The Snake Symbol of the Pangool
The Lamanes were the guardians of Serer religion. They created sanctuaries and shrines in honour of the Pangool (Serer ancestral spirits and Saints).[1] List Kingdom of Sine Kingdom of Saloum Kingdom of Baol Present-day Gambia Present-day Mauritania
Predecessor	Preceded by none The Lamanes were the predecessors of : Maad a Sinig (King of Sine), Maad Saloum (King of Saloum) - both from the ancient Serer title "Maad" (King) and sometimes used interchangeably to refer to the ancient Serer Lamanes. The Lamanes were also predecessors the Bour, Bour ba Jolof (King of Jolof), Teigne (King of Baol), Damel (King of Cayor) and Brak (King of Waalo).
Heir-apparent	Lamane Diaga Dibor Ndofene Diouf - Lamane of Tukar was one of the last Lamanes as of 2004. A descendant of Lamane Jegan Joof (English spelling in Gambia, or Djigan Diouf - French spelling in Senegal) - c. 11th century founder of Tukar in present-day Senegal.[2][3]
Religion	Serer religion

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Related articles Lamane Saltigue Serer ancient history Serer people States headed by ancient Serer Lamanes Timeline of Serer history
Defenders of the Faith Ama Gôdô Maat Issa Laye Thiaw Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof
Notable figures Lamane Jegan Joof Maad Semou Njekeh Joof
Relations with other religions Serer views on incarnation Serer history (medieval era to present) Religious persecution Serer views on interfaith marriage Serer views on heaven and hell
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Serer royal and religious titles

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Lamane (also religious)

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Buumi

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Lamane or Laman (also Laam or Lam) "master of the land" or "chief owner of the soil" in the Serer language^[4][5] were the landed gentry as well the title of ancient kings of the Serer people of Senegambia region which includes modern day Senegal and The Gambia.^[6][7] This Serer title was also loaned by the old kings of the Wolof kingdoms.^[8][9] The title is sometimes used interchangeably with the old title Maad or Mad(sometimes Maat) (ancient Serer Kings).^[10][11] These pre-Guelowar Lamanes should not be confused with the post-Guelowar Lamanes after The Battle of Troubang 1335 (sometimes spelt: Turubang) which led to the Guelowars' migration to the Kingdom of Sine as refuges. The pre-Troubang (or Guelowar) Lamanes were kings whilst the post-Troubang Lamanes were merely provincial chiefs answerable to the King of Sine and Saloum.^[12]

Although the post-Troubang Lamanes were always descendants of the ancient Serer village and town founders (the original Lamanes), and their families ruled the Kingdoms of Sine, Saloum and Baol etc., the power they previously enjoyed as Lamanes became diminished post-Troubang but were still titled and made up the class of the landed gentry.^[13] Though their power was somewhat diminished, their economic and political power was intricately linked to Serer custom, Serer history and Serer religion. As such, they were extremely powerful if not as true kings after Troubang (1335), as guardians of Serer traditions and beliefs and could dethrone a reigning monarch if threatened.^[14][15]

The Great Council of Lamanes[link]

The Great Council of Lamanes was an ancient Council made up of Serer Lamanes (Kings) who divided the Senegambia Region into Lamanats (provinces or kingdoms) which they ruled. They were the Lamanic class.^[16][17] One of their constitutional duties were to hear legal cases like a Court of Appeal. It was the highest appallate court in Serer country.^[18] The first Guelowar king in Sine Maysa Wali commonly known as Maysa Wali Jon was legal advisor to this Council for 15 years before his nomination and election as King of Sine. It was this Council that granted his family (the Guelowars) asylum after their defeat by the Nyanthio (variation : Ñaanco) dynasty of Kaabu at Troubang (a dynastic war between the royal houses of Guelowar and Nyanthio).^[19][20]

Some prominent Serer Lamanes[link]

Lamanes before the Battle of Troubang (1335)[link]

• Lamane Jegan Joof (English spelling in Gambia; Djigan Diouf French spelling in Senegal or Jegaan Juuf Serer spelling) - the c. 11th century founder and King of Tukar and Njujuf originally from Lambaye in modern day Senegal. His historical account and that of Tukar is part of Senegal's national curriculum.^[21][22][23]
• Lamane Jaw (or Lamane Diao) - King of Jolof 1285^[24]

Lamanes during and after the Guelwar period (1350-1969)[link]

The Guelowar period starts from 1350 during the reign of Maysa Wali in Sine and ended in 1969 after the death of both king of Sine and Saloum - Maad a Sinig Mahecor Joof and Maad Saloum Fode N'Gouye Joof respectively.^[25][26]

• Lamane Pangha Yaya Sarr (many variations: Penga Yaye Sarr etc.) - c. 14th century Lamane of Sine and an opponent to the Guelowar refuges.^[27][28]

See also[link]

	Senegal portal
	Gambia portal
	Serer portal
	Mauritania portal
	History portal
	Monarchy portal
	History portal
	Politics portal
	Religion portal

• Serer religion
• States headed by ancient Serer Lamanes
• Serer ancient history
• History of Senegal
• History of the Gambia
• Serer people

Notes[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Clark, Andrew F., & Phillips, Lucie Colvin, Historical Dictionary of Senegal, p181. The Scarecrow Press, Metuchen (N. J.) London, 1994, 2nd Edition
• Diouf, Niokhobaye. "Chronique du royaume du Sine." Suivie de notes sur les traditions orales et les sources écrites concernant le royaume du Sine par Charles Becker et Victor Martin. (1972). Bulletin de l'Ifan, Tome 34, Série B, n° 4, (1972)
• Ngom, Biram, Éthiopiques (revue), numéro 54, nouvelle série, vol. 7, semestre 1991
• Crousse, Bernard, Le Bris, Émile & Le Roy, Étienne, Espaces disputés en Afrique noire : pratiques foncières locales, p 222. Karthala. ISBN 2-86537-146-8
• Sarr, Alioune, "Histoire du Sine-Saloum" (Sénégal). Introduction, bibliographie et notes par Charles Becker. Version légèrement remaniée par rapport à celle qui est parue en 1986-87
• Diao, M'Baye, Étude du système foncier traditionnel chez les Wolof du Cayor au Sénégal : son évolution sous l'impact des régimes du lamanat, de la monarchie, de l'Islam et de la colonisation, École pratique des hautes études, Paris, 1973
• Gastellu, Jean-Marc, L'égalitarisme économique des Serer du Sénégal, ORSTOM, Paris, 1981, 808 p. ISBN 2-7099-0591-4 (Thèse de Sciences économiques soutenue à l'Université Paris 10 en 1978)
• Lericollais, André, Les lamanats, Sob, étude géographique d'un terroir Sérèr (Sénégal), vol. 7 de Atlas des structures agraires au sud du Sahara, Mouton, 1972. p. 16-19
• Bressers, Hans, Rosenbaum, Walter A., Achieving sustainable development: the challenge of governance across social scales, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003, p. 151 (ISBN 0-275-97802-8)
• Boulègue, Jean. Le Grand Jolof, (XVIIIe - XVIe Siècle). (Paris, Edition Façades), Karthala (1987), p 30
• Dyao, Yoro, Légendes et coutumes sénégalaises. Cahiers de Yoro Dyao: publiés et commentés par Henri Gaden. p 12. (E. Leroux, 1912)

v t e Serer topics History Timeline of Serer history Serer ancient history Serer history (medieval era to present) Senegambian stone circles Cekeen Tumulus Kingdom of Sine kingdom of Saloum Kingdom of Baol Kingdom of Biffeche States headed by ancient Serer Lamanes The Battle of Fandane-Thiouthioune The Battle of Logandème People Serer people Ndut people Noon people Saafi people Niominka people Palor people Laalaa people Religion Serer religion Serer creation myth Roog (Serer deity) Koox Pangool Saltigue The legend of Jambooñ and Agaire Religion in Senegal Religion in the Gambia Junjung (sacred musical instrument) Sacred places Kingdom of Sine Tukar Fatick Senegambian stone circles Cekeen Tumulus The Point of Sangomar Sacred text Raampa Education Ndut Philosophy Jom Geography Serer countries Demographics Demographics of Senegal Demographics of the Gambia Demographics of Mauritania Culture and language Tassu (conservative and religious music) Njuup (conservative and religious music) Senegalese wrestling Mbalax (popular music) Sabar (music instrument) Tama (musical instrument, sacred through the Ndut-Woong) Serer language Cangin languages Ndut language Safen language Lehar language Palor language Kings Lamane Jegan Joof Ama Gôdô Maat Ma N'Dambao Lel Maad Ndaah Njemeh Joof Maad a Sinig Maysa Wali Jaxateh Manneh Bourba Jolof Ndiadiane Ndiaye Maad a Sinig Waagaan Tenin Jom Faye Maad Patar Kholleh Joof Maad a Sinig Niokhobaye Mane Nyan Joof Maad a Sinig Guejopal Mane Nyan Joof Maad Saloum Mbegan Ndour Maad Saloum Malaotan Joof Maad Semou Njekeh Joof Laasuk Fanaan Faye Waagaan Kumbasaanjaan Faye Maad a Sinig Boukar Tjilas Sanghaie Diouf Maad a Sinig Ama Joof Gnilane Faye Joof Maad a Sinig Mbackeh Kodu Njie Maad Saloum Balleh Njugou Ndaw Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof Coronation of Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof Maad Saloum Bala Adam Njie Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Fa Ndeb Joof Maad a Sinig Mahecor Joof Maad Saloum Fode N'Gouye Joof Mama Tamba Jammeh Queens and queen mothers Lingeer N'Dambao Lel Lingeer Fatim Beye Lingeer Ndoye Demba Lingeer Yandeh Mbouna Faye Lingeer Ngoneh Jaay Lingeer Selbeh Ndoffene Joof Lingeer Gnilane Jogoye Joof Dynasties and royal houses Joof family Wagadou (Princesses from the Ghana Empire who married into the old Serer royal families) Faye family The Royal House of Boureh Gnilane Joof The Royal House of Jogo Siga Joof The Royal House of Semou Njekeh Joof Guelowar Joos Maternal Dynasty (of Waalo) Guedj Maternal Dynasty (of Cayor and Baol, founded by Lingeer Ngoneh Jaay of Saloum) Royal titles Lamane (Also connected to Serer religion through the Pangool) Maad a Sinig Maad Saloum Teigne Buumi Thilas Loul Lingeer Law Serer customary law Serer Categories Serer portal

Robert Wishart
Bishop of Glasgow
Church	Roman Catholic Church
See	Diocese of Glasgow
In Office	1271–1316
Predecessor	William Wishart
Successor	Stephen de Dunnideer
Orders
Consecration	29 January 1273, at Aberdeen
Personal details
Born	unknown unknown
Died	Probably 26 November 1316
Previous post	Archdeacon of St Andrews & Archdeacon of Lothian

Robert Wishart was Bishop of Glasgow during the Wars of Scottish Independence and a leading supporter of Sir William Wallace and Robert Bruce. For Wishart and many of his fellow churchmen the freedom of Scotland and the freedom of the Scottish church were one and the same thing. His support for the national cause was to be of crucial importance at some critical times.

Bishop and Guardian[link]

Robert Wishart belongs to the Wisharts, or Wisehearts, of Pittarrow, Kincardineshire, a family of Norman-French origin. He was either the cousin or nephew of William Wishart, Bishop of St. Andrews, a former Chancellor of Scotland. Wishart's first recorded office in the church was as archdeacon of St. Andrews. He was appointed Bishop of Glasgow in 1273. As well as a churchman he became a prominent political figure during the reign of Alexander III. After the death of Alexander in 1286 Wishart was one of a panel of six Guardians, appointed to take charge of national affairs for the infant Margaret, Maid of Norway. Although he and his fellow Guardians signed the Treaty of Birgham, which envisaged the future marriage of Margaret to Prince Edward, the eldest son of Edward I, King of England, their agreement was subject to the caveat that the treaty would do nothing to threaten the integrity of the Kingdom of Scotland.

The early death of the Maid in 1290 left no generally recognised heir to the throne of Scotland. With the country threatening to descend into a dynastic war between the supporters of Robert Bruce, 5th Lord of Annandale, the grandfather of the future king, and John Balliol, Wishart was closely involved in all of the diplomatic negotiations with King Edward, invited to adjudicate between the rival claimants. When Edward insisted that he be recognised as Lord Paramount of Scotland prior to giving decision in the matter, Wishart pointed out that 'the kingdom of Scotland is not held in tribute or homage to anyone save God alone.' Edward simply sidestepped these objections; and with no means of settling the question by any internal process, he was duly accepted as Overlord by Guardians and Claimants alike.

In the great feudal court held at Berwick-upon-Tweed, Bruce and Balliol were allowed to appoint forty auditors each, with Wishart taking his place in the Bruce camp. He remained consistent in his support even when some of his fellow auditors voted for John Balliol, having the superior claim in feudal law. Even so, as a prominent churchman, he remained at the forefront of public affairs during the reign of King John, and was one of those who ratified the Franco-Scottish alliance-subsequently to be known as the Auld Alliance, in February 1296. After Edward's conquest of Scotland he swore fealty to the English king, along with the other chief men of the realm.

Independence and the Church[link]

Almost from the outset, and in spite of his solemn oath to Edward, Wishart was involved in the struggle against the English occupation of Scotland. He along with William Lamberton, the Bishop of St. Andrews, and David de Moravia, Bishop of Moray, formed an important clerical foundation for the struggles of William Wallace and Robert Bruce. They were patriots, but in two distinct senses of that term. The Scottish church had long guarded its own independent traditions within the universal church, resisting all attempts to subordinate it to the archdiocese of York, and insisting that no intermediary come between it and Rome. All attempts at dilution were resisted, causing Pope Nicholas IV to censure the clergy in 1289 for objecting to the promotion of foreigners to ecclesiastical office in Scotland. Now Edward's conquest brought with it the prospect once again of submission to York or Canterbury and the appointment of English clergy to vacant Scottish benefices. The hostile Lanercost Chronicle says of Wishart and those like him;

In like manner, as we know, that it is truly written, that evil priests are the cause of the people's ruin, so the ruin of the realm of Scotland had its source within the bosom of her church...for with one consent both those who discharged the office of prelate and those who were preachers, corrupted the ears and minds of the nobles, and commons, by advice and exhortation, both publicly and secretly, strirring them to enmity against the king and nation...declaring falsely that it was more justifiable to attack them than the Saracen.

Wishart's Rising[link]

In 1297, even before William Wallace made his appearance, Wishart was among the early leaders of the rising against the English occupation. According to the Lanercost Chronicle it was he, along with James Stewart, the High Steward of Scotland, who prodded Wallace into action. Wishart's first rising came to a premature end in July 1297 when he surrendered to the English at Irvine, but the ball was rolling and would not stop.

The rebel bishop was imprisoned for a time, swore his fealty to Edward anew, only to break it as soon as he was released. In May 1301 Edward himself wrote to Pope Boniface in an obvious mood of frustration, requesting Wishart's removal from the see of Glasgow. Boniface would not consent to this, but he wrote to Wishart demanding that he desist in his opposition to Edward, and denouncing him as 'the prime mover and instigator of all the tumult and dissension which has risen between his dearest son in Christ, Edward, King of England, and the Scots.' In the surrender of the patriotic party in February 1304 Wishart was initially condemned to banishment from Scotland for two or three years 'on account of the great evils he has caused.'

The Bishop and the Bruce[link]

Wishart's defaced effigy

On 10 February 1306 Robert Bruce and a small party of supporters murdered John Comyn, a leading rival, in the Church of the Greyfriars in Dumfries.^[1] It was an act of political rebellion: perhaps even more serious, it was an act of supreme sacrilege. He now faced the future as an outlaw and an excommunicate, an enemy of the state and the church. It was to be many years before the Pope was prepared to forgive him; but the support of Wishart and the other Scottish bishops was of inestimable importance at this moment of crisis.

Bruce went to Glasgow, where he met Wishart, in whose diocese the murder had been committed. Rather than excommunicate the miscreant, as church law demanded, Wishart immediately absolved him and urged his flock to rise in his support. He then accompanied Bruce to Scone, the site of Scottish coronations of ages past, and there met his brother bishops of St. Andrews and Moray, as well as other prominent churchmen, in what gives the appearance of a well-arranged plan. Less than seven weeks after the killing in Dumfries, along with a number of prominent lay figures they all witnessed the coronation of King Robert I on 25 March. The country was immediately put on a war footing, with Wishart himself, despite his advancing years, being in the forefront of the preparations. The timber the English had given him to repair the bell tower of Glasgow Cathedral was used for making siege engines, and he took personal charge of the assault on Cupar Castle in Fife, 'like a man of war', as the enemy later complained.

All these hopes and efforts were soon frustrated by the advance of an English army under Aymer de Valence in the summer of 1306: Bruce was defeated at the Battle of Methven, soon to be forced into hiding, and Wishart was captured at Cupar. He was taken south in chains, and incarcerated in an English dungeon, saved only from execution by his clerical orders. Edward was delighted with the capture of this 'traitor and rebel', and wrote to the Pope in September telling him that Wishart, along with William de Lamberton, was being held in close confinement, and that custody of the see of Glasgow had been entrusted to Geoffery de Mowbray.

Wishart was to remain in prison for the next eight years, going blind in the course of his captivity. It was not until after King Robert's triumph at the Battle of Bannockburn that he was released as part of a prisoner exchange. He returned to Scotland to live out his life in relative peace, finally dying in Glasgow in November 1316, 'indisputedly one of the great figures in the struggle for Scottish independence...the patron and friend of Wallace and Bruce, the persistent opponent of Plantagenet pretensions, an unheroic hero of the long war.' (Barrow, 1976, p. 372).

Final resting place[link]

After his death in 1316 his body was entombed at the back of the crypt in Glasgow Cathedral where he was Bishop for much of his life. The tomb is unlabelled and has been defaced at some point, probably during the Reformation.

References[link]

• Barrow, G., Robert Bruce and the Community of the Realm of Scotland, 1976.
• Barron, E. M., The Scottish Wars of Independence, 1934.
• The Lanercost Chronicle, ed. E. M. Maxwell, 1913.
• Nicholson, R., Scotland:the Later Middle Ages, 1974.

Sergio Guzmán Silva (date of birth unknown) is a Mexican Luchador, or professional wrestler, who has worked for the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) for most of his professional career. Guzmán currently works under the ring name Tigre Blanco and inidially worked as Kid Guzmán but changed identities in 1999. Guzmán’s real name was not a matter of public record until he lost his "Tigre Blanco" mask on September 18, 2009 where he announced his real name. Tigre Blanco is Spanish for "White Tiger", a name that is reflected by his mask, designed to look like the head of a white tiger.^[2]

Professional wrestling career[link]

Sergio Guzmán made his professional wrestling debut on February 2, 1995 under the ring name Kid Guzmán. Initially Kid Guzmán worked for the Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA), winning the UWA World Welterweight Championship from Super Crazy in 1997.^{[3][Note 1]} Kid Guzmán held the title for just over a year before losing it back to Super Crazy.^[3]

By 1999 Kid Guzmán signed with Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) and was repackaged, changing his ring persona. He became an enmascarado, or masked wrestler, under the name Tigre Blanco, wearing an outfit and mask that was patterned after a White Tiger. Blanco made his first Pay-Per-View appearance mere months after changing his ring persona as he participated in CMLL's 1999 Ruleta de la Muerte PPV on July 18, 1999. The match saw Satánico, Zumbido, Valentin Mayo, Virus and Rencor Latino defeat Tigre Blanco, Starman, Astro Rey, Jr., El Orientál and Mr. Águila in an elimination match.^[4] On December 17, 1999 Tigre Blanco teamed with El Felino to win the second 1999 Tornero Gran Alternativa, defeating Máscara Año 2000 and Sangre Azteca in the first round, Ringo Mendoza and Ricky Marvin in the second round and Scorpio, Jr. and Fugaz in the finals to win the tournament.^[5] On March 17, 2000 the team of Arkangel de la Muerte, Dr. O'Borman, Jr., Último Guerrero, Zumbido, Rencor Latino, Mr. Mexico, Violencia and Rey Bucanero defeated Tigre Blanco, Máscara Mágica, Astro Rey Jr., Starman, Antifaz, Tony Rivera, Safari and Olímpico in an elimination match as part of CMLL's march 2000 PPV. Tigre Blanco eliminated Doctor O'Borman, Jr. but was himself eliminated by Zumbido.^[6] On April 17, 2001 Tigre Blanco defeated Karloff Lagarde, Jr. to win the Mexican National Welterweight Championship.^[7] Following his title win Tigre Blanco teamed with Ricky Marvin and Sicodelico, Jr., losing to Doctor X, Virus and Mr. Mexico on CMLL's 68th Anniversary Show.^[8] On December 14, 2001 Tigre Blanco made another PPV appearance, teaming with Volador, Jr. and Tony Rivera, in a loss against Venero, Dr. X and Hijo de Pierroth.^[9] In 2001 Tigre Blanco once again participated in the annual Torneo Gran Alternativa, teaming with Black Tiger, losing to Black Warrior and Sangre Azteca in the first round.^[10] Tigre Blanco held the Mexican National Welterweight title for almost two years, making only one title defenses in that time before losing the title to Doctor X on March 11, 2003.^[7] In 2005 Tigre Blanco participated in the inaugural Reyes del Aire tournament, eliminating Stuka, Jr. before being eliminated by Alan Stone.^[11] In 2006 Blanco was teamed up with Tigre Metalico (Metal Tiger) and rookie Rey Tigre (King Tiger) to form the group Los Tigres del Ring (The Tigers of the ring).^[12] The trio worked together throughout 2006 until Rey Tigre was repackaged as Eclipse.^[13] Tigre Blanco and Tigre Metalico kept teaming, working lower card matches together, the two even kept teaming after Tigre Metalico was repackages as Metalico. The Tigres del Ring officially disbanded in 2007 when Tigre Metalico changed his ring name.On October 18, 2009 Tigre Blanco lost his mask as he was pinned by Pólvora in a 12-man Luchas de Apuestas cage match. After the match he was forced to unmask and announce his real name per lucha libre tradition.^[14]

In wrestling[link]

• Finishing moves

• Cruceta Invertida (Reverse figure four leglock)

• Signature Moves

• Slingshot somersault senton plancha
• Spinning headscissors
• Slingshot corkscrew plancha

Championships and accomplishments[link]

• Asistencia Asesoría y Administración

• UWA World Welterweight Championship (1 time)^{[3][Note 1]}

• Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre

• Mexican National Welterweight Championship (1 time)^[7]
• Torneo Gran Alternativa: 1999 (II) – with El Felino^[5]

Lucha de Apuesta record[link]

Footnotes[link]

References[link]

Professional wrestling portal

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Ahmed Khelifati Mohamed (Arabic: أحمد خليفاتي محمد‎) better known by his stage name Cheb Mami (Arabic: شاب مامي‎), (born in Saïda, Algeria on 1 January 1966) is an Algerian-born raï singer. He sings and speaks in Algerian Arabic, French and sometimes, as on Layali, in Egyptian Arabic.

As of July 2010, Mami was imprisoned in France, where he was found guilty of drugging and forcing a former romantic partner to undergo a failed abortion. A Parisian court found him guilty at trial and sentenced him to five years in prison. He was released in March 2011 on parole.^[1]

Beginnings[link]

Cheb Mami was born in Graba-el-wed (Arabic: غربة الواد), a populous quarter of Saïda (Arabic: سعيدة), Algeria. Located 170 kilometres south of Oran, the city of Saida is on the high mesas of southwestern Algeria. Cheb Mami grew up to a family of factory workers. He began singing and playing the accordion on Saida streets and by 1980 began performing at local weddings and ceremonies.^[2]

In 1982, the 16-year-old adolescent sang on the Alhan wa Chabab radio show, a singing competition organised by Radio Télevision Algérienne. He sang "El Marsam" (The Sanctuary) a classic of Oranese music from the 1920s. The audience was transfixed by the sheer emotion of his performance and by his concordant vocal intonations which captured perfectly the flavour of the song's title. The judges, who represented the government which refused to admit even the existence of raï, gave the first prize to the contestant that sang a cover version of a hit by the famous Egyptian diva, Umm Kulthum, but were forced to acknowledge the standing ovation Mami received by awarding him second prize.

Cheb Mami was spotted by Boualem, the producer of the Oran label, Disco Maghreb, and the cassette waltz began.^[3]

Career[link]

It was in 1985 that Mami came to Paris and found his musical niche. Raï fused blues, funk, salsa, reggae, hip hop and Algerian rhythms, while integrating touches of his idols Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding and French rapper MC Solaar.

Cheb Mami made his first official public appearance at the First Oran Raï Festival in 1985, which marked the official recognition of the genre by the Algerian authorities.^[3]

He was in military service for two years in Algeria but was an entertainer on army bases. After that, in May 1989, Mami returned to Paris at the Olympia, rejuvenating raï music. He began making recordings and performing in cabarets in the Paris suburb of Barbès. He also toured the United States, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Scandinavia and England.

Mami's music is a blend of Mediterranean and Western influences including Turkish, Flamenco and Greek music as well as Latin music. His voice is tinged with Andalusian accents, and his music is an amalgamation of the traditional and the modern styles of singing and creation of music.

In 1999, Mami topped the French pop charts with a groundbreaking duet with French rapper K-Mel, "Parisien du Nord". The song was an anthem against racism that seamlessly made the transition between hip hop and raï, and introduced throngs of young new audiences to raï. This song explores the racist issues between Arabs and French and the challenges of identity.^[2]

international recognition[link]

When Sting's album Brand New Day was released in 1999, the pair's duet, "Desert Rose", appeared on singles charts around the world, and led to television appearances on Saturday Night Live, the Today Show, Jay Leno, David Letterman, the Grammy Awards telecast and even a live performance at the Super Bowl".^[4]

Soon after his collaboration with Sting, Mami's released perhaps his most successful recording, the album Dellali, produced by former Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers. The album's lead single was "Le Raï C'est Chic", on which Sting returned the favor by providing backing vocals.^[5]

These successes fulfilled Mami's long-held dream of internationalising raï sounds, and has led him to be called the "Prince of Raï".^[5] Although Mami has been able to be recognized by mainstream media in the United States, Americans often equate his raï music genre with rock in the US during the 1950s and 1960s.^[6] Americans believe raï to be "North African punk,^[6]" a genre of music for the purpose of rebelling against the government and resembling the music of ‘young rockers’^[6] in the US, when in reality this music plays a very different role in the life of the North African diasporic community in France.^[6] Although raï does include narratives of the various struggles of this community against "the Algerian state or against the forces of ‘tradition’",^[6] it is also the "music of the racialized Other"^[6] which chronicles struggles with racism and identity of North African people in France.

Arrest, imprisonment and release[link]

Mami was under an international arrest warrant after being indicted in October 2006 for "voluntary violence, sequestration and threats" against an ex-girlfriend, and failing to answer a court summons on May 14, 2007. He was accused of having tried to force Isabelle Simon, his former girlfriend and a magazine photographer, to have an forced abortion.^[7] During a trip to Algeria in the summer of 2005, the victim Isabelle Simon was locked in a house belonging to one of Mami's friends, where an abortive procedure was attempted on her. Back in France, however, she realized the fetus was still alive. Mami had accused his manager Michel Lecorre (a.k.a. Michel Levy) of organizing the abortion plan; Michel Levy was later sentenced to four years for plotting and organizing the assault.^{[8][9][10][11]}

Mami was arrested in France several days before his trial; he was taken into custody by officials at a Paris airport as he arrived into the country from Algeria on June 22, 20010.^[12] The following July, a Paris court found him guilty of drugging and attempted forcible abortion, and sentenced him to five years in prison.^[13]

On 21 September 2010, his lawyers applied for conditional release, a request that was turned down on 12 October 2010.^[14] Upon a second appeal however, the French court agreed for his conditional release on 23 March 2011.^[15]

Selected discography[link]

• Prince of Raï (1989)
  • Tracks: Ana Mazel  • Dertfik Confiance  • Douni El Bladi  • Lella Rani Ensaaf El Mektoub  • Ralia Mahboubit Galbi  • Tayo Tayo Adiani
• Let Me Raï (1991)
  • Tracks: Yo Yo  • Haoulou  • Let Me Cry  • Douha Alia  • Fatma  • Rah Eddani  • Khalihoum  • Maandi  • Manimane  • Alache Alache
• Saida (1994)
  • Tracks: H'babi  • Ma Ma  • Gaulbak K'ssah  • Hay Wadi Hay Galbi  • Bent Bareh  • Baida  • Ghi N'Ti  • Li Fet ghi Mnem  • Zouaji  • Alache Alache  • Trab
• Douni El Bladi (1996)
  • Tracks: Douni el Bladi  • Dertfik Confiance  • Ralia Mahboubit Galbi  • Ana Mazel  • Lella Rai Saaf El Mektoub  • Tayo Tayo Adiani  • Ouach Etsalini  • Idha Enti Bitik  • Chedi Bentek  • Maniche Aadouk  • Ghebnouha  • Sehrane Ouahdi  • Alauni (Instrumental)
• Meli Meli (1999)
  • Tracks: Meli Meli  • Alache Alik  • Bledi  • Rani Maak El Youm  • Fatma  • Hada Ch'h  • Hatachi  • Bekatni  • Cheikh  • Azwaw  • Parisien du Nord  • Marseillais du Nord  • Au Pays des Merveillus  • Azwaw Alternative
• Dellali (2001)
  • Tracks: Raï C'est Chic  • Viens Habibi  • Madanite  • Rim Lachoua  • Yahamami  • Ana Oualache  • Ma Vie 2 fois  • Tzazae  • Zarartou  • Manazureh  • Machi Chaba  • Hoaulou  • Khalouni
• Lazrag Saani (2002)
  • Tracks: Lazrag Saani  • Zazarkhatri  • Rouhi Douri Yalala  • Mani Sabar  • Madiriche Aliya  • Hay Delali  • Delali Mantzaoutchi  • Raikoum Rai Ma  • Salou Maana  • Derti Jauline  • Ana Khatini  • Hoaulou  • Sair Fer
• Du Sud au Nord (2003)
  • Tracks: Des 2 Côtés feat. Mouss et Hakim / Parisien du Nord feat. K.mel / Madanite feat. Ziggy Marley  • Desert Rose feat. Sting  • Cosi Celeste feat. Zucchero  • Nagumo feat. Susheela Raman  • Enfant d'esfrinque feat. Corneille  • Clando feat. 113  • Youm Wara Youm feat. Samira Said  • Fugitif feat. Tonton David  • The Best Times of Our Lives feat. Aswad  • Koum Tara feat. Enrico Macias  • Azwaw 2 feat. Idir
• Live au Grand Rex (2004)
  • Tracks: Azwaw  • Parisien du Nord  • Nagumo feat. Susheela Raman  • Mamzareli  • Mazal Souvenir Aandi  • Desert Rose  • Koum Tara feat. Enrico Macias  • Bledi - Mon pays  • Cosi Celeste feat. Zucchero  • Alache Alik  • Meli Meli  • Des 2 Côtés feat. Mous et Hakim  • Haoulou  • Zarartou
• Layali (2006)
  • Tracks: Halili feat. Zaho  • Gualbi Gualbi  • Inshallah  • Tigi Tigi  • Gaiye bil Salama  • Ahla Layali Omrina  • Ajlissou  • Nos Couleurs feat. K.Maro  • Mama Dabia  • Ellie Beina Intaha  • Amshi Btraring  • Non c'sera non (Omri Omri) feat. Sween

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website (French/English/Arabic)
• Cheb Mami's lyrics English translation on Shawshara.com
• [www.zikooo.com/search/mp3/1/cheb-mami.html Télécharger Cheb Mami Mp3]