Depending on which travel blog you choose to believe, Casablanca is either the best or worst place to visit in Morocco.
Most arguments in favour of the city are supported by subjective things like beauty, vibe, and energy. Negative reviews talk about the same things, but refer to them as tackiness, danger, and noise. The only two objective facts about Casablanca travel blogs seem to agree on are are that it is a) the biggest city in the country, and b) the setting for the classic 1942 Humphrey Bogart film, for which 0% of filming was actually done in Morocco.
For producer, beatmaker, and lifelong Casablanca resident Saib, the city’s best quality is its diversity. It’s often cited as being more cosmopolitan than other Moroccan cities, and this meant that Saib grew up listening to music from all over. The samples he uses to build his beats are pulled from a variety of cultures and styles; bossa nova, funk, rap, and folk sounds from across the globe.
In a way, Casablanca is the perfect spot for someone with such a broad range of influences: on the edge of Africa, a stone’s throw from Europe, with religious ties to the Middle East and a massive seaport connecting it to the global shipping network.
In this context, it feels natural that his 2016 debut should bear the title “Around the World.” Inter-continental but cohesive, the album is a great listen for airports, buses, and any place where the entire world feels within reach.
What makes this a beautiful song:
1. The instrument sampled at the start is (I think) a kora; an African stringed instrument that sounds like a harp-ukulele hybrid, and featured in a song from this blog just a few weeks ago.
2. The drum sample is from an obscure 1974 funk song called “Sneakin’ In The Back,” and that shaker-snare rim combination is delicious.
3. Those two samples, one from Africa, one from America, summarize the trans-cultural core of Saib’s music, and no further decorations or instrumentation is needed.
Recommended listening activity:
Putting it on repeat just so you can say “play it again, Sam” between plays.