The Best North African Songs Right Now
Featuring the hottest raï, rap, house, and dance music from Morocco to Sudan—and a few introspective ones, too.
As Ramadan, the Holy Month of Fasting in Islam, is rapidly approaching to slow down life in North Africa, musicians have released their last tracks before most of the region enters a meditative silence.
This month’s song list is mostly a final invitation to dance it all out to Algerian raï sounds with Kore and KasbaH or hit the club one last time with Sudan’s MaMan before we ease into a reflective state, preparing for abstinence and introspection with Morocco’s Bab L’Bluz and Egypt’s Basyoni and Hussein Gamal.
Basyoni, Hussein Gamal - “Ala Kefo” (Egypt)
“Ala Kefo” comes from the Bad Boy EP by Egyptian artistsBasyoni and Hussein Gamal. The track follows the signature sound the duo has established in previous releases, layering and interweaving synths and introspective, vulnerable vocal lines into a dreamy, meditative soundscape that can be described as anything but bad.
Koast - “unbothered” (Tunisia)
Tunisian rapper Koast ends her heartbreak with a track of self-empowerment, asserting her independence on “unbothered,” a track mixing R&B and hip-hop elements with her signature maqam influences and Arabic violins. She took toInstagram, saying, “Closing a chapter with this one fam after singing love songs to you for nearly six years. This is the last heartbreak anthem before entering a new era.”
KasbaH, Musque du Fëte, ROU-H - “Wahran” (Algeria)
The Musique de Fête collective was started by Nowadays Records and the producer KasbaH to spotlight the electronic Eastern scene through a series of mixtapes and parties in Europe and the Maghreb. “Wahran,” from their fourth volume, is an adventurous electronic dance track that features the raï sounds of an electric keyboard and the heavily autotuned vocals of Tunisian artist ROU-H.
Bab L’Bluz - “Bangoro - Gitkin Remix” (Morocco)
Moroccan French rock band Bab L’Bluz released a remix of “Bangoro” from their critically acclaimed second album, Swaken, turning it into a hypnotic desert blues track. The quartet is fronted by a Moroccan woman whose Darija vocals flow in and out of the song, led by Saharan guitar and percussion instruments. In a great example of how world music is made, New Orleans-based Gitkin adds psychedelic cumbia and Southern funk to the mix.
MaMan - “Red & Blue” (Sudan)
Sudan’s MaMan offers listeners his very own syncopated vocal sound, never hitting the notes you’d expect him to sing next. In his own rhythm and bi-lingual blend, his songs are more like stories than structures. “Red & Blue” will have you dancing as much as MaMan’s guests did, becoming a testament to a thriving Sudanese music scene in exile. The artist recently released his EP Garmboza at an underground party in Cairo.
Dallo, 3eff, Mariam Aziz - “Ya 7asra” (Egypt)
Cairo-born electronic music producer Dallo teams up with 3eff and Mariam Aziz for “Ya 7asra,” a magnetic, tabla-heavy track featuring traditional Arabic and post-shaabi vocals. It follows Dallo’s use of Egyptian instrumentation and street sounds as he draws inspiration from his hometown and the Red Sea town of Dahab.
Soulja - “Argeen” (Sudan)
Sudanese rapper Soulja’s latest track, “Argeen,” named after the Sudanese-Egyptian border crossing, reflects on his life between the two countries. Produced by 77, the track uses traditional North African instrumentals as a sonic connector. At the same time, Soulja narrates the stark difference between his life in Sudan and Egypt, tapping into a theme of duality in identity that many will ponder during Ramadan.
Kore, Danyl, DJ Moulay - “Kindir” (Algeria, Tunisia)
Algerian DJ and co-founder of the Raï’’n’B Fever collective, Kore, revives the genre that fuses Algeria’s raï with contemporary RnB, rap, or funk, on his new album Raï’N’B Fever: Part 1. Featuring Danyl and DJ Moulay, track 8, “Kindir,” has lively rhythms, melodies, and choir elements of raï that make you want to shake your shoulders but also make space for Danyl’s contemporary French vocal lines.
KVMPA - “I Can Do” (Tunisia)
In his music video and introduction to the regional music scene, Tunisian musician, DJ, and dancer Hatem Daabek, aka KVMPA, performs “I Can Do” in the unique aesthetic magic of Tunis. The percussion-heavy, playful, feel-good track teases an upcoming EP that blends the Tunisian Arabic accent with global hip-hop elements that influence him as a dancer.
Tageel - “Ba3aty” (Sudan)
Saudi-based Sudanese rapper Tageel reinvents himself on SORRY 4 THE WEIGHT EP, created in close collaboration with Egyptian producer Hamada, which finds him experimenting with vocal textures, sharpening his flows, and exploring new emotional depths. On “Ba3aty,” Tageel impresses with an interesting rap performance that switches flows but stays in his distinctive Sudanese slang, randok, over a bass-heavy trap beat.
Nxdia - “Boy Clothes” (Egypt, Sudan)
UK-based Egyptian Sudanese musician Nxdia addresses gender dysphoria on their new release, “Boy Clothes.” Continuing to explore the queer experience through music, the track’s sound, lyrics, and visuals play with blurring and crushing binaries confidently, as Nxdia repeats wearing “boy clothes” and screams about feeling fantastic to gritty, escalating guitar riffs.