Maroc-hop: music and youth identities in the Netherlands

Two musical forms highly popular among youths of Moroccan origin in the Netherlands—Maroc-hop and Shaabi—permit youths to express specific and multiple identities in local contexts. Shaabi, a popular form of Moroccan folk music used to be found mainly in the private setting of family celebrations, more recently has become a preferred form of music at public parties and concerts organized especially by and for youths of Moroccan origin. Hip-hop has no place in family celebrations, but is becoming an important tool for these youth to voice their frustrations about Dutch society. Although these youths are often identified primarily as "Muslims" in the debates on integration and minority issues, they identify themselves according to very different categories. Analyzing their musical cultures reveals how these young people use music to express their identity politics in different social contexts.