Abdelhadi Belkhayat - عبد الهادي بلخياط

Abdelhadi Belkhayat, born Abdelhadi Zougari in 1940 in Fez, is one of the towering figures of modern Moroccan song. Over a career spanning more than five decades, he became known throughout Morocco and the wider Arab world for a refined, romantic vocal style that helped define Moroccan popular music in the second half of the twentieth century, distinct from the more traditional Andalusian and chaabi forms that preceded it.

His songs, including staples like «Kitar El Hayat» and «Ya El Bouhali», combined lush orchestration with emotionally direct, melodic singing that made him a household name across generations of Moroccans. Belkhayat was also a frequent presence on Moroccan television and performed extensively abroad, carrying Moroccan popular song to audiences beyond North Africa. He additionally ventured into acting, appearing in films such as «Skout... Ittijah Mamnou» (1973) and «Ayna Takhabiun Achams» (1980).

In May 2010, Belkhayat announced his withdrawal from secular music, stating his intention to turn toward religious devotion and to limit his singing to invocations and religious songs. His decades of recordings, however, remain foundational to the modern Moroccan pop repertoire, and he is remembered as one of the genre's defining voices.