Manhattan-Kaboul
Encyclopedia
"Manhattan
-Kaboul
" is a French song written by Renaud
and composed by Jean-Pierre Bucolo, sung by Renaud in duo
with Axelle Red
, in the album Boucan d'enfer
, released in 2002. It was written in the aftermath of the incidents of September 11, 2001 and the War in Afghanistan
. The song was very successful in France and Belgium, becoming a top five hit in these countries.
who works in the World Trade Center
in New York
, destroyed on September 11. Axelle Red sings as a young Afghan
girl killed during the attack by the coalition forces during the autumn of 2001.
The song utilizes symbolism and imagery, with a subtle religious undertone throughout. Though the song is about terrorism and its repercussions, it does not directly mention terrorism nor deal explicitly with political issues, focusing instead on civilian suffering caused by the events.
There are many religious images used throughout the song, such as "l'autel" (the altar), "les dieux" (the gods) and "les religions." The song concludes that religions, wars, and countries victimize ordinary people for their own purposes.
2003 and the "French song of the Year" at NRJ Music Awards
2003.
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
-Kaboul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
" is a French song written by Renaud
Renaud
Renaud, born Renaud Séchan, is a French singer, songwriter and actor.Renaud may also refer to:* Renaud , a male French given name* Renaud , a 1783 opera by Antonio Sacchini* Renaud, Quebec, part of Laval, Quebec...
and composed by Jean-Pierre Bucolo, sung by Renaud in duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
with Axelle Red
Axelle Red
Axelle Red is a Belgian singer-songwriter.-Biography:She was born at Hasselt, Flanders, Belgium, the daughter of Roland Demal, a solicitor in Hasselt and Councillor for the Flemish Liberals and Democrats in the City Council.Nowadays a committed artist and a militant humanist, back in 1993 Axelle...
, in the album Boucan d'enfer
Boucan d'enfer
Boucan d'enfer is a studio album from French artist Renaud. It was released in 2002 and published by Virgin Records. It was Renaud's first production with original material since 1994's À la belle de mai....
, released in 2002. It was written in the aftermath of the incidents of September 11, 2001 and the War in Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
. The song was very successful in France and Belgium, becoming a top five hit in these countries.
Synopsis
In the song, two victims of the events of 2001 sing about their situations and the causes of their death. Renaud sings as a Puerto-RicanPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
who works in the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, destroyed on September 11. Axelle Red sings as a young Afghan
Demographics of Afghanistan
The population of Afghanistan is around 29,835,392 as of the year 2011, which is unclear if the refugees living outside the country are included or not. The nation is composed of a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual society, reflecting its location astride historic trade and invasion routes between...
girl killed during the attack by the coalition forces during the autumn of 2001.
The song utilizes symbolism and imagery, with a subtle religious undertone throughout. Though the song is about terrorism and its repercussions, it does not directly mention terrorism nor deal explicitly with political issues, focusing instead on civilian suffering caused by the events.
There are many religious images used throughout the song, such as "l'autel" (the altar), "les dieux" (the gods) and "les religions." The song concludes that religions, wars, and countries victimize ordinary people for their own purposes.
Awards
The song was elected the "Original Song of the Year" at the Victoires de la MusiqueVictoires de la Musique
Victoires de la musique , is an annual French award ceremony that recognizes the best musical artists of the year.- Male artist of the year :*1985 : Michel Jonasz*1986 : Jean-Jacques Goldman*1987 : Johnny Hallyday...
2003 and the "French song of the Year" at NRJ Music Awards
NRJ Music Awards
The NRJ Music Awards, created in 2000 by the radio station NRJ in partnership with the television network TF1 takes place every year in mid-January at Cannes as the opening of MIDEM...
2003.
Cover versions and TV performances
- Patrick Coutin, who had composed the famous hit "J'aime regarder les filles" in 1981, has covered the song in 2003 for the French programme Retour gagnant : a CD containing all the songs from the show has been released by Universal Music.
- Renaud performed "Manhattan-Kaboul" on October 30, 2004, with 500 singers from the choir "Les Fous chantants" of AlèsAlèsAlès is a commune in the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. It is one of the sub-prefectures of the department. It was formerly known as Alais.-Geography:...
on the show 500 Choristes ensemble on TF1TF1TF1 is a national French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network...
. - The song has been covered by Joan BaezJoan BaezJoan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
. - Philippe Berizzi has translated the song in Esperanto (he has received a permission for the translation).
- Laurent Gerra has parodied the song, under the title "Washington-Bagdad".
Peak positions
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... |
34 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart 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... |
4 |
| European Singles Chart | 8 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 2 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 37 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (2002) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 15 |
| French Airplay Chart | 6 |
| French TV Music Videos Chart | 35 |
| French Singles Chart | 9 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified | Physical sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | Platinum | 12 December 2002 | 500,000 | 523,000 |