Algerian Rai singer Cheb Mami received the International Musical Award for best singer to sing in Arabic after reaching the top of the charts for the most sold albums around the Arab world. The UAE daily, Al Bayan reported that Prince Albert of Monaco is to present the trophy to Mami next March. His award is mostly a result of the enormous success he received from his duet, “Desert Rose” with pop-star Sting.
Mami expressed his delight at the news of his nomination and his success at receiving the top award. “ I am not surprised that I had received the award after the great success the new generation of Arabic singers made.” Mami went on to say that the efforts of Arab singers to make their songs heard all around the world has proven their outstanding talent and creativity. The daily reported that Mami will be present during December on a large number of European and French TV stations for the New Year Holiday.
On a different note, Mami is placing the final touches on his new album which consists of strictly Rai music. He plans to bring the Rai song back from its traditions and roots from villages like his two hometown where he grew up Saideh and Haran in the west of Algeria.
His most recent work was with Moroccan Singer Samira Said in the duet Yawm Wara Yawm (Day After Day) which was released internationally. The song director, Sherif Sabri brought an English dancing trainer who works for Spice Girls troupe to help with the choreography.
A large number of Arab and foreign singers will compete for the third session of the Video Clip Festival awards, which opened on July 26 in the Egyptian city of Sharm al Sheikh, in the southern tip of the Sinai province. The festival witnessed intense competitions from Samira Said (Morocco), Cheb Mami (Algeria), Abbadi al Joher from (Saudi Arabia), Ragheb Alameh, Diana Haddad, Sonia Ibrahim and Wael Karam all from Lebanon, Arkan Fuad and Bashar Darwish from Syria. Egyptian singers include Hani Shaker, Amr Diab, Angham, Hisham Abbas, Majed al Masri and many others.
Mami performed a concert at Percy Theater in Paris, the revenues of which were allocated to Algerian flood victims in the neighborhood of Bab Al Wad. The singer raised the Algerian flag on the stage during the concert held on the 20th anniversary of his singing career. He sang in both Arabic and French before an audience eager to express itself in dual culture. The concert marked the first opportunity for the Arab expatriates in France to hold a sigh of relief following the tension they faced in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in USA.
Responding to a question by the French journalists about his opinion on the attacks in the USA, he said, “what happened was horrible and has brought those who were active in merging the Arab expatriates with their new communities back to square one.”
Mami, whose name was Mohammad, was the first Rai singer who stands to sing in Olympia Hall in Paris. He also sang in the USA and participated in a duet along with the international singer Sting. He excelled in blending Rai performed in the Algerian dialect with “French Rap”, which stems from the immigrant neighborhoods in the French cities. – Albawaba.com
