Bonjour (album)
Encyclopedia
Bonjour is the eighth studio album by French
–Algeria
n singer Rachid Taha
. It was released by Wrasse Records on 26 October 2009.
reviewer Robin Denselow called the album a "A highly commercial set" that was "not [Taha's] most exciting." David Honigmann of the Financial Times
rated the album three out of five stars, but wrote that its emphasis on "technology...stops [Taha] cutting loose."
are a declaration of love for life and his partner. The second track, "Mokhtar", describes the lonely life of a vagrant
living in a city. "Ha Baby" was inspired by country music
singer Kenny Rogers
and Egyptian musician Farid El Atrache. The song, which blends western
and Arabic musical styles, is about universal peace and love. The title track
, "Bonjour", is a duet with Gaetan Roussel
. It was released as the album's lead single
and is sung in both French and Arabic. "Mine Jaï", the fifth track, asks a series of questions. In the song, Taha asks the listener where they come from and where they are traveling to.
In the song "Mabrouk Aalik", Taha reflects on the fractured relationship between Jews and Muslim
s. The seventh track, "Ila Lika", explores life and death. "It's an Arabian Song" is a rock song
about the French treatment of Algerians during colonialism
. The track features fellow Algerian singer Bruno Maman. "Sélu" is a flamenco
song that pays tribute Arab writers and philosophers such as Averroes
and Naguib Mahfouz
. The album closes with "Agi", a ballad
about love.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
–Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n singer Rachid Taha
Rachid Taha
Rachid Taha is an Algerian singer and activist based in France who has been described as "sonically adventurous." His music is influenced by many different styles such as rock, electronic, punk and raï.-Early life:Taha was born in 1958 in Sig , Algeria, although a second source suggests he was...
. It was released by Wrasse Records on 26 October 2009.
Critical response
Bonjour received mixed reviews from music critics. The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
reviewer Robin Denselow called the album a "A highly commercial set" that was "not [Taha's] most exciting." David Honigmann of the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
rated the album three out of five stars, but wrote that its emphasis on "technology...stops [Taha] cutting loose."
Songs
"Je T’Aime Mon Amour", Bonjours opening track, was written about Taha's partner. Its lyricsLyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
are a declaration of love for life and his partner. The second track, "Mokhtar", describes the lonely life of a vagrant
Vagrancy (people)
A vagrant is a person in poverty, who wanders from place to place without a home or regular employment or income.-Definition:A vagrant is "a person without a settled home or regular work who wanders from place to place and lives by begging;" vagrancy is the condition of such persons.-History:In...
living in a city. "Ha Baby" was inspired by country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
and Egyptian musician Farid El Atrache. The song, which blends western
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
and Arabic musical styles, is about universal peace and love. The title track
Title track
Title track may refer to:*Title track, a recorded song having the same name as the album or movie it comes from*Title Track, a song on the album The Stage Names*Title Track, a song on the album We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes...
, "Bonjour", is a duet with Gaetan Roussel
Gaëtan Roussel
Gaëtan Roussel is a French singer, songwriter and composer. Roussel is the former lead vocalist for the bands, Louise Attaque and Tarmac....
. It was released as the album's lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
and is sung in both French and Arabic. "Mine Jaï", the fifth track, asks a series of questions. In the song, Taha asks the listener where they come from and where they are traveling to.
In the song "Mabrouk Aalik", Taha reflects on the fractured relationship between Jews and Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s. The seventh track, "Ila Lika", explores life and death. "It's an Arabian Song" is a rock song
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
about the French treatment of Algerians during colonialism
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
. The track features fellow Algerian singer Bruno Maman. "Sélu" is a flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
song that pays tribute Arab writers and philosophers such as Averroes
Averroes
' , better known just as Ibn Rushd , and in European literature as Averroes , was a Muslim polymath; a master of Aristotelian philosophy, Islamic philosophy, Islamic theology, Maliki law and jurisprudence, logic, psychology, politics, Arabic music theory, and the sciences of medicine, astronomy,...
and Naguib Mahfouz
Naguib Mahfouz
Naguib Mahfouz was an Egyptian writer who won the 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature. He is regarded as one of the first contemporary writers of Arabic literature, along with Tawfiq el-Hakim, to explore themes of existentialism. He published over 50 novels, over 350 short stories, dozens of movie...
. The album closes with "Agi", a ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
about love.
Track listing
- "Je T’Aime Mon Amour"
- "Mokhtar"
- "Ha Baby"
- "Bonjour" with Gaetan Roussel
- "Mine Jaï"
- "Mabrouk Aalik"
- "Ila Lika"
- "It's an Arabian Song" with Bruno Maman
- "Sélu"
- "Agi"
Charts
| Charts (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French Albums Chart | 132 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format(s) | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 19 October 2009 | Wrasse Records | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
Wrass251 |
| 26 October 2009 | CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
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