[Imane Belhaj] At the age of 25, Fnaïre member Hicham Belqas lost his life in a car accident on Sunday.

Tragedy struck popular Moroccan hip-hop band Fnaïre on Sunday (June 15th) when a car accident in Fez claimed the life of one of its members. Hicham Belqas, age 25, sustained a fatal head wound in the crash, while another member received lesser injuries.

Fnaïre – who had just taken part in the Fez Festival of World Sacred Music – have not yet overcome the trauma. Fnaïre vocalist Mohcine apologised for not being able to get into the details of the accident, commenting only to the press that what happened cannot be undone.

The loss of Belqas – one of the group’s DJs – has shaken Morocco’s music scene. Belqas was thought of by his friends as an example of a good-natured person, accepting of all kinds of criticism. Momo, founder of L’boulvard des musicians, emphasised that the late artist was an ambitious young man and a passionate musician.

Hicham’s death is a loss for all young bands, said Momo, not just Fnaïre . He added that the organisers of L’boulvard decided to pay tribute this year to the late artist by observing a minute of silent mourning during the festival. Black badges will also be made available throughout the June 18th-22nd event, and a leaflet honouring Belqas has been included in L’boulvard’s hand-outs.

Hicham Bahou from the L’boulvard organising committee said, “It is natural for the event to pay tribute to the late member of the hip band, Fnaïre , since he was a key musician who served hip-hop music, and because L’boulvard supports that kind of music for the youth.

Fnaïre fan Mariam said Belqas’s death is a loss to the band, and to all hip-hop music, noting that the late artist was a key member of the band whose presence was unmistakable in performance. She could not hold back tears as she spoke of the DJ’s kind-hearted nature, having gotten to know him at an event in Casablanca.

Fourteen-year-old Fouad, another fan of hip-hop music, thinks the band is among the best in Morocco, “since they represent Moroccan hip-hop.” He added he is devastated by Hicham’s death, whose songs are memorised by young people and children, especially “El Lamanana” and “Yed El-Henna”. He wondered how these songs could be performed without Hicham.

Sanaa, aged 25, expressed her admiration of Fnaïre , explaining that their musical style appeals to Moroccan youth. She said young people can relate to the music because it tackles everyday Moroccan problems with an optimistic outlook. Sanaa was sorry for Hicham’s death, which will be a definite loss to the band, whose members all started together.

Fnaïre have become wildly popular among young people not only for their accessible lyrics, but for their blending of modern and traditional music, much of it from their native Marrakesh, in a style they have dubbed “teklidi (traditional) rap”.