The Most Famous
SINGERS from Morocco
Top 9
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Moroccan Singers of all time. This list of famous Moroccan Singers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Frida Boccara (1940 - 1996)
With an HPI of 59.61, Frida Boccara is the most famous Moroccan Singer. Her biography has been translated into 32 different languages on wikipedia.
Danielle Frida Hélène Boccara (29 October 1940 – 1 August 1996) was a French singer of Italian descent, who performed and recorded in a number of languages, including French, Spanish, English, Italian, German, Dutch and Russian.
2. Anne-Marie David (b. 1952)
With an HPI of 57.43, Anne-Marie David is the 2nd most famous Moroccan Singer. Her biography has been translated into 35 different languages.
Anne-Marie David (born 23 May 1952) is a French singer. She has represented both Luxembourg and France at the Eurovision Song Contest, winning in 1973 and placing third in 1979.
3. Samira Said (b. 1958)
With an HPI of 54.14, Samira Said is the 3rd most famous Moroccan Singer. Her biography has been translated into 32 different languages.
Samira Abdelrazak Bensaïd (Arabic: سميرة عبد الرزاق بنسعيد, romanized: Samīra ʿAbd ar-Razzāq ibn Saʿīd; born 10 January 1958), professionally known as Samira Said (Arabic: سميرة سعيد, romanized: Samīra Saʿīd), is a Moroccan-Egyptian singer who has lived in Egypt for more than 40 years and is known for her Egyptian Arabic genre.
4. RedOne (b. 1972)
With an HPI of 47.14, RedOne is the 4th most famous Moroccan Singer. His biography has been translated into 35 different languages.
Nadir Khayat (Arabic: نادر خياط, Nādir Ḵayyāṭ; born 9 April 1972), also known as RedOne, is a Moroccan-Swedish record producer, record executive, singer and songwriter. He has worked in production for high-profile recording artists including Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Lopez, Enrique Iglesias, Shakira, Mariah Carey, One Direction, and Usher, among others. His credits include several hit songs on Billboard and international charts; pop, rock, R&B, house, hip hop, and dance music are his frequented musical genres. He established his namesake record label in 2010. RedOne has won three Grammy Awards from eight nominations. He also won Producer of the Year at the 2011 Grammis Award, a Swedish music award instituted as a regional equivalent to the Grammy Awards. In 2009, he was the number one producer on the Billboard Hot 100, ranking number three as a songwriter and winning BMI's Songwriter of the Year. Outside of music, he has held the position of Creative Entertainment Executive at FIFA since 2021.
5. Avi Toledano (b. 1948)
With an HPI of 43.78, Avi Toledano is the 5th most famous Moroccan Singer. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Avi Toledano (Hebrew: אבי טולדנו; born April 4, 1948) is an Israeli singer and songwriter.
6. Hindi Zahra (b. 1979)
With an HPI of 41.77, Hindi Zahra is the 6th most famous Moroccan Singer. Her biography has been translated into 26 different languages.
Hindi Zahra (Tamazight: ⵀⵉⵏⴷⵉ ⵣⴰⵀⵕⴰ, Arabic: هندي زهرة, born 20 January 1979 in Khouribga, Morocco) is a Moroccan singer. When coming up with a stage name, she simply inverted her birth name. Her songs are mostly in English but some lyrics as in the song "Imik Si Mik" are in the Berber Shilha language. Influenced by singers like Cheikha Rimitti and Umm Kulthum, Hindi Zahra has drawn comparisons with Beth Gibbons of Portishead, Billie Holiday, Patti Smith, and Norah Jones.
7. French Montana (b. 1984)
With an HPI of 37.69, French Montana is the 7th most famous Moroccan Singer. His biography has been translated into 28 different languages.
Karim Kharbouch (Arabic: كريم خربوش [kæɾiːm χɑɾbuːʃ]; born November 9, 1984), better known by his stage name French Montana, is a Moroccan-American rapper. Born and raised in Morocco, he immigrated to New York City with his family at the age of 13. Kharbouch first gained recognition hosting the New York City-tailored DVD series Cocaine City during the 2000s, which centered around interviews of hip hop figures. He embarked on a recording career while doing so, and released several underground projects until signing with Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records and Rick Ross's Maybach Music Group, in a triple-joint venture with Interscope Records in 2012. His debut studio album, Excuse My French (2013), peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 despite critical failure; its lead single, "Pop That" (featuring Rick Ross, Drake, and Lil Wayne), peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. His 2017 single, "Unforgettable" (featuring Swae Lee), peaked within the chart's top ten, and received diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It preceded his second studio album Jungle Rules (2017), which was met with similar commercial success—peaking at number three on the Billboard 200—and a critical incline. His third and fourth studio albums, Montana (2019) and They Got Amnesia (2021), were both met with lukewarm critical and commercial reception; the latter served as his final release on a major label. Kharbouch founded the record label Coke Boys Records (previously known as Cocaine City Records) in 2008, which has signed Chicago rapper Lil Durk, as well as fellow New York artists including Velous, the late Chinx, and record producer Harry Fraud. He is the most streamed African-born musical artist, and is the first African-born artist to have a diamond-certified song by the RIAA. Outside of music, Kharbouch has been prolific in charitable and philanthropic endeavors.
8. Sofia Essaïdi (b. 1984)
With an HPI of 34.68, Sofia Essaïdi is the 8th most famous Moroccan Singer. Her biography has been translated into 21 different languages.
Sofia Essaïdi (Arabic: صوفيا السعيدي; born 6 August 1984) is a French-Moroccan singer and actress. She was born in Casablanca, to a Moroccan father, Lhabib Essaïdi, and a French mother, Martine Adeline Gardelle.
9. Shatha Hassoun (b. 1981)
With an HPI of 33.34, Shatha Hassoun is the 9th most famous Moroccan Singer. Her biography has been translated into 19 different languages.
Shatha Amjad Al-Hassoun (Arabic: شذى أمجد الحسون; born 3 March 1981 in Casablanca, Morocco), better known as Shatha Hassoun (Arabic: شذى حسون), is a Moroccan-Iraqi singer who rose to fame as the winner of the 4th season of the pan-Arab television talent show Star Academy Arab World. Hassoun was the first Arab woman to win the competition. She is a popular singer across the Arab world and has been referred to as the "daughter of Mesopotamia".
People
Pantheon has 9 people classified as Moroccan singers born between 1940 and 1984. Of these 9, 8 (88.89%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Moroccan singers include Anne-Marie David, Samira Said, and RedOne. The most famous deceased Moroccan singers include Frida Boccara. As of April 2024, 1 new Moroccan singers have been added to Pantheon including Avi Toledano.
Living Moroccan Singers
Go to all Rankings
Anne-Marie David
1952 - Present
HPI: 57.43
Samira Said
1958 - Present
HPI: 54.14
RedOne
1972 - Present
HPI: 47.14
Avi Toledano
1948 - Present
HPI: 43.78
Hindi Zahra
1979 - Present
HPI: 41.77
French Montana
1984 - Present
HPI: 37.69
Sofia Essaïdi
1984 - Present
HPI: 34.68
Shatha Hassoun
1981 - Present
HPI: 33.34
