I started my career in Morocco playing guitar with local bands. Became interested in pop music and started a duo with another guitarist. We played folk, country(western, Dire Straits, Eric Clapton, Bob Marley etc). I became recognized as a good guitarist in and became a member of a Moroccan rock-band. We played in hotels, big parties like New Years Eve etc 
I moved to Norway in 1990 when I started as guitarist and vocalist in the band “Raiband”. We played permanently in Spikersuppa, small pubs(Last Train, Cafè Leonelle, Lille Smuget, Chateauh Neuf etc). We were an exciting band because we played a mix of Gipsy Kings, Arabic Rai and Spanish.
In 1991 I started my own band, “Rifay Band”. We borrowed rooms in the Blitzhuset and produced a demo. We played a year on a place called Blue Monk. In that year I learnt and lot and developed my own style. After this period in 1993 I started playing with more professionals like Deb Gerinius, Daniel Papuga and Luisa Landa, and we changed our name to Rifay Oriental Funk. We played on several local events(Ungdom mot Vold, Røde Kors Internasjonale senter, 17.mai for alle, Musikkens Dag etc). In 1995 we went on a Northern Norway tour with Røde Kors Internasjonale senter. On that tour I played with Arne Frank, saxophonist in the band “Talisman”, drummer Charles(Maria Mena’s dad) and guitarist Banjo Mosale.
In made a lot of songs in 1996 when I lived on the west coast of Norway. A few which will appear on our upcoming album. I played as guitarist in several bands after I moved back to Oslo, including Latin Sound, Sofaniama, Chcb Hussein, Mixed Blessing, DRoot, Banjo Mosale). I 1998 I toured with Playboytour together with Lakki Patey around the coast of Southern Norway. In 1999, we were hired as part of the entertainment on Quart festival, where the party had 1001 Nights as theme. In 2000 I played alongside a DJ when Buddah Bar opened up in Oslo.
In the year 2000, things started to happen. I met a very good saxophonist from Nigeria, Dennis Otone. I played with Denns Otone and his band, out of this a new band emerged, “Maghreb Funk”. We started playing concerts. Including Al Farah Oriental summer dancefestival in 2003, Moroccan friends society, Mogador, Nomaden, Smuget, Mela Festival 2005, Midtsommer festival 2006, Bamboo Jam 2006 and Ibsen festival on the National Library with parts of “Tassili”. Mogador Christmas 2006 with Becaye aw and Malika Makouf Rasmussen.
Musicians in Maghreb Funk: |
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