Raï to the World: Cheb Mami and "Viens Habibi"

Today's tune, Viens Habibi, is by Algerian raï singer Ahmed Khelifati Mohamed, better known as Cheb Mami. Mami sings in both Algerian and French, and his music is a mix of influences from Mediterranean and Western music, including Turkish, flamenco, Greek and Latin musics. A resident of Paris, he came to world attention when he sang a duet with Sting on the single Brand New Day. However, he has had a career punctuated by scandal, both for plagiarism in which he had to compensate singer Cheb Rabah in the amount of 200,000 Euros and his arrest in France in 2006 for abuse against an ex-girlfriend. He was supposed to serve five years in prison, but gained a conditional release in 2010. Viens Habibi can be heard on his 2001 album Dellalli, and on the 2005 compilation CD Putumayo Presents: North African Groove.