Mehdi Haddab

Mehdi Haddab is a French-Algerian oud virtuoso and genre-blending innovator who’s spent his career electrifying traditional North African sounds. Based in France, he co-founded the groundbreaking band Speed Caravan, which fuses Algerian chaabi, gnawa, and Andalusian influences with rock and electronic beats. His playing—raw, rhythmic, and drenched in distortion—turns the centuries-old oud into a weapon of modern global fusion. Tracks like *Jani Ma Jani* and *Nuba Nova* showcase his knack for reinventing Maghreb roots with psychedelic energy, while projects like *One Two Three* and *Mademoiselle* highlight collaborations that zigzag between Parisian electronic scenes and Algiers’ street rhythms. A tireless cross-cultural ambassador, Haddab’s work bridges dancefloors, festival stages, and tradition in ways that feel rebellious and deeply reverent all at once.