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'Cheb Mami' (Arabic:شاب مامي), real name 'Ahmed Khelifati Mohamed' (born July 11, 1966 in Saida, Algeria) is an Algerian-born raï singer. His birth was in Graba-el-wed, a populous quarter of Saida. Located 170 kilometers south of Oran, the city of Saida is on the high mesas of southwestern Algeria.
He sings in both Maghribi Arabic and French.
In 1982, the 16-year-old adolescent sang on the "Alhan wa Chabab" radio show, a singing competition organised by Radio Télevision Algérienne. He sang "El Marsam" (The Sanctuary) a classic of Oranese music from the 1920s. The audience was transfixed by the sheer emotion of his performance and by his concordant vocal intonations which captured perfectly the flavour of the song's title. The judges, who represented the government which refused to admit even the existence of raï, gave the first prize to the contestant that sang a cover version of a hit by the famous Egyptian diva, Umm Kulthum, but were forced to acknowledge the standing ovation Mami received by awarding him second prize.
Cheb Mami was spotted by Boualem, the producer of the Oran label, Disco Maghreb, and the cassette waltz began. From 1982 to 1985, Cheb Mami recorded about ten cassettes, whose production varied from 100,000 to 500,000 copies.
Cheb Mami made his first official public appearance at the First Oran Raï Festival in 1985, which marked the official recognition of the genre by the Algerian authorities.
He was in military service for two years in Algeria.After that in May of 1989, Mami returned to the Paris at the Olympia, rejuvenating Rai Music. He then toured the United States, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Scandinavia and England.
Mami’s music is a blend of Mediterranean and Western influences including Turkish,Flamenco and Greek music as well as Latin music. His voice tinged with Andalusian accents, his music is amalgamation of the traditional and the modern styles of singing and creation of Music.
As well as recording many straight raï songs, Cheb Mami has achieved crossover success with the hip-hop remix of his track "Parisien du Nord" on his album ''Meli Meli'' and also with the backing vocals on Sting's hit "Desert Rose" and "Youm Wara Youm" the title track of which is a duet with Samira Said .
When Sting's album was released in 2000, the pair's duet, "Desert Rose", went rocketing to the top of singles charts around the world, fulfilling Mami's long-held dream of internationalising Raï sounds.
Perhaps Mami's most successful recording is the album ''Dellali'', produced by former Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers, which was released soon after his collaboration with Sting. The album's lead single was "Le Rai C'est Chic".
Cheb Mami is currently under an international arrest warrant after being indicted in October 2006 for "voluntary violence, sequestration and threats" against an ex-girlfriend, and failing to answer a court summons on May 14 2007. He is accused of having tried to force his former girlfriend, a magazine photographer, to have an abortion. During a trip to Algeria in the summer of 2005, the alleged victim is said to have been locked in a house belonging to one of Mami's friends, where an abortive procedure was attempted on her. Back in France, however, she realised the foetus was still alive and decided to keep the child. Mami has reportedly accused his manager of organising the abortion plan.
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Contents

Selected discography

References

External links

Videos

Selected discography

''Prince of Raï'' (1989)	''Let Me Raï'' (1991)	''Saida'' (1994)	''Douni El Bladi'' (1996)	''Meli Meli'' (1999)	''Dellali'' (2001)	''Du Sud au Nord'' (2003)	''Live au Grand Rex'' (2004)	''Layali'' (2006)
1. Ana Mazel	1.Yo Yo	1.H’babi	1.Douni el Bladi	1.Meli Meli	1.Rai C’est Chic	1.Des 2 cotesfeat.Mouss et hakim	1.Azwaw	1.Halili feat.Zaho
2. Dertfik Confiance	2.Haoulou	2.Ma Ma	2.Dertfik confiance	2.Alache Alik	2.Views Habibi	2.Parisien du nord feat K.mel	2.Parisien du Nord	2. Gualbi Gualbi
3. Douni El Bladi	3.Let Me Cry	3.Gaulbak K’ssah	3.Ralia mahboubit Galbi	3.Bledi	3.Madanite	3.Madanite feat.Ziggy Marley	3.Nagumo feat.Susheela Raman	3. Inshallah
4. Lella Rani Ensaaf El Mektoub	4.Douha Alia	4.Hay Wadi Hay Galbi	4.Ana Mazel	4.Rani Maak El Youm	4.Rim Lachoua	4.Desert Rose feat.Sting	4.Mamzareli	4. Tigi Tigi
5. Ralia Mahboubit Galbi	5.Fatma	5.Bent Bareh	5.Lella Rai Saaf El mektoub	5.Fatma	5.Yahamami	5.Cosi celeste feat.Zucchero	5.Mazal Souvenir Aandi	5.Gaiye bil Salama
6. Tayo Tayo Adiani	6.Rah Eddani	6.Baida	6.Tayo Tayo adiani	6.Hada Ch’h	6.Ana Oualache	6.Nagumo feat.Susheela Raman	6.Desert Rose	6.Ahla Layali Omrina
#	7.Khalihoum	7.Ghi N’Ti	7.Ouach etsalini	7.Hatachi	7.Ma vie 2 Fois	7.Enfant d’esfrinque feat .Corneille	7.Koum tara feat.Enrico Macias	7.Ajlissou
#	8.Maandi	8.Li Fet ghi Mnem	8.Idha enti bitik	8.Bekatni	8.Tzazae	8.Clando feat.113	8.Bledi-mon pays	8.Nos Couleus feat.K.Maro
#	9.Manimane	9.Zouaji	9.Chedi bentek	9.Cheikh	9.Zarartou	9.Youm wara youm feat.Samira Said	9.Cosi celeste feat.Zucchero	9.Mama Dabia
#	#	10.Alache Alache	10.Maniche aadouk	10.Azwaw	10.Manazureh	10.Fugitif feat.Tonton David	10.Alache Alik	10.Ellie Beina Intaha
#	#	11.Trab	11.Ghebnouha	11.Parisien du Nord	11.Machi Chaba	11.The best times of our lives feat.Aswad	11.Meli Meli	11.Amshi Btraring
#	#	#	12.Sehrane Ouahdi	12.Marseillais Du Nord	12.Hoaulou	12. Koum tera feat.Enrico Macias	12.Des 2 Cotes feat Mous et Hakim	12. Non c’sera non(Omri Omri)feat.Sween
#	#	#	13.Alauni(Instrumental)	13.Au Pays des Merveillus	13.Khalouni	13.Azwaw 2 feat.Idir	13.Haoulou	#
#	#	#	#	14.Azwaw Alternative	#	#	14.Zarartou	#

References

1. "Arrest warrant issued for Algerian singer" (accessed May 29 2007)
2.
"French issue international warrant for Algerian singer Cheb Mami" (accessed May 29 2007)

External links

★ Cheb Mami's Official Myspace Page

★ Official website of Cheb Mami (French/English/Arabic)

★ Cheb Mami Bio, Pictures and Photos

★ Cheb Mami profile at World Music Central - Biography, discography, bibliography, booking information

★ Listen to Cheb Mami

★ [1]Albums of Cheb Mami

Videos

★ Video Clip: Cheb Mami-Le Raï C'est Chic

★ Desert Rose Video

★ Le Rai Cest Chic Video

★ Parisien Du Nord Video

★ Omri Omri Video

★ Douhi Aliya Video