Samir El Quichiri was born in Oujda, in the North of Morocco. When he visited Barcelona in 1992, to see the Olympics, with a three-month tourist visa, the 23 year old Samir had already recorded over 30 cassettes in his country, some of which had been hits. Samir fell in love with a Catalan woman from Sant Boi, and currently lives in Cornellá (an industrial town in Barcelona's suburbs). He alternates between theater and movie performances and concerts with his Rai group: Chab Samir

When the group began, the concept was to play the songs of the great Rai masters such as Mami or Khaled, combined with popular Moroccan songs and perform at NGO events, usually for immigrant audiences. Samir's eagerness to find a new sound led him to increase the size of his group and include Spanish musicianswhich gives the group a stronger sound. He began to write and perform his own songs that address issues in the lives of immigrants. Samir also appears in movies and collaborates with other musicians such as Ginesa Ortega (one of the most known new flamenco voices) and Salvador Niebla.

The current line-up includes: 

Pep Mendoza: guitars

Sergio Ramos: drums

J. Francesc Romero: saxes, flute and keyboard

Javier Méndez: bass

Mohammed Suleiman: violin

Martí Perramon: percussion. 

The band has played at major festivals in Spain. Chab Samir recorded a first album, titled Chab Samir (AfroBlue Records). It was the first Rai disc ever recorded in Spain. The music, an urban style Rai, with rock, flamenco, funk and hip-hop influences and words by Samir and other Moroccan poets, speak of the reality of daily life for Moroccan immigrants in Europe.

Chab Samir (AfroBlue Records, 1999)