He has more than one string to his bow. Nordine Dahmani, better known by the nickname “Mani” created an empire in the United States. Manager of the biggest American stars, film producer, dancer, choreographer or boxer in his spare time, the Moroccan genius has forged a path to the top. A look back at the Moroccan’s thrilling career.
Talented artist, passionate about dance from a very young age, Nordine dit Mani has become in a few years a reference in the world of Entertainment.
Founder of the AAC (American Artist Company) he has more than 150 collaborations with international celebrities such as Rihanna, Akon, Puff Daddy, Snoop Dogg, Usher, Pitbull, Pharell Williams, Will I Am, Chris Brown, 50 cent, Paris Hilton , Pamela Anderson, Lady Gaga, Enrique Iglesias, etc.
Recognized by his peers, he was elevated to the rank of choreographer and flew to the United States, to conquer America, in the process of becoming the first man to affix a new artistic concept.
In a few years, Mani Nordine, knew how to impose his style, his ideas internationally. A new star is born. Prestigious collaborations in the most improbable and monumental artistic projects.
On the occasion of his visit to Marrakech, Hespress FR went to meet this fascinating character with a career that makes many people pale.
“My basic job is producer, manager and publisher and president of the American company Artist Company which was founded in 2001 in New York which mainly deals with the management of artists and celebrities from the country of Uncle Sam”he tells us before returning to his origins and his career.
“My personal journey is very atypical, my parents and I were born in a small village in Morocco near Taounate. My parents immigrated for professional reasons and I am therefore a child of immigration in France. I was lucky to have a passion which was dance and I entered the conservatory where I had the first prize, which allowed me to have a scholarship to study in the United States”, he explains.
The multi-faceted man
Right away, Mani knew that he wanted to make dance his job but not only, since he became interested in the management of artists. “I had the chance to meet Puff Daddy who gave me my chance at Bad Boys (Puff Daddy’s Label, editor’s note), and thanks to that I was able to meet 50 cent, Snoop Dogg, Rihanna, Jay Z and all the biggest stars in the world”, he rejoices.
Thanks to his hard work and his connections, Mani has worked in the biggest festivals in the world such as the B Festival in London, that of Mawazine in Rabat or the Splash Festival.
Alongside his enriching CV, Nordine has a passion for fashion and haute couture and was a key element in the success of German designer Philipp Plein. “Philipp Plein was a trigger for me. I met him, he had just started from a city of Munich in Germany and I managed to get him a picture with Puff Daddy in Saint-Tropez. I helped him to collaborate with lots of artists and he still thanks me for it today since we continue to work together”.
In addition, Mani announces a collaboration with the German designer and Snoop Dogg for a pair of sneakers which will be released in June 2022 in the United States.
A true Swiss army knife, Mani is always on the lookout for discovery and novelty which led him directly to the cinema, where he took his first steps as a producer.
“I arrived at the cinema by chance. I had been asked to make an original soundtrack with Pharell Williams in a film and the film was not made. From there I took a close interest in the world of cinema and I have just shot a film by investing myself as a producer and it is an experience that I would like to repeat. I have plenty of films coming up,” he says.
A child at heart
Passionate about work, Mani created the Stage 11 platform during confinement, which allows people around the world to watch concerts virtually and live.
“It’s a platform where people can meet and see virtual concerts. We had a lot of trouble convincing our artists but today we have a platform that will be very fruitful. The first concert will be launched on September 25 with David Guetta. As guests we will have Snoop Dogg, Ne-Yo, Akon, Nicki Minaj, Kid Cudi or Kelly Rowland.he explains to Hespress FR.
Mani says he wants to renew the experience every month with world stars to allow citizens around the world to watch a concert at the same time.
In addition to being an accomplished businessman, Mani is also a man with a big heart, sponsor of the association “Les Bons Travaux du Coeur”, a foundation which really “touched” her and which aims to restore hope of life to children who were born with a heart defect by offering them a diagnosis, in order to detect heart disease, whether through consultations carried out within the Humanitarian Cardio-Pediatric Institute from Casablanca, or through itinerant consultations organized with medical caravans.
“In Morocco, unfortunately, there are many people who don’t have financial means and I really wanted to help them, being the father of two little girls, and with the connections I have, I tried to give visibility to this foundation and I spoke about it to stars from all over the world, from the United States, France, Morocco and I managed to bring 100 stars who participated in an event organized for the association”.
“Thanks to this initiative, we have raised a lot of funds and thanks to this money we have been able to operate on a lot of babies,” he concludes.
Show must go on for Mani who aims to return to the sources, in Morocco, to concretize new artistic projects with a thirst for knowledge and innovation.
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