A Locals Guide to The Moroccan Electronic Music Scene

As I’ve learned more about Morocco, I’ve also learned more about its intricate music scene. There are a number of other incredible festivals happening in Morocco every year, including Moga Festival, Atlas Electronic and Oasis Festival. While all of this is still kind of new to me, it’s not so new to Nidal. Nidal is something of a mainstay of the Moroccan party scene, and she an important member of event agency La Factory Casaoui, which was running monthly music events in Casablanca. She explained that “Our goal is to offer a different way of experiencing an event through La Factory Casaoui. We started this to have fun, and entertain people.”
My experience of the party scene I was introduced to through Nidal was that it was a sort of ‘counterculture’ to the norm in Morocco. But, she has a different point of view. “I don’t think we can summarise the Moroccan party scene in one word like ‘underground.’ It’s a tricky word nowadays, because it has a trendy connotation that differs from what it is supposed to mean. There are two sides to the Moroccan party scene coin. One is more ‘mainstream’, and accessible for everyday people. The other is for true electronic music fans.” I wondered how someone like Nidal could find herself in the festival world in Morocco. She explained that she was introduced to it through the parties she organised. “The producers of these festivals contacted us to collaborate with them, and share our knowledge of the scene here in Morocco.”
Nidal and the team are responsible for setting up and building stages, arranging decor and bringing the parties and communities together. They’ve worked for Atlas Electronic, Moga and Oasis Festival. For Nidal, her career now is based on a passion for music that stems from her youth. “I’ve loved dancing since I was 10 years old. I used to love hip-hop dancing, which I think is the style that represented me most. But when I was introduced to electronic music, I fell in love with it. I was so seduced by techno, and house music.”
Pictured Dominique, founder of Lost Little One (right) & Nidal, La Factory Casaoui (left)