H-Kayne band

“When we were young, youth clubs did not provide enough entertainment facilities for us. Only the chess game was available back then. So, rap music was the only way through which we could entertain ourselves.

As the city is small, it has always enjoyed a close relationship with traditions.

I used to live in Paris, and there was where I first started practicing rap music and hip-hop dance in general.

We, members of the band, have been friends since we were young, even before music brought us together. We have lived all our life together, since we were children, then teenagers, and are still together up until now. Music has helped us strengthen our personalities in various ways.

The idea of founding a music band is actually dated back to 1996, 1997 when we were kids. We used to hang out in the neighbourhood and sing, come up with new rhythms, using anything – a can or the side of a car!

Each one of us used to sing what he liked. 

Back at that time, it was not easy to talk about these things, whereas now there is more freedom. So, what we have done was courageous because we had broken some rules and talked about taboos.

We chose the name of our band from the lyrics of one of our songs that began with ech keyne? meaning ‘what is going on?’

Khalid and Hatim were looking for a proper name for the band, and we liked this one, and agreed to make it the name of our band.

It is a very common phrase in our daily speech, and all Moroccans use it too.

Moroccans are most of the times curious, asking ech keyne? or what is going on?

The common factor is passion for this style of music. Problems in the Arab world are almost the same; unemployment, bribery, lack of freedom of speech, the differences in the society’s classes … etc.

The new album expresses reality and is a message of optimism, in which we call on the youth to work.

It is not easy for our country to achieve progress, but if we cooperate together, everything becomes possible. All this can be summarised in one word: more.

Our country is not that bad, but we always dream about what is better and believe that we can make it.

If you know your full rights, you should work hard to get all of them. That is how it is.” 

Next Music Station airs at the following times GMT each week: Tuesday: 2000; Wednesday: 1200; Thursday: 0100; Friday: 0600; Saturday: 2000; Sunday: 1200; Monday: 0100; Tuesday: 0600. Click here for more on the series.