For many "world music" artists, the tried-and-tested formula for success is to chalk up a few collaborations with western pop stars. Youssou N'Dour is a textbook example, with his appearance on albums by Peter Gabriel and Neneh Cherry. And now comes Ali Slimani, a young Algerian singer whose CV includes a Real World (Gabriel's record label) album produced by Jah Wobble, and collaborations with Robert Plant and Sinead O'Connor.

Slimani's music is rooted in "pop-rai", the subversive youth music of Algeria. He makes good use of its hypnotic rhythms and brazenly synthetic textures, stirring in generous doses of rock, funk and reggae. In Manchester, Slimani and his five-piece band whipped up an irresistible party atmosphere with a short set of slamming beats, infectious vocal hooks and showmanship.

Wearing blue jeans and a wholesome-looking sweatshirt, Slimani looked less like an international star-in-waiting than a first-year college student on his way to a geography lecture. With a beaming smile and a handful of slightly stiff dance moves, he effortlessly set the agenda for both band and audience. Even his introductions raised a smile: "This one, a nice song about beautiful girl from Algeria, yes?"; "This one, a song about my mother. Is beautiful, you clap".

The songs frequently ended perfunctorily, as if Slimani had simply got bored and couldn't wait to get on to the next one. Yet there wasn't a trace of cool; just child-like enthusiasm. The band, too, were in great spirits, particularly the bendy-kneed, floppy-hatted bass player with a penchant for scat singing and exchanging rhythmical high-fives with the percussionist.

Perhaps the most appealing thing about Slimani is how he makes no intellectual demands on his audience, while simultaneously side-stepping any hint of banality. He may not look like a superstar, or even possess any accepted superstar traits, but he is a compelling performer who clearly has something special up his rather nice-looking sleeve.