RABAT: In Morocco’s capital, the beach is a favorite place during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Waves lap in a steady rhythm, marking time, as hundreds of Moroccans wait for sunset to break their day-long fast.
Stocked with food and drinks, families and friends swarm to the beach to enjoy the Atlantic breeze and, when the fasting is declared over, share in the iftar meal.
Her face drawn from hours without food or water, Rabat resident Nadia Benani said she came with family and friends because staying at home can become tiring.
“This beach takes me down memory lane to my childhood,” she said.
Some beachgoers dance and sing Moroccan music while awaiting the call for prayer that announces the end of the day’s fast. Exhaustion is barely visible on their faces until they collapse on the ground and check their watches.
Then a cannon booms and a muezzin’s voice rings out.
Hands reach for water and dates, an appetizer for the sumptuous dishes that follow. While some people dig into their meals, barely taking time to look up, others pray first.
Reda Fedoul, 20, and his friends built a table from sand to lay out their meals.
“We came here to change the atmosphere ... the day goes much better,” he said. “We’re here to create happiness.”
Moroccans break Ramadan fast on beach with song, dance, food
Moroccans break Ramadan fast on beach with song, dance, food
- Families and friends swarm to the beach to enjoy the Atlantic breeze
Lolo Zouai takes to Berlin’s Colors platform
DUBAI: French Algerian singer Lolo Zouai took to the Berlin-based music platform Colors this week, delivering a live performance of her latest single “Desert Rose PT.II.”
The appearance comes as the track climbed to No. 1 on Algeria’s R&B chart within 24 hours of its release. A sequel to “Desert Rose” from her 2019 debut album “High Highs to Low Lows,” the new single features lyrics in Arabic, French and English, reflecting the cross-cultural influences that shape her sound.
Zouai marked the achievement on Instagram, sharing a series of posts including a photo of herself wearing an Algeria football jersey, alongside the single’s cover art and a screenshot showing its chart ranking.
“Grateful for the love on this one. Can’t wait for you to hear the studio version and the rest of ‘Reverie’,” she wrote.
She also reposted a collage of fan reactions, including a TikTok video that read: “It’s 2026 and we still haven’t had another song like ‘Desert Rose’ out.” Others said: “Can’t wait for Desert Rose pt. 2” and “wdym desert rose pt. 2?!?!?!”
The single forms part of her upcoming third studio album, “Reveries,” due for release on April 24. She announced the date last month alongside the music video for “Holding On,” another track from the project.
Blending R&B with dance-pop elements, “Holding On” delves into themes of grief and memory. The video is dedicated to Zouai’s close friend, Hanna Rosa Hotchkiss, who died in 2021.
In a statement on Instagram, Zouai described the album as the product of a transformative period in her life: “This record was made through three years of grief, growth, and reflection. I had to lose myself to find myself again. I couldn’t have done it without my angel, Hanna. Thank you to my collaborators, my friends, and my Lo-riders who held me down through it all. I hope it heals you the way it healed me.”
Known for her blend of R&B, club-pop and hip-hop, Zouai has gained an international fan base for her dynamic stage presence and genre-blending music.
Zouai’s last release was in November, when she dropped a new single titled “3AM in San Francisco.”
