Pop and rap are shameful

Moroccan singer Rachid Beryah He has been famous since the 1980s and his songs saw a great popularity accompanied by famous Rai artists in eastern morocco like Maimon Alojda, Shab Kamal and Brothers Bouchnak. As the meaning behind his songs (Mawaweel) gained a great popularity inside and outside morocco, it’s the artist Rachid Beryah from Oujda city who choose the simple, deep yet technical art of folklore and original heritage in the eastern part of the kingdom.
In this interview, he talked to us about how his new arts criticises the new music techniques spreading among youth nowadays and he invited all his critics to attend Oujda festival in order to know how much this kind of art is famous, also he advised Rai intruders to stay away.
AT: Moroccan audiences discovered you through night concerts entitled "Adwa'a el-Madina" (City Light) and "Sebak el-Modon" (Cities competition), then you was absent for a long time before you came back recently through participation in several festivals, so why were you absent?
RB: actually my first concert was at Saideya festival, then "Sebak el-Modon" (Cities competition), then "Adwa'a el-Madina" (City Light) and some other regional concerts. My first start was in Casablanca, the biggest concert where I performed "Salo Ala el-Naby", "Ma Endy Haja fe Elnas", "Ya Mina Belsalama" and "Hya Howa Mabrouk Alena" which was broadcasting on air on Morocco's first channel. I participated lately in Rai festival in Oujda and have been contacted for other shows so about my absence from television, I am not responsible for that and you can ask Moroccan TV officials.
-AT: "Mawaweel" songs are inspired by old heritage and folklore in east Morocco. You make your songs differently so how much can the Mawal style guarantee the success of the Rai song?
RB: of course, the eastern area's heritage, especially Rai art which is the Mawal summarising the content of the song and its meaning. It is considered a way to express the artist's sound energy and the way he performs all music sound levels.AT: where did the inspiration for your Mawaweel songs, either from folk or from Rai songs come from?
RB: I  was inspired by Rai art, especially from its great famous artists who well established it. Every artist can use and see what matches his artistic style, for me, I greatly enjoy Mawaweel style.
AT: after youth started singing Rai previously, now we noticed that folk songs are greatly welcomed by singers due to its popularity and great fans, can't you see that it has a bad effect on Moroccan Rai art?
RB: I don’t think so. Rai has its fans and popularity all over the world, Arabs and foreigners, unlike folk arts as it includes many kinds of variety collecting different world tones.
AT: what you think about the new emerging artists performing Pop, Rai, and Reiki?
RB: All of these are not our country's heritage but we imported it from abroad. It is a shameful thing that we started imitating the others even in their clothes and movement. This makes our youth turn away from Moroccan traditions and go to foreign arts.
AT: you don’t think to make a duet with a male or female artist?
RB: I already made a duet with Francophone artist GAZ entitled "Croyer - moi" in the album called "an ember in your heart" (fi Galbak Gamra), which was recorded in France, also I recorded a new song called "Matakish Walady" written by the great artist Amal al-Tamar.
AT: Why don't you release songs in video format?
RB: I was among the earliest singers who made video clips for their songs in 1980s and early 1990s such as with "Radia Radia", "Noksem Bellah Hya Zalamatny", Ya Mina Besalama", "Ya Ben Sidi Wana Khoya" and "Oujda" song. Now I am preparing to shoot a new video called "Croyer – Moi" and "Matakish Waladi".
AT:we talked about Rai and you are a Rai singer what you think about it?
RB: I want to use this chance to send an invitation to all Rai critics, to attend Oujda festival, which enabled Rai music to compete with other big festivals like Mawazine and Essaouira festivals, in order to discover the great popularity of this art in Morocco and abroad. As I said, all intruders to this art should stay away from me because at last good things never die.