| "Manhattan-Kaboul" | |||||||||||||
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| Single by Renaud & Axelle Red | |||||||||||||
| from the album Boucan d'enfer | |||||||||||||
| B-side | "Tout Arrêter" | ||||||||||||
| Released | 2002 | ||||||||||||
| Format | CD single | ||||||||||||
| Genre | Pop | ||||||||||||
| Length | 3:52 | ||||||||||||
| Label | Ceci-Celà | ||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Renaud Jean-Pierre Bucolo |
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| Producer | Jean-Pierre Bucolo | ||||||||||||
| Certification | Platinum France, 2002 | ||||||||||||
| Renaud singles chronology | |||||||||||||
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"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.
Contents |
In the song, two victims of the events of 2001 sing about their situations and the causes of their death. Renaud sings as a young Puerto-Rican 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. [1]
The song was elected the "Original Song of the Year" at the Victoires de la Musique 2003 and the "French song of the Year" at NRJ Music Awards 2003.[2]
Peak positions
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End of year charts
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| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified | Physical sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France[10] | Platinum | 12 December 2002 | 500,000 | 523,000[11] |
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by "Sous le vent" by Garou and Céline Dion |
Victoires de la Musique Song of the year 2003 |
Succeeded by "Respire" by Mickey 3D |
| Preceded by "À ma place" by Axel Bauer and Zazie |
NRJ Music Awards Francophone song of the year 2003 |
Succeeded by "Le Chemin" by Kyo and Sita |
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