Eniah is a young artist in his twenties. The unbreakable ties between France and Morocco run through his work, as if he had built a bridge between two countries with his music. His father, also a musician, passed on his passion for music to him. Eniah honed his skills to the rhythm of the Derbouka and saxophone solos. A melodic pianist, he penned his first lyrics at the age of 14, inspired by the lyrical legacy from artists like IAM to Abd’Al Malik, and their successors like Nekfeu and others. As a final touch of cultural fusion, he draws inspiration from the texts of Darwich. He has just unveiled the project “Khelini,” which means “Leave me” in Arabic. The EP is driven by the melancholy of a mixed-race child who seems to belong to no single country at a time when nationalisms are rampant.
Eniah wants “Khelini“!
The three tracks of the EP were composed by Onze and Jerem. From “Je joue du piano” to “Rien de magique,” the artist lays down his lyrics in an acoustic ambiance. The EP opens with “Je joue du piano,” offering a melancholic and introspective slam. The artist turns inward, evoking his doubts and passions, like the unbreakable link with his parents’ Morocco, a gaze inevitably turning towards the south.
Throughout the EP, Maghreb influences are evident. The fusion resurfaces as percussion accompanies the artist’s still poised tone, a blend of slam and rap. Inheriting from French lyricists of the 90s and 2000s, Eniah takes the stage. From his Moroccan heritage, he embraces the culture and instruments also found in artists like Zamdame and even Ziak. But throughout his journey between these two countries, melancholy remains.
The EP “Khelini” is poetic, sincere, and powerful. Perhaps amidst this deafening jungle of noise, the calm and gentleness of this subdued declamation will make much more noise.
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