Fatima Hadad (born 5 November 1969) is a Moroccan singer and artistic director. She is an exponent of the Moroccan sung poetry known as

Malhun Malhun (Arabic الملحون / ALA-LC: ''al-malḥūn''), meaning "the melodic poem", is a form of music that originated in Morocco.Mounira SolimanPopular Culture in the Middle East and North Africa: A Postcolonial Outlook p.58 (Routledge 2013) � ...

. In 2004 she founded a society for others interested in this Moroccan cultural heritage.

Life

Hadad was born in the port of

Kenitra Kenitra ( ar, القُنَيْطَرَة, , , ; ber, ⵇⵏⵉⵟⵔⴰ, Qniṭra; french: Kénitra) is a city in north western Morocco, formerly known as Port Lyautey from 1932 to 1956. It is a port on the Sebou river, has a population in 201 ...

in North West Morocco in 1969. Her father, Hadad al-Ragragui, was an imam and her mother was Baqdim Aicha. She studied law at the University of Rabat but she was already interested in singing. She had become very interested in poetry when at school and she would sing songs by popular contemporary Lebanese singers. She was a particular fan of the Moroccan sung poetry known as

and one of its leading modern exponents

Houcine Toulali Houcine Toulali (1924–1998) was a Moroccan writer and singer of Malhun compositions. He wrote hundreds of qasidas. He was born in Meknes Meknes ( ar, مكناس, maknās, ; ber, ⴰⵎⴽⵏⴰⵙ, amknas; french: Meknès) is one of the f ...

(1924-1998). Haddad leads her own musical ensemble who perform Malhun poetry. Fatima Hadad started an association in 2004 named ''Jawg Huwwat fann al-malhun'' for enthusiasts of Malhun. The association grew out of a performance group that she had organised. Initially she had hoped to form a women's only organisation but she found that they could not commit the time because of their family. Hadad was able to commit a lot of her time as her husband was also in the performing arts and they both supported each other's work.

Private life

Haddad is married and they have a daughter.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hadad, Fatima 1969 births Living people People from Kenitra 20th-century Moroccan women singers 21st-century Moroccan women singers