He then enrolled at the Institute of Fine Arts in Tétouan, specializing in classical and Western singing, while studying musical theory.

[4] La Paloma that made a fusion sound based on Arab, Moroccan and flamenco music participated for years to come on several national and international festivals, with big success and media coverage.

2009 and 2010 saw release of further hits by Chawki including "Inta Lya", "Ya Nassini", "Ghaly" and "La Paloma" with moderate success, despite lack of support by record labels.

Chawki caught the attention of RedOne during the production of the collective pan-Arab operetta work "Bukra" (in Arabic بكرة meaning tomorrow) in cooperation with Quincy Jones.

[5] At that time, RedOne had produced Khaled's latest album C'est la vie and the title track "C'est la vie" opening the door for further collaborations with Middle East acts including Ahmed Chawki with "Habibi I Love You", a multilingual crossover song with Arabic elements and western dance tunes.

It was popularized in Spain and all Hispanic markets with additional Spanish lyrics interpreted both by Ahmed Chawki and singer Sophia Del Carmen, and rap by Pitbull.

Chawki's song has been covered including in Romanian as "Habibi" by Nek si Blondu de la Timișoara.