Ikram El Abdia: “I consider myself the best chaâbi singer of my generation”

It is in a festive and warm atmosphere that the singer of popular Moroccan music, Ikram El Abdia, offered a concert during the centenary of the Majorelle Garden in Marrakech. This comes up in an interview for Le360 on his new album, his future projects and his vision of the current music scene.

Ikram El Abdia has established herself as a versatile artist who draws her inspiration from various genres, from aïta to raï to châabi. “I am preparing an album that reflects all this diversity. Each song is unique and I hope that each of them will touch my audience“, she declares. “I plan to produce a revisited aïta which is not too arranged, close to that of yesteryear, but with a new orchestration“, she confides.

For Ikram, the competition between young female chaabi artists is healthy, believing that the musical scene is large enough for everyone to have their place. “I am very respectful of the artists who preceded me. I learned a lot from them», Underlines the singer who is nevertheless aware of her weight on the Moroccan music scene and very proud of her journey.

Read also: Video. New single, new look… Ikram El Abdia changes style, but wants to keep his spontaneous character

His outspokenness has sometimes provoked mixed reactions. “I speak spontaneously, without tongue in cheek. It's hard to say that someone is better than you. It would be hypocritical to pretend otherwise. But that doesn't mean I put myself above others“, she specifies.

Is Ikram tempted by cinema? “I have been offered roles, but I prefer not to jump into them without conviction. If I had to accept a role, it would be that of a popular singer or a traditional 'chikha', a character close to me“. Always open to new experiences, Ikram El Abdia wishes to remain faithful to her art without dispersing herself.