I went along to meet Cheb Mami before the Summerstage concert and found the young cheb clambering down from the stage post-soundcheck, showing absolutely no sign of pre-concert nerves. I'd been waiting for Mami in the wings with his agent, who had given me a spot of friendly journalistic advice, warning: "Whatever you write in your article, please don't call Mami the 'Little Prince of Raï'. It really annoys him. Anyway, that era's very much behind him now!"

But when Mami finally appeared before me oozing infectious warmth and enthusiasm, I found it a bit difficult to imagine him flying into a rage of any kind! Besides, as I followed the singer towards his dressing-room/trailer, it became clear that these days Mami has risen from the rank of "Little Prince" to become the crowned Raï King of New York.

RFI Musique :You've certainly managed to pack a lot in since your last visit to New York in the winter of '99...
Cheb Mami : Yes, that's true. I've been so busy time seems to have just flown by. But I'm not complaining, this is a nice way to spend time! I've been really busy working on my new album which I'm going to record here in New York. As you know, Desert Rose - the duet I recorded with Sting on his album Brand New Day - has been a huge hit everywhere we've played. It's a bit like a flower really, you have to keep watering it! We've toured all over Europe promoting Desert Rose and at the same time I've been really busy with my own solo tour. I've been doing two tours - one with Sting and one on my own as Cheb Mami. The first tour's really helped me reach new audiences, while the second one's kept my solo career ticking over.

Teaming up as a duo with Sting, one of the biggest stars on the American rock scene, then becoming friends with him and going on to score such a huge hit with Desert Rose - has it been easy keeping your feet on the ground after all that?
Well, I must admit, it's not easy every day! I'm slowly beginning to take it all in, but I've never taken what's happened to me for granted. I've never sat back and thought the whole thing was completely normal. I throw myself into the present and try to appreciate each moment while it lasts. I put a lot of what's happened to me down to luck. But at the same time I never forget that I've got 22 years of career behind me - I've worked hard to get where I am. But yes, there are times when you stand back and look at everything that's happened and feel it's been one hell of an adventure!

A few months back the American public discovered you through your duet with Sting. Do you feel American music fans look at you a bit differently now?
Well, let's face it, a year ago no-one in America even knew who I was. But now American music fans know me a bit - not much, just a bit! I've still got a long way to go before I get mobbed and can't go out shopping on my own in the street! Having said that though, yesterday I was in a shop and I was recognised for the first time. I don't speak English but I understood enough to make out this guy saying to his wife, "Look over there, it's that guy who sings with Sting!" I have to admit I actually felt quite pleased about it, but it was a bit strange too. I mean, there's me who's never set foot in America before but always dreamt about coming here and I actually get recognised in a store! It's great - even if for the moment there are only two people in the States who actually recognise me!

If, as you just said, you don't speak English, how do you communicate with Sting?
I've never had time to learn English - and that's all there is to it! I know I should have found myself a teacher and started to work seriously on it. But, when you get to my age, I honestly think the only way of learning English is to live here half the month, otherwise you're just wasting your time! I shouldn't exaggerate too much, though - I'm starting to pick up a few words now. And when I don't know how to say something or I can't understand what's someone said to me, I've got into the habit of saying nothing. Believe me, that's got me out of all kinds of tricky situations! Sting actually speaks a bit of French so with his bit of French and my few words of English we do manage to get by relatively well. Sting's started to teach me a few basic words in English like "before" and "after" - and that's always useful when it comes to concerts! So in a way he's become my teacher now.

How did your duet, Desert Rose, come about?
Desert Rose existed before we met each other actually. The original version of the song had a strong rock feel, but when Sting decided it was me he wanted to sing with, he came to me and said, "Here's the song, now do something with it!" I spent about a fortnight working on Desert Rose, trying to come up with a sound which would fit with his music. I ended up writing the part I sing and adding it on to the rest of the song. The only condition Sting imposed on me was that he wanted it to sound authentic. I understood what he wanted straight away and ended up using this very Eastern-sounding music. But in order to write the lyrics I had to get Sting to explain what the song was about. He told me, "It's about someone who's looking for the ideal woman. But, as we all know, the ideal woman doesn't exist. So everyone ends up creating their own ideal. Basically, it's a bit like looking for a flower in the middle of the Sahara!"

When will this dream partnership come to an end?
Well, artistically speaking, Sting and I are due to stop working together in five or six months' time - but I'm sure our friendship will go on for ever!

And what do you have lined up after that?
Well, I've got to get on and finish my next album which is going to be recorded in New York. I'm really excited about it because I'm getting to work with Nile Rodgers - the arranger from the group Chic. He's produced albums for Madonna, Diana Ross and lots of other big stars. But I can't say anything else about the new album right now - it's top secret!

Do you think your recent experience in America will influence the new album in any way?
Of course it will! The new album's going to be totally international. It's going to be released simultaneously in lots of different countries - unlike my last albums which were only released in France and in countries which import cassettes. This is a huge break for me career-wise. And let me tell you, music fans are going to discover a whole new Mami! That's all I'm saying right now - and don't take it the wrong way, I'm not being vain when I say that! You know, it's really quite extraordinary to work with someone like Sting. I mean, there aren't many artists of his calibre in the world - Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson... You can count them on the fingers of one hand! So, doing a duet with someone like Sting opens all kinds of doors for you - and when you score a hit with someone like Sting it opens some very big doors indeed!

Do you think raï has made its mark in the States now?
Importing raï to the States has always been one of my dreams!... And, yes, I think it's fair to say that things have got off to a pretty good start. Believe me, it's not easy to get a career off the ground here - especially when you sing in Arabic! But thanks to the duet with Sting, people have started to get used to my style of music and the way I sing. I feel the future of Raï in the States is just round the corner - and I hope that other Raï artists will soon be invited to perform over here too.

Have other American artists approached you and asked you to team up as a duo?
Yes, they have actually - the list is endless! But for the time being I prefer to get on and work on my new album. I enjoy teaming up as a duo but, to be honest, it only works when there's a real spark between the two of you. I don't like the idea of creating some kind of "collage" - you know, when you go into a studio and record your contribution and then they mix that onto someone else's record. That kind of thing doesn't interest me at all! The reason things worked out so well with Sting was that there was an instant spark between us. It was a real collaboration from the word go. But don't worry - there may well be a couple of surprise duos in store on my new album!

What did you get out of working with Sting?
Well, I'd say it taught me a lot professionally - I'm a lot more serious and responsible these days! No more turning up for rehearsals late and missing appointments. That's all over now! Don't get me wrong, I wasn't waiting for Sting to come along so I could start acting more seriously - if that was the case, we'd never have ended up working together in the first place. But Sting definitely taught me a thing or two about discipline!

Do you have any plans to take Sting home to sing with you in Algeria?
Yes. We're planning to do a concert together next year in Algiers, in fact. After that, I'll be setting off on my own tour...

If you had to sum up your current happiness in two words, what would you say?
Thank you God!