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Revision as of 06:25, 30 May 2006 by Mike Halterman (talk | contribs) (→Trivia)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| Chico Slimani | |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Wales |
| Years active | 2006–present (singer) |
Yousseph "Chico" Slimani (born April 2, 1971) is a Moroccan pop singer who rose to prominence in the United Kingdom after reaching the finals of the 2005 series of the talent show The X Factor.
Early life
Chico was born in Wales but moved to Morocco when he was a baby. While in Morocco he was a mountain goat herder until the age of 13, before once again moving back to the UK at age 14 to live in Crawley, West Sussex. Chico has had a number of jobs in his life. He was a hairdresser and also an electrician, before joining exotic dance troupe Extreme Force, to raise money for his ill grandmother. He then auditioned for The X Factor. Chico says he practised his singing most in the bathroom, and he grew up with Arabic and Indian music.Chico became a Sufi disciple 16 months ago.
The X Factor
During The X Factor competition, Chico was mentored by manager Sharon Osbourne. Slimani's dancing impressed X Factor judges, and he was popular with viewers, but he failed to reach the final of the ITV talent show, being voted out in the penultimate episode. It was eventually won by singer Shayne Ward in December 2005. Slimani had originally planned to release his single, which he performed during the talent show, before Christmas. "I'm absolutely loving every minute of it, and looking forward to releasing the single at last," he was stated saying.
The ex-goatherd and stripper released his debut single, "It's Chico Time", in February 2006, entering the UK Singles Chart at #1 on 5th March 2006. He is taking part in a nationwide X Factor tour, which begins in Newcastle upon Tyne next month. "The whole thing has been unbelievable," the 34-year-old said.
Trivia
- His height is 6' 1" (1.85 m).
- He also has a rather surprising love of the ex-Libertines star and now Babyshambles frontman, Pete Doherty, according to his posts on his own forum. He stated that The Libertines are a strong influence on his musical career.
Discography
Singles
- "It's Chico Time" (2006) (Released 27th February, 2006) UK#1 (2 Weeks)
See also
- The X Factor UK series 2
- Shayne Ward, winner of X Factor series 2
- Andy Abraham, 2nd placed finalist
- Journey South, 3rd placed finalist
External links
- Official Chico Website
- Official Chico Forum
- Chico's profile on the official X Factor website
- BBC News: X Factor's Chico gets record deal
- Simon Cowl page with free MP3 - 1964 version of Chico Time!
- Chico at XFactorBlog
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