In 1998, the alienesque Hoba Hoba Spirit emerged in the form of a duo from Casablanca. Vivacious, and void of airs and graces, they began playing music for no more than the amusement of close friends.
Réda, guitarist, singer-songwriter, collaborates with Aboubakr, percussionist and singer. Their style: rock, rai, gnawa (among others) amalgamated to become what was later christened ‘haiha attitude’, loosely translating as "priority to the festive."
This contagious virus seduced Aboubakr’s younger brother, one time bedroom guitarist, prompting him to fashion the dream team in 1999. Their debut concert was held at the Federation of Oeuvres Laiques, (FOL) a forum renowned for creativity, in Casablanca at the end of the same year. This was swiftly followed by a stream of concerts giving birth to the well known songs, “Bienvenue a Casa”, “La télé”, “Khoroto Connection”, “H’rig” and the emblematic cover of Nass El Ghiwane’s “Fine Ghadi Biya Khoya.” Réda’s lyrics stab with sparkling clarity with a a blend of both French and Derija, the Moroccan dialect of Arabic.
Summer 2002, Adil (drums) and Amadou (bass) join the force to prove beyond doubt, a few months later at the FOL, that Hoba Hoba Spirit takes live music seriously, despite the departure of Aboubakr. Sensational success, confirmed by a subsequent booking for the famous Essaouira Gnawa Festival in 2003. A new epoch begins, the press explodes and Hoba Hoba Spirit is christened ‘the revelation of Essaouira 2003.’ The Album number one is an eponymous recording.
Oubiz is recruited to enhance the sound with percussion and voice, as is Saad who replaces Amadou on bass. Following the triumph of Essouira, the major cities of Morocco - Tangiers, Fes, Rabat, Agadir, Safi, El Jadidia and, of course, Casablanca, witness the Hoba Hoba Spirit explosion in 2003. The anxiety of Moroccan youth has never been expressed with such precision; conformity abandoned, the current generation is given an avenue in which to celebrate, and perhaps to forget. Or maybe it wasn’t that at all. Maybe it’s was just true Moroccan revelry Haiha Music: Without Borders The Haiha concept, understood in full, revolves around writing songs, not tracks. Singing as we speak, playing as we live.
The story continues into 2004 with Hoba Hoba Spirit playing the closing concert of the Boulevard of Young Musicans in Casablanca with Gnawa Diffusion. This is soon followed by the opening of the Essouira festival where Hoba Hoba Spirit supports the Wailers. The launch of the second album ‘Blad Skizo’ in 2005, reflects the experience of an generation subject to daily oppression. The penchant for rock is unmistakable. Through ‘El Kelb’, ‘Jamal’ and ‘Ma Ajebtinich’, the group stands up with a desire to express what the society experiences, no holds barred, shouldered by increasingly focused compositions. July 2005 sees Hoba Hoba Spirit selected to open the festival of Casablanca, welcomed by a colossal crowd of 40,000. “Bienvenue a Casa” proves itself as pertinent as ever; an unofficial hymn of the current Casablancan generation. The definitive moment of the year, however, comes with the winning of the silver medal at the Francophone Games in Niger, in December, 2005.
DISCOGRAPHY:
-1st Album : Hoba² Spirit(2004)
-2nd Album : Blad Schizo(2006)
-3rd Album : Trabondo (2007 )
-4th Album : El Gouddam (2008)
Official website
Enjoy !
Radio Hoba
Hoba Hoba Spirit Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ou behdel chwiya moustache gendarmiya
Ou 500 7eraga hejmou 3la sebta
Ou Tanja bghate tweli 3assimat edeniya
Ou telfazate rahoume itssaffou hnaya
Khwanjiya 7eraga nayda
Super Douda klat etirane diyal casa
Jaboulna l'ADSL wellina virtuels
Li 7echmane bfemou iddéfoula f msn
Chi haja wa93a, chi haja ma fhemnahache
Chi haja wa93a, chi haja ma fhemnahache
Chi haja wa93a, ou lah ou a3llam
Wessel lklame l ba9i l3allam
This is Radio Hoba, live from Casa
Talking loud to the rest of the world
This is Radio Hoba, telle3 l'volume khouya
La fréquence parasite, Hoba Hoba Spirit
Le tiers monde vous invite sur les ondes
Un mythe préhistorique, une équipe s'excite
C'est l'Afrique!
Anefgou, l'mess2ouline genfou
Ou 30 diyal nasse matou b lberd
Il appelle Maroc inutile, et lorsqu'il descend en ville
Le Maroc futile s'affole, et trouve son pays moins drôle
Hiya lmachakil rahoum it7elou b lflouss
Ila ma t7elche b lflouss
Ghadi it7el ila zedti lflouss
Ama l2a7zab seddou lbibane 3al chababe
Pas de rêves juste sex, drugs & 7ijab
Ikhtitam l2irssal avec une bonne nouvelle
Assia, Khadija, Aïcha 3atine lina lmital
Chi haja wa93a, chi haja ma fhemnahache
Chi haja wa93a, chi haja ma fhemnahache
Chi haja wa93a, ou lah ou a3llam
Wesselna lklame l ba9i l3allam
This is Radio Hoba, live from Casa
Talking loud to the rest of the world
This is Radio Hoba, telle3 l'volume khouya
La fréquence parasite, Hoba Hoba Spirit
Le tiers monde qui s'invite sur les ondes
Un mythe préhistorique, une équipe s'excite
C'est l'Afrique!
This is Radio Hoba, live from Casa
Talking loud to the rest of the world
This is Radio Hoba, telle3 l'volume khouya
La fréquence parasite, pour un grand satellite
C'est le tiers monde qui s'invite sur les ondes
This is Radio Hoba, telle3 l'volume khouya
This is Radio Hoba, live from Casa
Talking waw to the rest of the world
This is Radio Hoba, telle3 l'volume khouya
La fréquence parasite, pour un grand satellite
Le fier monde qui s'invite sur les ondes
This is Radio Hoba, telle3 l'volume khouya
The song "Radio Hoba" by Hoba Hoba Spirit presents a portrayal of the various issues facing Morocco and its people. The lyrics are in Moroccan Arabic, which makes it difficult for non-Arabic speakers to understand the meaning of each line in English. At the beginning of the song, we can hear about the hassles of the customs of the border crossings between Morocco and Ceuta, along with the face of the gendarmes who control the border crossings. The song makes references to the problems with the internet connections in Morocco and the challenges in accessing ADSL. There are also mentions of the inequalities and challenges that young people face in Morocco, such as drugs, sex, and the hijab. The song also talks about the need for money in order to solve problems, which is a recurring issue in many countries facing economic difficulties.
The song "Radio Hoba" by Hoba Hoba Spirit carries important messages and is packed with social and political commentary. It reflects the lives of the Moroccan people and their struggle to attain a better future. The song provides an insight into the daily grind that people faced while living in a country that is suffering economic instability and social unrest. The lyrics are witty, and the melody is upbeat and catchy, which makes the song stand out.
Line by Line Meaning
Super Douda klat etirane diyal casa
Super Douda ate the last sandwich of Casa
Ou chikh yassine gualik itraversi l7youta
And Sheikh Yassine tells you to cross the canals
Jaboulna l'ADSL wellina virtuels
We got ADSL while we're virtual
Li 7echmane bfemou iddéfoula f msn
Those who dream of digging graves chat on MSN
This is Radio Hoba, live from Casa
This is Radio Hoba, a live broadcast from Casa
Talking loud to the rest of the world
Speaking loudly to the entire world
La fréquence parasite, Hoba Hoba Spirit
The parasitic frequency of Hoba Hoba Spirit
Le tiers monde vous invite sur les ondes
The third world invites you to tune in
Un mythe préhistorique, une équipe s'excite
A prehistoric myth, a team gets excited
C'est l'Afrique!
This is Africa!
Hiya lmachakil rahoum it7elou b lflouss
They solve their problems with money
Ila ma t7elche b lflouss
If you don't have money
Ghadi it7el ila zedti lflouss
You'll have to find some money
Ama l2a7zab seddou lbibane 3al chababe
And the authorities put pressure on young people
Pas de rêves juste sex, drugs & 7ijab
No dreams, just sex, drugs and the veil
Ikhtitam l2irssal avec une bonne nouvelle
The end of the message with good news
Assia, Khadija, Aïcha 3atine lina lmital
Assia, Khadija, Aïcha give us hope
This is Radio Hoba, telle3 l'volume khouya
This is Radio Hoba, turn up the volume my friend
La fréquence parasite, pour un grand satellite
The parasitic frequency for a big satellite
Le fier monde qui s'invite sur les ondes
The proud world invites itself on the airwaves
Talking waw to the rest of the world
Talking 'waw' (a Moroccan expression of admiration) to the entire world
Contributed by Henry S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.