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Diaspo # 1: Adnan, Bollywood with a Moroccan touch

Adnan has two passions in life. This Brussels-born man of Moroccan descent is indeed an aficionado of two types of art : cooking and music. The young man is proud of the contrast: «I'm a singer and a cook», he says. Portrait.

 

DR
Estimated read time: 3'

There seems to be a thin line between music and the culinary arts. Indeed, this is what Adnan has been showing the world, over and over for years. While being famous among Brussels' elite, little is known about the self-taught artist. Surprising as it may seem, the young man is a celebrity but noone would be able to tell his actual age or his place of origin in Morocco. As a matter of fact, Adnan strongly believes of being able to adapt but without affecting the well-being and privacy of his entourage, whom he wants, above all, to «protect» his discreet life.

Speaking to Yabiladi, one of the first media platforms he accepted to talk to, Adnan mentioned he was of both Fassi and Tazi origins, a legacy he is proud to reveal. The young cook also displays it through the dishes he prepares daily in his restaurants in Belgium and also in France where he recently started operating. It would seem that he owes his success primarily to social media, which showcased his magnetic charisma.

It's all about Morocco in his restaurants ! Indeed, while pasta is the base of most of his signature dishes, he is also a renowned expert on Moroccan cuisine. The talented young man confides that his know-how was transmitted to him by his mother, who passed on to the new generation all her knowledge. Nowadays, Adnan is a renowned cook celebrated by his peers and food aficionados alike, nevertheless he has another passion and another area of expertise, namely music.

Music : An important part of his life

Music has always been a primordial part of his life. It was his father who taught him his first melodies : «I have always been into music, it's coming from my father but I had never mentioned it on social media», the Brussels-native explains. «It all started in 2011 with Tiiw Tiiw, we were a group of friends and we used to gather and sing our old childhood songs.» What started merely as a completely casual relaxation and fun moment has slowly evolved into an actual project : «The first time, I made a cover of the famous song «Zina» by Babylone. It's from that moment on that everyone has started to know me as a musician», Adnan recalls.

What started only as a passion eventually became his second source of income : «Aside from being a singer – I mostly do it for fun, I think it can be noticed in my music videos -, I am the producer of Magic's label. We are four partners», the singer explains. He managed to make a profit out of his passion and eventually transformed a hobby into a full-fledged profitable business : «We have been working with some highly successful profiles such as L'Artiste, Marwa Loud or L'Algérino», indicated the Belgian-Moroccan man.

«Eventually, one day a friend of mine told me ' listen, I'd like to cover the advertising campaign of a drink '. I answered ' no problem, I will get you in touch with one of my partners '. He said ' no, I want you to be the singer '.» Adnan then explained that he was not very convinced with the proposal, and, being a fan of Indian culture, he proposed his acquaintance to consider a Bollywood-inspired music video, hoping he would reject the idea. Contrary to his expectations, the latter accepts the proposal and «Jhoom Jhoom» is then performed by young rising Rai music star, Aymane Serhani.

Bollywood with a Moroccan touch

It is at that moment that Adnan's life took a totally different path : famous for his culinary talents and now also famous for his musical talents. A «double-star» was in the forming on social media, a life that the young man got to enjoy and which allowed him to get an additional income. After that first trial, Adnan decided to work on his own musical projects, which he would accordingly never have been able to complete without his partners «Nordine Achalhi, Salah Achalhi and Memeh. These people have been in the music industry for so long that I can only be happy and proud to work with them», the singer explains. After «Jhoom Jhoom», «Meri Yaar» and «Meri Baya», released two weeks ago, Adnan is up and running. Continuous flows of new projects are analysed, including in his country of origin : «I love my country and I am proud to be Moroccan, I represent my country as much as I can.»

Accordingly, the Belgian-Moroccan man now wants to produce a complete album, with an Indian and a Moroccan touch, with the participation of various artists, to widen its scope. «We have started this new project alongside The Magic's. We aim to invite different artists and make them step out of their comfort zone to introduce them to this new concept while keeping their footprint», he said. Adnan dreams of starting his own show to «please (his) mom who is a fan of Bollywood». The cook aims to include more Moroccan artists and film music videos in the Kingdom. «I believe that the most magical side of it would be to invite some artists nobody expects».

Adnan is categorical: «I will probably not stay long in the industry but there is a song I would like to work on, which would definitely conclude my career. It would be a song with Tiiw Tiiw, whose music video would be naturally shot in Morocco and would include Sharukh Khan. That would be a consecration and would allow me to end my career regret-free and definitively.» As Tiiw Tiiw is Adnan's friend, he would only need to convince Sharukh Khan. Besides, he wisely concludes : «I think I have found my way in life while having fun and working on my two passions.»

Nevertheless, we are not yet done with Adnan and his musical talents : «A new song is in the making and will be released in September, then we will keep up the same pace to be able to release a new song every two months.»

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