As Morocco’s most beloved troublemakers, Haoussa have made themselves a household name in the alternative music scene with their frenzied live shows and infectious entho-rock sound. Led by the flame-haired frontman Khalid Moukdar, they are the pulse of Casablanca’s thriving rock scene, spitting lyrics about societal ills in Darija (Moroccan Arabic) and twisting it with the likes of western rock and rap influences. As key players in the Nayda movement, (which translates to ‘up’), they’re part of the evolving cultural shift in the city over the past 10 years, after the arrival of foreign music and culture in an otherwise insular country. Their eclectic influences show up throughout their self-titled album, featuring everything from heavy rock licks a la Led Zepplin and Pantera, to the political rebellion of Rage Against the Machine and Public Enemy. After winning the Springboard Stage Prize at the local L’Boulevard Festival back in 2002, their fanbase and influence has been steadily growing, as they lead the city into another era of punk-rap chaos. —Laura Smith