Aïcha

"Aïcha"
Single by Khaled
from the album Sahra
Released	1996
Format	CD single
Recorded	1996
Genre	French pop music
Length	4:19
Label	PolyGram
Writer(s)	Jean-Jacques Goldman Khaled
Producer(s)	Jean-Jacques Goldman
Certification	Diamond France, 1997
Khaled singles chronology
"Bakhta" (1995) "Aïcha" (1996) "Le jour viendra" (1997)

"Aïcha" is the name of a song written by the French singer songwriter Jean-Jacques Goldman. The title refers to an Arabic female name. The song was originally performed by Algerian raï artist Khaled. The original French single was never released in an album, though Khaled's 1996 album Sahra featured a bilingual version of the song sung in both French and Arabic. The Arabic lyrics for the bilingual version of the song are written by Khaled. Khaled's music video was directed by Sarah Moon.^[1][2]

Lyrics / theme

The song's lyrics are about a woman named Aïcha, who is being wooed by a man. He promises her pearls, jewels, poems, and other luxuries and romantic things, to which she replies:

Keep your treasures

I'm worth more than all that

A bar is a bar, even if it's made of gold

I want the same rights as you

And respect for each day

I don't want anything but love

The song's chorus has the following words in French (with English translation):

Aïcha, Aïcha, écoute-moi = Aisha, Aisha, listen to me

Aïcha, Aïcha, t'en va pas = Aisha, Aisha, don't go away

Aïcha, Aïcha, regarde-moi = Aisha, Aisha, look at me

Aïcha, Aïcha, réponds-moi = Aisha, Aisha, answer me

The lyrics were all in French. The Arabic verse by Khaled (his own composition) added later is as follows:

نبغيك عايشة ونموت عليك (Nbghīk ʿāysha wanmūt ʿalīk) = I want you Aisha and would die for you

هادي قصية حياتي وحبي (Hādī ksayat ḥayātī waḥabbī) = This is the story of my life and my love

انت عمري وانت حياتي (ʾAnti ʿumrī wʾanti ḥayātī) = You are my years and you are my life

تمنيت نعيش معك غير انت (Tmannīt nʿaysh mʿāk ghayr ʾanti) = I wish to live with you, only you

Track listings

CD single

1. "Aïcha" — 4:20
2. "Aïcha" (version mixte) — 4:20

Charts

Peak positions Chart (1996) Peak position Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart[3] 25 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart[3] 1 Dutch Top 40[4] 10 French SNEP Singles Chart[3] 1 German Singles Chart[3] 33 Swiss Singles Chart[3] 11

Year-end charts Chart (1996) Position Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart[5] 7 Dutch Top 40[4] 84 French Singles Chart[6] 4 Certifications Country Certification Date Sales certified France[7] Diamond January 16, 1997 750,000

Chart successions

Outlandish version

"Aicha"
Single by Outlandish
from the album Bread & Barrels of Water
Released	2002
Format	CD single
Recorded	2002
Length	4:37
Writer(s)	Carsten Mortensen Isam Bachiri Jean-Jacques Goldman Roger Lenny Martinez Waqas Ali Qadri
Producer(s)	Mintman Outlandish
Outlandish singles chronology
"Gritty" (2002) "Aicha" (2002) "Man binder os på mund og hånd" (2004)
Music video "Aicha" on YouTube

In 2002,^[8] the Danish hip hop band, Outlandish, recorded and released an English version of the song "Aicha" that was included in their album Bread & Barrels of Water . It was engineered, mixed & produced and musically performed by Mintman. The song peaked at #2 in the Mega Single Top 100 for two weeks and for three weeks in the Swedish Singles Chart. It also reached the top in Switzerland, and #3 in Austria and Norway, and #8 in Belgium. A video was also shot for the single.

Track listings

CD maxi

1. "Aicha" (4:37)
2. "Aicha" (Mintman Remix) (4:34)
3. "Aicha" (Instrumental) (4:08)
4. Outlandish feat. Majid & Asmaá - "El Moro" (5:24)

Charts

Chart (2003)	Peak position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[9]	3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[10]	8
Germany (Official German Charts)[11]	1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[12]	2
Norway (VG-lista)[13]	3
Romania (Romanian Top 100)[14]	1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[15]	1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[16]	1

End of year chart (2003)	Position
Dutch Top 40[4]	13

Other versions

The original song has since been remade by several singers and bands:

• The French version was performed by Khaled with fellow Raï singer Faudel at the famous 1998 1,2,3 Soleils concert in Paris Video on YouTube
• A zouk version was made by Kassav'
• A salsa version was made by Africando Video on YouTube
• A cappella versions by Penn Masala, Stanford Raagapella, Alaa Wardi,^[17] and Aquabella
• Indian/Dubai based singer, Rayshad Rauf (www.rayshad.com) adapted Outlandish's chorus part in one of his Mashups Don't,^[18]
• A nasheed (Islamic) version by Omar Esa

It has been adapted to several other languages:

• An Urdu version by Amanat Ali, titled Aaisha, was featured on the Pakistani Music program Coke Studio.
• A French / Arabic version by Lobo Ismail with altered lyrics and added a uniquely composed Arabic language rap sequence Video on YouTube
• An English rock version by Aqmal (vocals) and Sofyan (music) with new lyrics Video on YouTube
• A Polish version by Magma Video on YouTube
• A Malay version with bits of Arabic by Yasin, titled as Aishah Video on YouTube.
• A Serbian version was made by Dragana Mirković and was titled Hajde pogledaj me (Come on, look at me) Video on YouTube
• A Korean version by Tony An titled Aisha
• A Hebrew version, titled "Aisha" (Hebrew: עיישה‎‎), was written by Ehud Manor and performed vby Haim Moshe Video on YouTube
• A Turkish version by Mutaf, titled "Ayşa"
• A Greek version, titled "M'aresei" (Greek: M'αρεσει), was performed by Kostas Bigalis. Video on youtube.
• A second Greek version, titled "Alithia Sou Leo" (Greek: Αλήθεια σου λέω), was performed by Stamatis Gonidis in 2006 Video on YouTube
• A Spanish / Arabic version titled "Aicha" by Amistades Peligrosas Video on YouTube
• A Croatian version was made by Duško Lokin. Song title is Aisha.
• A Norwegian version titled Aisha" was made by Emiré og Lillebror Video on YouTube
• A Breton version, Aisha, was made by Manau.
• A techno, Oriental, acoustic-guitar version (Aicha on YouTube) was performed by guitarist Muayad Jajo in Sulaimaniya in August 2014, published by Elite Studios.^[19]

References

1. Khaled Ya-Rayi bonus DVD credits
2. Music video of the original single by Khaled on YouTube
3. "Aïcha", in various singles charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved April 20, 2008)
4. "Single top 100 over 1997" (PDF) (in Dutch). Top40. Archived from the original (pdf) on 6 December 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
5. 1996 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart Ultratop.be Archived October 18, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. (Retrieved April 20, 2008)
6. 1996 French Singles Chart Disqueenfrance.com (Retrieved April 20, 2008)
7. French certifications Disqueenfrance.com Archived April 20, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. (Retrieved April 20, 2008)
8. Outlandish released their second album "Bread & Barrels of Water" September 9th, 2002
9. "Austriancharts.at – Outlandish – Aicha" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
10. "Ultratop.be – Outlandish – Aicha" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
11. "Musicline.de – Outlandish Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
12. "Dutchcharts.nl – Outlandish – Aicha" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
13. "Norwegiancharts.com – Outlandish – Aicha". VG-lista.
14. "Romanian peak". Archived from the original on 2004-10-12. Retrieved 2013-06-13.
15. "Swedishcharts.com – Outlandish – Aicha". Singles Top 100.
16. "Swisscharts.com – Outlandish – Aicha". Swiss Singles Chart.
17. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it6Ud6PDPes, retrieved 2015-12-03 Missing or empty |title= (help)
18. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqJ--vBaY2Y, retrieved 2016-09-20 Missing or empty |title= (help)
19. Muayad Jajo's "Aicha" on YouTube (© Elite Studios: August 2014)