Cheb Mami

Cheb Mami

Mohamed Khelifati (Arabic: محمد خليفاتي, Muḥammad Khalīfātī; born 11 July 1966), better known by his stage name Cheb Mami (Arabic: شاب مامي, shābb māmī), is an Algerian musician and singer-songwriter. He sings and speaks in Algerian Arabic and sometimes in French or Eastern Arabic dialects. Internationally, he is known for contributing vocals to the 1999 Sting single "Desert Rose". Cheb Mami was born in Graba-el-wed (Arabic: غربة الواد), a populous quarter of Saïda (Arabic: سعيدة), Algeria. Located 170 kilometers south of Oran, the city is on the high mesas of northwestern Algeria. In 1985, Cheb Mami moved to Paris and discovered Raï music. He later performed military service for two years in Algeria while working as an entertainer on army bases. In May 1989, he returned to Paris. He went on to tour the United States, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Scandinavia, and England. Cheb 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 traditional and modern styles of singing. When Sting's album Brand New Day was released in 1999, the pair's duet, "Desert Rose", appeared on singles charts around the world and led to television appearances on Saturday Night Live, the Today Show, Jay Leno, David Letterman, the Grammy Awards telecast, and even a live performance at the Super Bowl. Cheb Mami was under an international arrest warrant after being indicted in October 2006 for "voluntary violence, sequestration, and threats" against an ex-wife, and failing to answer a court summons on 14 May 2007. He was accused of attempting to force an abortion on his then-girlfriend, magazine photographer Isabelle Simon. During a trip to Algeria in the summer of 2005, Simon was locked in a house belonging to one of Cheb Mami's friends, where an abortive procedure was attempted on her. Afterwards in France, she realized the fetus was still alive, and she later gave birth to a daughter. Cheb Mami had accused his manager Michel Lecorre (a.k.a. Michel Levy) of organizing the abortion plan; Levy was later sentenced to four years for plotting and organizing the assault. Cheb Mami was arrested in France several days before his trial and taken into custody by officials at a Paris airport as he arrived in the country from Algeria on 22 June 2009. In July 2009, a Paris court found him guilty of drugging and attempted forcible abortion, and sentenced him to five years in prison. On 21 September 2010, his lawyers applied for conditional release, a request that was turned down on 12 October 2010. Upon a second appeal however, the French court agreed for his conditional release on 23 March 2011. In July 2015, Cheb Mami had to compensate 200,000 euros to Cheb Rabah (born Rabah Zerradine) for plagiarizing his texts. The songs in question are "Le raï c'est chic", "Madanite", "Ma vie deux fois", and "Gualbi Gualbi". Source: Article "Cheb Mami" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

  • Title: Cheb Mami
  • Popularity: 1.967
  • Known For: Acting
  • Birthday: 1966-07-11
  • Place of Birth: Saïda, Algeria
  • Homepage:
  • Also Known As: Mohamed Khelifati
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Cheb Mami Movies

  • 2001
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    Algeria, Memoirs of Raï

    Algeria, Memoirs of Raï

    10 2001 HD

    In the 1980s, Algeria experienced a tumultuous social context which reached its peak during the riots of October 88. This wave of protest, with youth...

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  • 1976
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    Mosaïque

    Mosaïque

    9 1976 HD

    Broadcast from 1977 to 1987 on FR3, every Sunday morning, for 1h30, Mosaïque is a variety show with a set where music groups from the countries...

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  • 2001
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    All Access: Front Row. Backstage. Live!

    All Access: Front Row. Backstage. Live!

    1 2001 HD

    IMAX invites you backstage to the Rock n' Roll event of the year. The acts featured won a combined total of 13 Grammy® Awards in 2000. This...

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  • 1997
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    100% Arabica

    100% Arabica

    4.3 1997 HD

    The movie takes place in a poverty-stricken, rent-controlled neighborhood on the outskirts of Paris. Algerian immigrants, many of whom are in France...

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  • 2004
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    Raï Story: From Cheikha Rimitti to Cheba Djenet

    Raï Story: From Cheikha Rimitti to Cheba Djenet

    10 2004 HD

    Raï Story is a musical journey in search of the Raï legend, Cheikha Remitti, in Oran, Algeria, where the Raï musical tradition began....

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  • 1992
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    Rester là-bas

    Rester là-bas

    10 1992 HD

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  • 1990
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    Fort Boyard

    Fort Boyard

    7.4 1990 HD

    A game show set and filmed on the real Fort Boyard in France. The contestants have to complete in physical and endurance challenges to win prize...

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  • 1985
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    Victoires de la musique

    Victoires de la musique

    2 1985 HD

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  • 1991
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    Bled Music

    Bled Music

    10 1991 HD

    "Bled Music" is an Algerian musical television program broadcast on ENTV between 1991 and 1992. directed by Aziz Smati and presented by Kamel...

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  • 2023
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    Raï Is Not Dead

    Raï Is Not Dead

    10 2023 HD

    What musical genre can claim to have gone, in the space of fifty years, from a hidden cabaret in Oran to Super Bowl halftime? Born in Algeria at the...

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  • 1993
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    Taratata

    Taratata

    7.5 1993 HD

    Taratata was a French TV show showcasing live and pre-recorded footage of current rock acts. Presented by Nagui since its début in 1993, the...

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  • 2001
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    Star Academy

    Star Academy

    6.4 2001 HD

    Star Academy is a French reality television show produced by the Dutch company Endemol. It consists of a contest of young singers. It spawned an...

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  • 1998
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    Vivement dimanche

    Vivement dimanche

    3.2 1998 HD

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