Cheb Mami facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cheb Mami
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Cheb Mami in 1986
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| Background information | |
| Native name |
شاب مامي
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| Birth name | Mohamed Khelifati (محمد خليفاتي) |
| Born | 11 July 1966 Saïda, Algeria |
| Genres | Raï |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Labels | |
Mohamed Khelifati (Arabic: محمد خليفاتي; born on July 11, 1966), known as Cheb Mami (Arabic: شاب مامي), is an Algerian singer and songwriter. He sings in Algerian Arabic and sometimes in other Arabic dialects or in French. Around the world, he is famous for singing on the 1999 song "Desert Rose" with the musician Sting.
Contents
Early life and beginnings
Cheb Mami was born in Graba-el-Wed. This is a busy part of Saïda, a city in northwestern Algeria. Saïda is about 170 kilometers south of Oran.
Music career
Starting out and musical style
Cheb Mami became well-known in 1982. He was 16 years old then. He came in second place on a TV talent show called Alhane wa chabab. After the show, he started a career as a raï singer. Raï is a type of folk music from Algeria. He performed at weddings and released music tapes. Music producers noticed his talent.
In 1985, he moved to Paris, France. Later, he served in the military for two years in Algeria. During this time, he entertained soldiers on army bases. In May 1989, he went back to Paris. He then toured many countries. These included the United States, Germany, England, and Spain.
Cheb Mami's music mixes different styles. It has sounds from the Mediterranean and Western music. You can hear influences from Flamenco, Greek, and Turkish music. It also includes Latin music. His singing voice has a special sound, like music from Andalusia.
Becoming famous worldwide
In 1999, the musician Sting released his album Brand New Day. Their song together, "Desert Rose", became very popular. It appeared on music charts all over the world. This led to Cheb Mami appearing on many TV shows. He was on Saturday Night Live and the Today Show. He also performed live at the Grammy Awards and even the Super Bowl.
Music disputes
In July 2015, Cheb Mami had to pay money to another artist, Cheb Rabah. This was because some of his songs were too similar to Cheb Rabah's work. The songs involved were "Le raï c'est chic", "Madanite", "Ma vie deux fois", and "Gualbi Gualbi".
Selected songs and albums
- Manetzouatchi (1985)
- Douni l'bladi (1986)
- Ouach Etsalini (1986)
- Le Prince du Raï (1989)
- Let Me Raï (1990)
- Lazrag Saâni (1991)
- Nahmek toujours ya taleb (1996)
- Meli Meli (1998)
- Dimari with Cheba Zahouania (2000)
- Dellali (2001)
- Du Sud au Nord (2003)
- Live au Grand Rex (2004)
- Layali (2006)
See also
In Spanish: Cheb Mami para niños
