Cheb Mami

From Freepedia

Cheb Mami is an Algerian-born raï singer.

About Cheb Mami

Cheb Mami's most notable attribute is his vocal range, often quoted as being three octaves. As a result of this, his vocals often appear "female" to western ears. He sings in both French and Maghribi Arabic.

As well as recording many straight rai songs, Cheb Mami has achieved crossover success with the hip-hop remix of his track "Parisien du Nord" on his album Meli Meli and also with the backing vocals on Sting's hit "Desert Rose".

Perhaps Mami's most successful recording is the album Dellali, produced by former Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers, which was released soon after his collaboration with Sting. Coincidentally, the album's lead single is entitled "Le Rai C'est Chic" - although the word is used in the original French sense.

His real name is Mohamed Kélifati. He was born on July 11, 1966 at Graba-el-Oued, Saïda in Algeria.

Additional information can be found on his official website: http://www.chebmami.net/home/home.html