Having a weakness for the Moroccan song chaâbi including the aïta, the main singer of the musical group Hasba Groove lends his voice and makes his skills in musical composition available to preserve the musical heritage of his country. Under a new facet, he continues to dust off the titles of yesteryear. Portrait.
Young Moroccan singer-songwriter, Youssef Grirrane made himself known on the national artistic scene as a member of the music group Hasba Groove. Aged thirty-two, he was first interested in musical composition before joining, in 2010, the group in which he wears the role of lead singer and arranger. Being assigned these two missions from the outset did not happen by accident.
”Before joining Hasba Groove, which was known for its songs mixing reggae, rock, funk and gnaoua, my work consisted of creating musical arrangements for popular rap artists. Thanks to his proven skills in the use of musical arrangement software, as well as his innate passion for chaâbi music and singing, Youssef Grirrane managed to carry out his missions without a hitch.
Year after year, he expands on his ideas and refines his works. ”In 2015, we decided to change our artistic direction,” he notes. A true melting pot of Moroccan musical heritage, Hasba Groove today offers artistic diversity drawing on Aïta, Marsaoui and the brawals of Chaâbi music. And the artist recalled that his father had enrolled him in 2005 at the Safi conservatory, where he spent five years forging his musical expertise, with a particular preference for the oud. ”It’s for this reason that I manage to handle stringed instruments,” underlines this native of Safi.
Artistic commitments
Youssef Grirrane today leads a dual career. In addition to his artistic commitments to the musical training of which he is a part, he is a sound technician in a production agency. This experience allowed him to put his talent to the service of television. ”I am the composer of several Moroccan TV series credits. I cite for example the series Dounia Douara and Célibataire,” he lists. He was also the one who composed the credits for the famous hidden camera ”Mchiti Fiha”, which was broadcast on television during the month of Ramadan.
But if his work requires him to be in daily contact with the audiovisual field, Youssef Grirrane has been able to maintain a close link with his favorite field, which is musical art. In parallel with his activity as a sound technician, the artist has collaborated with several Moroccan names as a composer, like Saida Fikri, Issam Kamal, Salma Rachid, Soukaina Fahssi, Ihab Amir. The artist is about to start a nationwide tour. ”This summer, I will take part in concerts which will take place in Moroccan cities. A new album, whose release date has not yet been defined, will soon be released,” confides to Maroc Hebdo.
