Manal (singer)
Manal Benchlikha (; born 18 September 1993), better known by her first name Manal, is a Moroccan pop singer-songwriter. Biography. Originally from Kalaat Sraghna, Manal grew up in Marrakesh where she studied business and finance. Having always wanted to be a musical artist, she posted covers on YouTube and was discovered by Hamza Ait Khali, the partner of Moroccan producer DJ Van. After a short stint with DJ Van's label Magic Castle Entertainment and the release of her debut single "Denia," which earned her the 'Best Female Artist in Northern Africa' award at the Africa Music Awards  in 2015, she switched management to Tarik Azzougarh, better known as Cilvaringz, producer and conceptualizer of the world's most expensive musical work ever sold, Wu-Tang Clan's "Once Upon A Time in Shaolin". Manal followed up her debut single with her song "Koulchi Ban", the last song she would do with DJ Van. The release of "Koulchi Ban" received critical acclaim from fans and sparked the interest of Sony Music Middle East. In October 2017, Manal became one of the first Moroccan artists from the urban scene to sign to a major label in the Arab world. In  February 2018, Manal released her third single "Taj (Crown)". Due to its music video and a significant departure from Manal's signature sound, "Taj" started a buzz and garnered millions of views in a short time. It is one of the most viewed Arabic rap song performed by a female artist. After "Taj", Manal released the song "Nah" featuring Moroccan rap duo Shayfeen and then had one of her biggest singles to-date, "Slay", in collaboration with ElGrandeToto. In November 2019, Manal signed a distribution deal with RCA Records, a division of Sony Music France. In May 2021, she released  her first album entitled "360", which included the hit single "Niya". Deprived of stage during the COVID-19 pandemic, she launches, with the help of her husband Moncef Guessous, a streetwear brand called "Bari & Soch". In November 2021, Manal earned the 'Best Female Artist in Northern Africa' award at the 2021 All Africa Music Awards for the second time in her career.