Cheb Mami
| Cheb Mami | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Mohamed Khelifati |
| Also known as | Cheb Mami |
| Born | 11 July 1966 |
| Origin | Saïda, People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria |
| Genres | Raï |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, Instrumentalist |
| Years active | 1982 – present |
| Labels | Virgin, A&M |
| Associated acts | Sting |
Ahmed Khelifati Mohamed (Arabic: أحمد خليفاتي محمد, aḥmad khalīfātī muḥammad), better known by his stage name Cheb Mami (Arabic: شاب مامي, shābb māmī), (born in Saïda, Algeria on 11 July 1966) is a French-Algerian raï singer. He sings and speaks in Algerian Arabic and French.
Cheb Mami was born in Graba-el-wed (Arabic: غربة الواد), a populous quarter of Saïda (Arabic: سعيدة), Algeria. Located 170 kilometres south of Oran, the city of Saida is on the high mesas of southwestern Algeria.
It was in 1985 that Mami came to Paris and found his musical niche.
He was in military service for two years in Algeria but was an entertainer on army bases. After that, in May 1989, Mami returned to Paris at the Olympia, rejuvenating raï music. He also 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 is tinged with Andalusian accents, and his music is an amalgamation of the traditional and the modern styles of singing and creation of music.
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