Chapin Sisters
Palm TreeTwo 2010 via Lake Bottom Records
David Eugene Edwards from 16 HP
For most in the Western Hemisphere, Cheb Mami will always be that guy who sang with Sting on "Desert Rose," a song that became a surprise hit in 2000, thanks in large part to Mami's mesmerizing vocal performance. In Northern Africa, however, Mami is a star in his own right. The native of Algeria is arguably the most popular performer of rai, a percussive music built around the djembe and derbouka, as well as mixing in modern dance, reggae rhythms, and often politically charged lyrics. -AllMusic.com