Zouhair Bahaoui Essentials

Zouhair Bahaoui’s first adolescent forays into music were rap-oriented, but the singer-songwriter’s curiosity led him to explore further. The Tétouan native incorporates Maghrebi and Arabic pop influences, enlivened with crisp EDM flair courtesy of local producers like Bilal Africano. Anthemic football refrains sit alongside rolling love ballads, and punchy percussion alternates with vibrant raï synths and Latin references. A live-wire performer, Bahaoui also flaunts his vocal chops in a sparse, key-laden solo cover of “Balak” by Algerian pop mainstay Abdou Driassa.