Search - Cheb Mami :: Meli Meli

An incredible vocal display

3rdeadly3rd | Brisbane, Queensland Australia | 12/08/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Unlike, it appears, the rest of the world, I was not informed of Cheb Mami's presence by his duet with Sting on "Desert Rose". I first came across this amazing singer via his work with K-Mel on "Parisien Du Nord".For those unaware of Rai music, it is a style from Algeria and other countries in northern Africa. Rai has a percussive sound and, as with many traditional forms of African music, is often used to make metaphorical social comment. The most startling feature of Rai, however, is the vocal range of the singer. Many people are amazed to hear that Cheb Mami is male after hearing his work on "Desert Rose", his range is easily the equal of the American RnB singers - and he is capable of jumping quite freely from octave to octave as the whim takes him."Meli Meli" is thus an album in an unheralded style by one of its foremost exponents - quite tough billing to live up to. Mami delivers on that promise with talent to spare.Most of the lyrics, especially Mami's, are delivered in Arabic. While there are many music fans who feel as though they must know what is being sung about in order to enjoy the song, one listen to tracks like the title track, "Bledi" and any of the versions of "Parisien du Nord" will dispel that view. The liner notes give information about the subject matter - which isn't that far different from western music; love, being out of love and wanting to be in love all feature quite strongly - but the words are largely immaterial. When Mami sings about his feelings for a woman in "Meli Meli", there can hardly be a person who doesn't know exactly what he means.The arrangements are also very creative. From traditional-sounding drum beats on the original "Parisien", through to the funky beats propelling "H'Rabti" and the "Parisien" remix, it is clear that Cheb Mami is in touch both with the roots of his musical tradition and with its future. One thing in common across the album is that the arrangements all provide Cheb Mami with a chance to show off his vocal chops. I say "show off", but his prowess is never the sole reason for a song's existence. Cheb Mami clearly knows when to put the focus on the music rather than the vocals.Despite the titles of the tracks, "Parisien du Nord" (the standout track of the album) actually appears three times. The first version is the slow-building version at track 4. This track focuses on the vocals and is very much strengthened by that decision. The second version, credited as a remix, is set off by the rapping of K-Mel of France's Alliance Ethnik. The combination of French rap - of a standard much higher than most American rap - and Arabic singing is truly spell-binding. Certainly this remix is not for the Rai purist, but neither is the rest of the album. "Marsellais du Nord" is also "Parisien du Nord" but under a different name and with different personnel. This remix features rappers from France's "south coast" scene, a scene with traditionally a harder sound than the Parisian scene.Overall, "Meli Meli" is a superb album and one very much worthwhile checking out - especially for those who are interested in what Cheb Mami sounded like before he recorded with Sting. Even if you aren't, this is a wonderful album to have as background music, the listener can involve themselves as much or as little in the music as they want."

Talent

mitzigg04 | VA | 05/31/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Cheb Mami is quality and talent. This cd is my favorite of his. This cd seems to contain some more "traditional" rai and middle eastern rhythms. #3 is magical and so is parisien du nord. The tracks on this cd are diverse and magical to listen to again and again. Gotta love his voice."

Eye Opening

Antonia Pittman | Anaheim, CA USA | 07/18/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This was my first Cheb Mami cd I purchased and he quickly became one of my favorite artists. Even if the listener doesn't understand what he is saying due to the language difference, Mami's voice still speaks to the audience and is just incredible. The tracks called Parisien Du Nord are some of my favorites since it is done with a French rap artist. I highly recommend this cd to Cheb Mami fans new and old."