Desert Rose

Background:

Algeria-born raï singer Cheb Mami, real name Mohamed Khelifati, has attained worldwide success with the hip-hop remix of his song “Parisien du Nord” on his album Meli Meli (1999) and the backing vocals on Sting’s hit “Desert Rose.” Evaluating Meli Meli, CMJ New Music Report wrote, “As perhaps rai’s most popular vocalist, Cheb Mami is one of the leaders of the pack, turning the genre into a futuristic dance/funk hybrid with the power to pack the dancefloors of North Africa, Paris, and New York.”

Mami has combined the traditional music of Algaria with Spanish, Moroccan, French and Arabic influences to produce the dance-inspiring sounds of his first international album, The Prince of Rai (1989). Perhaps his most triumphant recording is the album Dellali (2001), which was released soon after his association with the English pop star Sting.


Khélifati Mohamed

Childhood and Family:

In Saida, a small village in southwest Algeria, Khélifati Mohamed, who would later be popular as Cheb Mami, was born on July 11, 1966. Life in the city of Saida exposed Mami to the busy urban environment and the conventional Berber culture that both have influenced his melodic style.


Parisien du Nord

Career:

A native of Saida, Cheb Mami started his arty career singing on wedding ceremonies and circumcisions. When he was 16, he entered the Ihan wa chabab contest, a popular radio show, and won second prize after wonderfully singing “El Marsam” (The Sanctuary), a classic of Oranese music from the 1920s.

Mami soon signed with Boualem, the producer of Disco Maghreb, a label from Oran that had released the most thriving names in rai in recent years. From 1982 to 1985, he recorded about ten cassettes, but saw very little profit. Each sold between100,000 and 200,000 units, one as high as 500,000. Annoyed by the music industry in his homeland, Mami began to think substitutes. He then flew to Paris and made his first public appearance at the Premier Festival of Rai of Oran in 1985, and embarked on a tour of Arab clubs at the end of the year. The following year saw Mami take part in the Rai Festivals of the Villete (Paris) and Bobigny, where he met Michel Levy, who became his manager, and perform at the renowned Olympia Theater in Paris.

After serving a two-year of military service in Algeria, Mami returned to Paris in 1989 and was seen once again at the Olympia Theater. It was also in 1989 that Mami released his first internationally-distributed album, The Prince of Rai. With the success of the album, he reached the upper stratum of rai music.

In 1999, Mami continued to take the rai tradition to new heights with Meli Meli. Thanks to the hip-hop remix of his track “Parisien du Nord,” collaborating with rap singer K-Mel of Alliance Ethnique, and a remix of the title track, which featured help from Gordon Cyrus (Neneh Cherry, Massive Attack) and Soul II Soul’s Simon Law, Mami reached crossover triumph.

Mami gained even more recognition when the British pop star Sting invited him to guest star in the hit song, “Desert Rose,” which was included in the Sting’s album in 2000. “Desert Rose” was a hit. It sky rocketed to the top of singles charts all over the world. The great success of the track helped Mami increase his international profile as a pop star.

In June 2001, Mami released the successful album Dellali (The Loved One), which was produced by ex-CHIC guitarist Nile Rodgers and had the lead single “Le Rai C’est Chic.” American tour was planned for April of 2002, but it was annulled because of the aftermath of the September 11th 2001 terrorist attacks. His more recent albums include Du Sud au Nord (2003) and Live au Grand Rex (2004).


Awards:
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