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Cheb Mami

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Cheb Mami is the stage name of Mohamed Khelifati, an Algerian raï singer and songwriter, born in 1966 in Saïda, a town in north-western Algeria. The word cheb is an honorific for raï musicians. He sings in Algerian Arabic, sometimes in other Arabic dialects and in French. In 1982, at sixteen, he came second in an Algerian TV talent contest. He then sang at weddings and released cassettes. In 1985 he moved to Paris, where he performed at raï festivals and met his manager Michel Levy. His military service in Algeria, where he performed on army bases, interrupted his rise for two years. In 1989 he returned to Paris and toured, among other places, the United States, Germany and the Netherlands.

Music and breakthrough

On record he debuted with Prince of Raï in 1989, followed by Let Me Raï in 1990, Saïda in 1994 and Meli meli in 1998. His music blends Mediterranean and Western influences, including flamenco, Greek, Turkish and Latin American music, and his voice has an Andalusian tinge. He broke through internationally in 1999 with the vocals on Sting's Desert Rose, from the album Brand New Day. The duet appeared in charts all over the world and took him to American TV programmes and even the Super Bowl.

Influence

Cheb Mami belongs to the raï generation that reached the world from Algeria via Paris. He showed that pop music in Arabic could find a large audience. For many listeners his work with Sting is the first introduction to raï.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Desert Rose and notice the difference between Sting's Western singing and Cheb Mami's Arabic singing. Try to hear how his voice brings ornamentation and graceful turns into the chorus.

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists