La Tribu de Dana
Encyclopedia
"La Tribu de Dana" is a 1998
song recorded by the French
hip hop
band Manau, available on their debut album, Panique celtique
, on which it features as second track. Released as first single in July 1998, it hit a huge success, particularly in France
, topping the singles chart for many months and becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time in that country.
, this song created a new style of music, combining French rap
and Breton melodies. Verses have hip hop
sonorities, while the refrain
, very catchy, uses the Breton traditional melody line from Alan Stivell
's famous 1970s folk hit "Tri martolod". Stivell sued the group, but Manau maintained that the song was simply a baseline, and was modified enough to not be considered plagiarism.
Distributed by Polydor, the song was composed by the members of the band : Martial Tricoche, Cédric Soubiron and Hervé Lardic. Lyrics are about an Armorican Breton
tribe named Dana — which refers to the name of the Dagna god's daughter — narrating an epic war carried out by this tribe. The story is told by the only survivor of this war, who becomes thus the tribe's king. The tribe of Dana is a group of figures in Irish mythology, also described in L'épopée Celte. See also Danu (Irish goddess)
.
In 2006, the song was covered by Catherine Lara
, Jean-Baptiste Maunier
, Natasha St-Pier
, Francis Cabrel
and Zazie
. This version features as 13th track on the album 2006: Le Village des Enfoirés, released on 7 April 2006 by Les Enfoirés
.
disc by the SNEP, the French certificator, and was ranked at number two on the 1998 Year-End Chart. According to Infodisc website, the song was sold about 1,415,000 copies in France, thus being the 19th best-selling single of all time in that country.
In Belgium (Wallonia), the song charted for 39 weeks on the Ultratop 40
. It debuted at the bottom of the chart and managed to reach number one top from its 9th to its 16th week, before dropping slowly. It totaled 25 weeks in the top ten and featured at number three on the Annual Chart. To date, it is the fourth biggest hit since 1995 in Belgium (Wallonia).
In Belgium (Flanders
), "La Tribu de Dana" entered the chart on 26 September, and reached a peak of number four for four weeks. After that, it almost did not stop to drop and fell off the chart (top 50) after 18 weeks. The song was the 26th best-selling single of the year.
The song also featured for 21 weeks on the Dutch Singles Chart
(top 100) from 12 September 1998. It started at number 70 and steadily climbed on the chart until hitting number three for four weeks, then began to drop.
"La Tribu de Dana" was charted in December 1999 in Germany, but achieved a very small success, peaking at number 89.
1998 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1998.-Events:*January 28 – "Weird Al" Yankovic gets LASIK surgery to cure his myopia...
song recorded by the French
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...
hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
band Manau, available on their debut album, Panique celtique
Panique celtique
Panique celtique is the debut album recorded by French hip hop act Manau. It was released in July 1998. It achieved success in France and Belgium where it hit respectively #1 for several weeks and #2...
, on which it features as second track. Released as first single in July 1998, it hit a huge success, particularly in France
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...
, topping the singles chart for many months and becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time in that country.
Lyrics and music
In FranceFrance
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...
, this song created a new style of music, combining French rap
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
and Breton melodies. Verses have hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
sonorities, while the refrain
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
, very catchy, uses the Breton traditional melody line from Alan Stivell
Alan Stivell
Alan Stivell is a Breton musician and singer, recording artist and master of the celtic harp who from the early 1970s revived global interest in the Celtic harp and Celtic music as part of world music.- Background: learning Breton music and culture :Alan was born in the Auvergnat town of Riom...
's famous 1970s folk hit "Tri martolod". Stivell sued the group, but Manau maintained that the song was simply a baseline, and was modified enough to not be considered plagiarism.
Distributed by Polydor, the song was composed by the members of the band : Martial Tricoche, Cédric Soubiron and Hervé Lardic. Lyrics are about an Armorican Breton
Armorica
Armorica or Aremorica is the name given in ancient times to the part of Gaul that includes the Brittany peninsula and the territory between the Seine and Loire rivers, extending inland to an indeterminate point and down the Atlantic coast...
tribe named Dana — which refers to the name of the Dagna god's daughter — narrating an epic war carried out by this tribe. The story is told by the only survivor of this war, who becomes thus the tribe's king. The tribe of Dana is a group of figures in Irish mythology, also described in L'épopée Celte. See also Danu (Irish goddess)
Danu (Irish goddess)
In Irish mythology, Danu is the mother goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann . Though primarily seen as an ancestral figure, some Victorian sources also associate her with the land.-Name:...
.
In 2006, the song was covered by Catherine Lara
Catherine Lara
Catherine Lara is a French violinist, composer and singer.-Music career:As a child, Lara studied violin and received the first prize of chamber music at the Conservatoire de Paris in 1966....
, Jean-Baptiste Maunier
Jean-Baptiste Maunier
Jean-Baptiste Maunier , nicknamed JB or Jean-Bapt, is a French actor and singer famous for his role in the 2004 French film, Les Choristes.- Early life :...
, Natasha St-Pier
Natasha St-Pier
Natasha St Pier is a Canadian pop singer.-Career:Natasha St Pier released her first album, Émergence, in 1996, produced by composer/producer Steve Barakatt...
, Francis Cabrel
Francis Cabrel
Francis Cabrel is a well-known French singer-songwriter and guitarist. Inspired heavily by Bob Dylan, he has released a number of albums falling mostly within the realm of folk, with occasional forays into blues or country. Several of his songs, such as "L'encre de tes yeux" and "Petite Marie"...
and Zazie
Zazie
Zazie is a French singer and songwriter. Zazie co-produces all her albums.-Early life:...
. This version features as 13th track on the album 2006: Le Village des Enfoirés, released on 7 April 2006 by Les Enfoirés
Les Enfoirés
Les Enfoirés , is the name given to the singers and performers in the yearly charity concert for the Restaurants du Cœur .-History:...
.
Chart performances
On the French Singles Chart, the song has the characteristic of having remained for 23 weeks in the top three, while it featured on the chart (top 100) for 27 weeks. It went straight to number three on 9 May 1998, reached the top in its seventh week and stayed there for 12 consecutive weeks. Then it was number two for five weeks, then dropped very quickly. It was certified DiamondMusic recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
disc by the SNEP, the French certificator, and was ranked at number two on the 1998 Year-End Chart. According to Infodisc website, the song was sold about 1,415,000 copies in France, thus being the 19th best-selling single of all time in that country.
In Belgium (Wallonia), the song charted for 39 weeks on the Ultratop 40
Ultratop
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts...
. It debuted at the bottom of the chart and managed to reach number one top from its 9th to its 16th week, before dropping slowly. It totaled 25 weeks in the top ten and featured at number three on the Annual Chart. To date, it is the fourth biggest hit since 1995 in Belgium (Wallonia).
In Belgium (Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
), "La Tribu de Dana" entered the chart on 26 September, and reached a peak of number four for four weeks. After that, it almost did not stop to drop and fell off the chart (top 50) after 18 weeks. The song was the 26th best-selling single of the year.
The song also featured for 21 weeks on the Dutch Singles Chart
Media Control Charts
The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...
(top 100) from 12 September 1998. It started at number 70 and steadily climbed on the chart until hitting number three for four weeks, then began to drop.
"La Tribu de Dana" was charted in December 1999 in Germany, but achieved a very small success, peaking at number 89.
Track listings
- CD single
- "La Tribu de Dana" — 4:47
- "L'avenir est un long passé" — 4:40
Peak positions
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 4 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 1 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
2 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 1 |
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
| German Singles Chart | 89 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1998) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 26 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 3 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 14 |
| French Singles Chart | 2 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | Diamond | 1998 | 750,000 |
| Swiss | Gold | 1998 | 25,000 |