Sting y Cheb Mami Desert Rose | Music transcends language
That this song is spectacular is something you surely know, and it is because its music goes beyond language or culture, its music conveys a very specific feeling, something that despite the fact that the two authors, Sting and Cheb Mami, wrote their parts separately in their respective languages, English and Arabic, it turned out that they both spoke about the same thing, do you want to know what it is? 🤔
Video | Sting Desert Rose
Trembol | Story behind Desert Rose by Sting
Desert Rose is part of Sting’s 1999 album, ‘Brand New Day’.
When Sting was writing the songs for the album he had been visiting clubs in the north of Paris that specialised in Räi music.
Raï is a type of folk music from Algeria dating back to the 1920’s. All singers in this genre are known as ‘Cheb (young)’. Hence the name Cheb Mami. Originating among the poor people of Oman and traditionally sung by men, which has now changed, it often deals with social issues.
Sting frequented these places because he loved the music, so he decided to write ‘Desert Rose‘ as a tribute to that style 🏜️, but he lacked a Räi voice to make the song sound more authentic.
That’s how he met Cheb Mami, whose real name is Mohamed Khelifati. Mami, originally from Algeria, had moved to Paris in 1985, where he became acquainted with Räi music and began singing it professionally. When Sting heard him, he was immediately smitten by his strange and beautiful voice, asking him to write and sing a verse for his song ‘Desert Rose’.
Sting didn’t tell Cheb Mami what the song was about, and Cheb Mami, who spoke no English, improvised a verse in Arabic according to what the music inspired him. When Sting asked him what he had written, Cheb explained that he was singing about desire and longing for the person you love, about the wonderful feeling of belonging to another human being.
Sting couldn’t believe it, it was just the same meaning as the rest of the verses he had previously written in English.
That is how ‘Desert Rose 🌹’ got that wonderful Arabic flavour wrapped up in a song that speaks of a higher love – a real treat!
Sting explains the meaning of Desert Rose
Sting (Facebook Image)
Cheb Mami (Facebook image)
Video ‘Desert Rose’
I wrote the lyrics about longing, this idea that longing for the other is something that is kind of religious.
It was a sort of unconscious and automatic process. I always considered that it was the music which wrote the text. For this album, more than all the others, I began by writing the music, then I went walking and this music suggested a character, a story. Like a sculptor who kneads his material, then notices a nose, a leg. It’s longer, but more organic.
Escribí la letra sobre el anhelo, la idea de que el anhelo por el otro es algo religioso.
Fue una especie de proceso inconsciente y automático. Siempre consideré que era la música la que escribía el texto. Para este álbum, más que para todos los demás, empecé escribiendo la música, luego me puse a caminar y esta música me sugirió un personaje, una historia. Como un escultor que amasa su material, luego nota una nariz, una pierna. Es más largo, pero más orgánico.
🎵 Discover the story behind other great songs of all time.
You can’t miss ⭐️ The best parts of Desert Rose
1.- When Cheb Mami starts singing in Arabic it is just the right tone to introduce you to the dream of the song.
2.- When Sting sings this beautiful verse: “No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this”.
3.- The instrumental part transports you to the Arabian Nights, leading to the wonderful final refrain.
This is what it says | Let’s Stay Together lyrics in Spanish
STING | DESERT ROSE | LYRICS
Hathe mada tawila
Wa ana nahos ana wahala ghzalti
Wa ana nahos ana wahala ghzalti
Wa ana nahos ana wahala ghzalti
I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in vain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand
I dream of fire
Those dreams are tied to a horse that will never tire
And in the flames
Her shadows play in the shape of a man’s desire
This desert rose
Each of her veils, a secret promise
This desert flower
No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this
And as she turns
This way she moves in the logic of all my dreams
This fire burns
I realize that nothing’s as it seems
I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in vain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand
I dream of rain
I lift my gaze to empty skies above
I close my eyes
This rare perfume is the sweet intoxication of her love
Aman aman aman
Omry feek antia
Ma ghair antia
Ma ghair antia
I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in vain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand
Sweet desert rose
Each of her veils, a secret promise
This desert flower
No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this
Sweet desert rose
This memory of Eden haunts us all
This desert flower
This rare perfume, is the sweet intoxication of the fallYa lili ah ya leel
STING | DESERT ROSE | LYRICS IN SPANISH
Hathe mada tawila
Wa ana nahos ana wahala ghzalti
Wa ana nahos ana wahala ghzalti
Wa ana nahos ana wahala ghzalti
Sueño con la lluvia
Sueño con jardines en la arena del desierto
Despierto en vano
Sueño con el amor mientras el tiempo corre por mi mano
Sueño con fuego
Esos sueños están atados a un caballo que nunca se cansará
Y en las llamas
Sus sombras juegan con la forma del deseo de un hombre
Esta rosa del desierto
Cada uno de sus velos, una promesa secreta
Esta flor del desierto
Ningún dulce perfume me torturó más que éste
Y mientras ella gira
Así se mueve en la lógica de todos mis sueños
Este fuego quema
Me doy cuenta de que nada es lo que parece
Sueño con la lluvia
Sueño con jardines en la arena del desierto
Despierto en vano
Sueño con el amor mientras el tiempo corre por mi mano
Sueño con la lluvia
Levanto la mirada al cielo vacío
cierro los ojos
Este raro perfume es la dulce embriaguez de su amor
Aman aman aman
Omry feek antia
Ma ghair antia
Ma ghair antia
Sueño con la lluvia
Sueño con jardines en la arena del desierto
Despierto en vano
Sueño con el amor mientras el tiempo corre por mi mano
Dulce rosa del desierto
Cada uno de sus velos, una promesa secreta
Esta flor del desierto
Ningún dulce perfume me torturó más que éste
Dulce rosa del desierto
Este recuerdo del Edén nos persigue a todos
Esta flor del desierto
Este raro perfume, es la dulce intoxicación de la caídaYa lili ah ya leel
Did you know...?
Much more | Desert Rose covers and remixes
This live version in Berlin is a delight, don’t miss it!
‘Desert Rose’ was released as a single with several remixes created by Victor Calderone.
- On the ‘Melodic Club Mix Radio Edit‘, which went to number 1 on the Billboard Max-Singles chart, Sting re-recorded his vocals to better fit the mix.
- Another great remix of Desert Rose is Sabo & Goldcap’s ‘Desert Sunrise 2020 remix’.
When Sting released the album ‘Brand New Day‘ in 1999, his duet with Chab Mami began to climb the charts around the world, which led to them performing ‘Desert Rose’ on TV, at the Grammys and even at the Super Bowl 🏈
Technical Note | Sting ‘Desert Rose‘
✔️ ‘Desert Rose’ is a fusion of Algerian folk music (Räi) and electronic music.
🎼 The song was composed in C minor at 112 bpm.
The main chords are:
- First verse: Cm – Ab – Fm – G5 – G – Cm – Bb – Ab- Fm – Gm – Cm.
- Chorus: Eb – Gm – Bb- Ab- G7
Sting ‘Desert Rose’ cover
Do you like ‘Desert Rose’? ♥️
Find more music and stories related to:
Cheb Mami | Music 1999 | Spanish Lyrics | Sting | Story behind the song | Technical Note
0 Comments