Fnaire

Fnaire (Arabic: فناير) is a Moroccan hip-hop group originating from Marrakech, established in 2001. The group originally consisted of four members: Mohcine Tizaf (lead vocalist and songwriter), Khalifa Mennani (composer and vocalist) Achraf Aarab (vocalist and business manager), and Hicham Belqas (died in 2008). The group's name in Arabic means "the lanterns." Fnaire gained national recognition in 2004 following their release of "Mat9ich Bladi" (Don't Touch My Country), a solidarity anthem responding to the May 16 Casablanca bombings. The track received extensive airplay across Moroccan media platforms, including radio, television, and early internet channels. This exposure led to invitations to perform at major cultural events such as: The Casablanca Festival, Timitar Festival and Gnaoua World Music Festival. They also performed at the 44th Marrakech Popular Arts Festival in 2009. In 2013, Fnaire became one of the first (and only) hip-hop acts to receive the prestigious royal decoration Order of Ouissam Alaouite by Morocco's King Mohammed VI. Fnaire expanded their global profile through "Arabic Dilbar", a collaboration with Canadian-Moroccan star Nora Fatehi, released via India’s T-Series. The track became a cross-continental hit, with its music video surpassing 170 million YouTube views as of June 2025, marking it the group’s most successful international venture to date.