Cheb Mami is the pseudonym of the famous Algerian singer Mohamed Khelifati. The musician became widely known in Asia and Europe in the late 1990s. However, his active musical career did not last long due to problems with the law. And in the mid-2000s, the musician became not very popular.
Biography of the performer. The early years of the singer
Mohamed was born on July 11, 1966 in the city of Said (Algeria), in one of its most densely populated areas. Interestingly, the city is located on one of the most hilly areas of Algeria. Hills stretch over the area of all districts, so life in the city has its own specifics.
The boy fell in love with music from childhood, but there were no opportunities to become a professional musician. Everything changed when the young man was called up for military service. While in the military, he got a position as a performer who traveled to military bases and performed for soldiers on weekends and holidays.
This service was an excellent practice for his musical abilities, which lasted two years. Upon his return from the army, the young man immediately went to Paris to start his musical career.
Even before the army, Sheb received a contract from the Olympia label. However, due to conscription in the army, it was not immediately possible to conclude it. Therefore, in Paris, the young man was expected. And when he returned, hectic concert activity and numerous studio recordings began almost immediately.
Sheba Mami singing style
Rai became the main genre of songs. This is a rare musical genre that originated in Algeria at the beginning of the XNUMXth century. Rai are folk songs traditionally sung by men. The songs were distinguished by the style of chanting, as well as the depth of the themes of the lyrics. In particular, such songs touched upon the problems of violence, colonization of countries, social inequality.
To this genre, Mami added the specifics of Arabic music, took something from Turkish folk music, several ideas arose from Latin compositions. Thus, a unique style was formed, which was remembered by listeners in many countries. Thanks to this, already in the 1980s, Sheb began to actively tour in the United States, European countries (he was especially well received in Germany, Spain, Switzerland and France, which became his main creative base).
Despite the fact that the music was based on the styles inherent in the beginning of the XNUMXth century, the artist's songs were relevant not only in terms of the topics covered, but also in terms of sound. The musician lived according to the principle “Everything new is well forgotten old”.
Although he took folk music as a basis, he began to perform it in a new way, adding elements of modern pop music to it. The songs sounded in a new way, they were loved by different audiences - young and adult listeners, connoisseurs of folk and pop music lovers. It turned out to be a successful symbiosis of ideas and thoughts.
The heyday of Cheb Mami in the world
Despite interesting ideas and original performance, Mami could not be called a world star. He was popular in certain countries, which allowed him to tour and successfully release new music. However, it was not as massive as we would like.
The situation changed in the late 1990s. In 1999, in the album of the famous singer Sting, Sting's composition Desert Rose was released together with Mami. The song received very wide popularity and became one of the loudest singles of the year. The composition hit many world charts, including the American Billboard and the UK's main national chart.
At the same time, he attracted the attention of the press and television. The artist began to be invited to famous television shows, where he actively gave interviews, even performed live with solo material.
An interesting reaction was the work of the singer in the United States. The audience was ambivalent about his music. Some felt that the genre, with its inherent themes of racism, would not be able to take root in America. Others have noted that the positioning of rai as an original genre is not very accurate.
Critics said that the style of the compositions is more reminiscent of typical 1960s rock. Therefore, Mami was considered an ordinary follower of this genre. One way or another, sales said otherwise. The artist became even more popular all over the world.
Decline in popularity, legal troubles Cheb Mami
The situation began to change in the mid-2000s. A number of criminal charges followed. In particular, Mohamed was accused of violence and constant threats to his ex-wife. A year later, he was accused of forcing his ex-girlfriend to have an abortion. This fact was aggravated by the fact that the composer did not come to a number of court hearings in 2007.
The full picture of the investigation looks like this: in mid-2005, when the performer realized that his girlfriend was pregnant, he prepared a plan for an abortion. For this, the girl was forcibly locked in one of the houses of Algeria, where she underwent a procedure against her will. However, the operation turned out to be incorrect. After some time, it turned out that the child was alive, and the girl herself gave birth to a girl.
In 2011, the singer began to serve his sentence in prison. But a few months later he received a conditional release. From that moment on, the musician practically does not appear on the big stage.
