Cheb Mami (DZ)
From Algeria
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About
Also known as: Ahmed Khelifati Mohamed, أحمد خليفاتي محمد, شاب مامي
Cheb Mami is the Algerian raï singer whose voice reached a global audience when Sting recruited him for the 1999 duet "Desert Rose". That track, lifted from Sting's album Brand New Day, landed on singles charts worldwide and earned the pair appearances on Saturday Night Live, the Grammy Awards telecast, and even a live performance at the Super Bowl. His music blends Mediterranean and Western influences, pulling in flamenco, Greek and Turkish sounds, Latin rhythms, and Andalusian vocal colour, all delivered in Algerian Arabic, Eastern Arabic dialects, or French. Before international fame, Mami had already built a serious following in raï circles, finishing runner up in Algeria's televised talent show Alhane wa chabab in 1982, then performing at raï festivals in Paris after relocating there in 1985. His career has since been complicated by legal trouble, including a 2009 French court conviction and a 2015 plagiarism ruling that recognised Algerian songwriter Cheb Rabah as an original co author of "Desert Rose".
