"We Are Still Having a Good Time": The 26-Year Journey of L'Boulevard
For over two decades, L’Boulevard Festival has been far more than a musical event; it is the bedrock of Morocco’s modern urban culture. Its story began not with a large-scale festival, but with the Tremplin competition in 1999, born from a need for space and community. Co-founders Momo Merhari and Hicham Bahou provided a crucial platform in a Casablanca theater, allowing nascent rock and rap groups to rehearse and perform.
This simple act of creating a stage laid the foundation for a national institution. It became the primary engine of the Nayda cultural movement, propelling genres like Moroccan hip-hop, rock, and fusion into the mainstream and amplifying the careers of iconic artists, from rappers like H-Kayne, Casa Crew, and Fraire to the rock band Hoba Hoba Spirit.
From those grassroots origins, L’Boulevard has grown into a powerful force. Its enduring reputation is built on accessibility, remaining a free event, and a year-round commitment to nurturing talent through Tremplin and the Boultek center. It was amidst this ongoing legacy that we sat down with the L’Boulevard team this year to discuss its history, its impact, and its future.
How did the idea for L'Boulevard first come about?
First, it was the Tremplin Competition, not L’Boulevard. We had access to a theater and concert hall where Momo Merhari (who founded the festival with Hicham Bahou) was working as a stage manager and host. Small concerts for local groups would take place in that hall occasionally. Momo was well-connected with young musicians, and he would let people sneak in to rehearse, hidden from the venue owners.
Momo and Hicham (festival’s co-directors) said, “Let’s launch a competition,” even though the competition was just an excuse for the groups to meet each other and their audiences. That space became very important for the those who were musicians or loved music; it brought us together. The groups found a place to rehearse and perform, and that’s how the first communities were built. L’Boulevard in the sense of a festival with invited guests didn’t start until 2001 or 2002, when we began bringing in international guests.
VIDEO: Aji-Tfham L’Boulevard | In this video, Moroccan content creator Mustapha Swinga narrates the journey of L’Boulevard Festival from 1999 to 2017, tracing its challenges and impact. It was uploaded on September 7, 2017, to the festival’s official YouTube channel.”
How can L'Boulevard maintain its reputation in this time when there are so many events, especially rap-related?
L’Boulevard’s reputation is built on its longevity in a time when there weren’t many opportunities for music genres like metal/rock or rap/hip-hop, and there weren’t many live stages. L’Boulevard is not specialized only in rap; we give it its due, just like the other music styles we encourage, but it remains one event a year. It’s a great thing that events are multiplying, and there should be even more. There is still room for many events, both small and large.
This is what we try to do throughout the year through the Tremplin Competition, L’Boulevard, and the Boultek. We are happy when we see initiatives like Egregore, for example, and we are happy when we can put together a great line-up every year, and when we see the whole audience knowing the lyrics of the rappers, both new and old.
How are the artists for Tremplin chosen?
Every year in the summer, we launch a call for applications that remains open for a month. Artists who want to participate in Tremplin fill out the online application and send their portfolio and their music. This year (2025), we received about 309 applications just in rap.
In parallel, our association forms a jury, which includes 5 artists and experts in the field. These people gather and hold long listening sessions, and they discuss every project with all their effort until they agree on the 6 or 7 names that will advance to the competition. This pre-selection stage is very difficult; it’s hard to choose a handful of rappers out of over 300 applications. No matter what the jury does, it’s a difficult choice in the public’s eyes.
On the day of Tremplin, the jury is not always the same; some members who were not in the pre-selection stage are changed, so that the candidates are judged on their performance regardless of the first stage.
VIDEO: GNAWA DIFFUSION – YA LAYMI (Live L’Boulevard Festival 2014 // Casablanca) | With over 3 million views, this live performance by Algerian band Gnawa Diffusion is the most-viewed video on L’Boulevard’s YouTube channel since its upload on July 12, 2015.
How do you feel being one of the biggest events held in Morocco for years?
It was just us having a good time until we reached a festival that is 26 years old. And we are still having a good time! A small team and association has had a major impact, one we never could have imagined. L’Boulevard has become an amazing state of mind. There are many artists who were initially in the audience. Guys and girls who came to watch and later became musicians, or started working in the professional music industry.
We have people who were 20 years old or less when they first attended L’Boulevard, and now they come with their children. There are those who take time off work during L’Boulevard days to attend or help with the organization. There are those who came as audience members or volunteers and are now organizing fantastic events in big and small cities, or have opened a cultural center, etc. These things are very precious to us. So we feel a very great responsibility and a great love for all the artists, the audience, the partners, and the team who trust us.
How are you able to maintain the same reputation every year, especially after the problem that occurred at L'Boulevard? (crowd incident in 2022 that resulted in injuries and arrests)
We try to do our maximum, with all the professionalism and all the love we have, for this country and its youth. We reviewed ourselves, increased security in the past few years, and took our responsibilities. We didn’t want a bad incident to break the momentum and trust that has existed for more than 20 years between us, the audience, and the artists. And we didn’t want fear or fake news to affect our principles and vision: music and L’Boulevard are for everyone, rich and poor, and it will remain free. And there is no style of music that is problematic.
VIDEO: Casablanca’s L’Boulevard Festival – Metal Unbound | This fan-made video, uploaded on September 22, 2025, offers a glimpse into the vibrant metal vibes at L’Boulevard.
How do you see L'Boulevard 10 years from now?
L’Boulevard 2035, five years after Morocco wins the World Cup! We would honestly love to see many L’Boulevards, and especially many rehearsal and live spaces in all cities, and an increase in events and organizers, so that things are vibrant all year round. A true scene only succeeds when there is a diversity of organizers, events, and formats. We want to stick to our colors and offer the maximum opportunities for all people who have something to say in music and urban arts.
Thank you for the invitation. A final word for our audience [MENA Rap Trends]?
Keep supporting your local music scene, and we will meet at L’Boulevard, God willing. Peace.
