’s T-Series. The track became a cross-continental hit, with its music video surpassing 160 million YouTube views as of April 2025, marking the group’s most successful international venture to date.[4][5][6]

Biography

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Originally established by Khalil Belqas (known as DJ Van), the lineup changed when his cousin Hicham Belqas replaced him.[7] The latter, then 25 years old, died in a traffic accident in Fez in 2008. The news of his passing was broadcast nationally on 2M.[8] This tragedy permanently altered the group's composition, reducing Fnaire from a quartet to its current trio lineup.[9]

Career

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Fnaire rose to prominence with their 2004 debut album Lafthouh, which blended traditional Moroccan music with Western rap styles. Notable tracks included "Bahjawy" and "Tonea Biladi". Their 2007 follow-up Yad El Henna (Hand of Henna) became a success in Morocco and around the MENA region,[10][11] featuring collaborations with Moroccan singer Samira Saïd,[12] and Wu Tang member Cilvaringz, with viral tracks like "Yad El Henna", "Sah Raoui", "Mogadore" and "Lalla Mannana".

Fnaire has partnered with several prominent artists throughout their career, like Algerian singer Cheb Bilal on "Qoulih Qoulih" (Tell Him, Tell Him, 2007), a musical initiative promoting Moroccan-Algerian unity amid border reopening discussions. Their work with Moroccan-Egyptian star Samira Saïd on "Be Winner" (2010) proved particularly transformative, significantly expanding their reach across the Arab world and internationally. This crossover success earned them the Africa Music Award.[13]

In 2012, they released their third album Al Basma (the Fingerprint) to moderate success.[14]

In 2013, Morocco's King Mohammed VI honored the group with the Order of Ouissam Alaouite, one of Morocco's highest civilian distinctions, making them one of the very few rap acts to earn it.[15][16]

In 2016, Fnaire composed and performed an environmental anthem for the COP22 climate summit in Marrakech, presented before King Mohammed VI.

In 2018, the group collaborated with Canadian-Moroccan dancer Nora Fatehi on the single "Arabic Dilbar", released by T-Series. As of April 2025, the video has been seen by over 160 million views. The track was composed by Mohcine Tizaf, written by Khalifa Mennani and Ashraf Aarab, and choreographed by Caesar Gonsalves.

In 2019, they performed at Mawazine,[17][18] considered the biggest and most important music festival in Africa.[19]

Impact

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Fnaire, along with H-Kayne, pioneered a distinctive fusion sound by blending Western rap with diverse Moroccan musical traditions, incorporating elements from Marrakesh folk, Issawa, Sahrawi, and Amazigh music. Their innovative approach led to the creation of Ta9lidi rap (Traditional rap), recognized as the foundational style of what later evolved into the broader Moroccan hip-hop subgenre known as Morap (Moroccan Rap). This groundbreaking style is characterized by its seamless integration of traditional Moroccan instruments with contemporary global rap production techniques, establishing Fnaire as pioneers in the Moroccan music scene.[20][1]

Discography

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Albums

  • Laftouh (2004)
  • Yed El Henna (2007)
  • Al Basma (2012)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "FNAIRE - HIT RADIO". 2017-07-05. Archived from the original on 2017-07-05. Retrieved 2025-04-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ^ Vernay, Marie-Christine (2009-07-24). "Marrakech sème le souk". Libération (in French). Retrieved 2025-05-31.
  3. ^ "Rap is awarded the Royal Ouissam". Rwipa.com. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
  4. ^ "Arabic version of 'Dilbar' trends at #3 on YouTube". www.radioandmusic.com. Retrieved 2025-04-19.
  5. ^ "Dilbar Arabic Version: Nora Fatehi again steals the hearts with her dance moves". The Times of India. 2018-12-01. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-04-19.
  6. ^ "Dilbar Arabic version teaser: Nora Fatehi's collaborates with Morrocan band Fnaire for rehash". Firstpost. 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2025-04-19.
  7. ^ Harmach, Amine (2008-06-16). "Décès du Dj du groupe Fnaïre". Aujourd'hui le Maroc (in French). Retrieved 2025-04-18.
  8. ^ L9ant (2008-06-15). Décès de Hicham Belkass du Groupe Fnaire. Retrieved 2025-04-18 – via YouTube.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ "DJ Belqas de Fnaïre n'est plus !". Last Night in Orient (in French). Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  10. ^ "دويتو لسميرة سعيد وفريق مغربى يفوز بأفضل أغنية أفريقية - بوابة الشروق". www.shorouknews.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 2025-04-18.
  11. ^ desertjazz. "Dubai / Maroc 2010 (17)". DESERT JAZZ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-04-18.
  12. ^ admin (2010-01-25). "سميرة سعيد تغني مع مجموعة " فناير "". Hespress - هسبريس جريدة إلكترونية مغربية (in Arabic). Retrieved 2025-04-18.
  13. ^ "فناير وسميرة سعيد يفوزان بجائزة "إفريقيا ميوزك أواردس"". 2017-09-25. Archived from the original on 2017-09-25. Retrieved 2025-04-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  14. ^ desertjazz. "Marocan HipHop : Fnaire "Al Basma"". DESERT JAZZ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-04-18.
  15. ^ "هذه هي الأسماء التي وشّحها الملك بأوسمة يوم عيد ميلاده الـ50". 2017-07-22. Archived from the original on 2017-07-22. Retrieved 2025-04-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  16. ^ alkhayari (2016-11-19). ""فناير" تنفي حرمان أطفال "الأمير نظيف" من لقاء الملك". Hespress - هسبريس جريدة إلكترونية مغربية (in Arabic). Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  17. ^ Senoussi, Zoubida (2019-05-09). "Mawazine 2019: Les multiples facettes de la musique marocaine sur la scène de Salé". Hespress Français - Actualités du Maroc (in French). Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  18. ^ Jaa, Yousra (2019-05-09). "Mawazine 2019: chaâbi, gnaoua et hip-hop sur la scène de Salé". Médias24 numéro un de l'information économique marocaine (in French). Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  19. ^ Roiz, Jessica (2019-07-01). "Maluma Makes History at Morocco's Mawazine Festival: 'Dreams Do Come True'". Billboard. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  20. ^ "Fnaïre's Attempt to Introduce a New Rap Genre: Ta9lidi Rap". Rwipa.com. 10 January 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-18.
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