The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)

"The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)"
Single by Las Ketchup
from the album Hijas del Tomate
B-side	Remix
Released	29 July 2002
Recorded	2002 in Lolmang Studios
Genre	Latin pop
Length	3:32
Label	Altra Moda Music, Sony Records
Writer(s)	Manuel Ruiz
Producer(s)	Manuel Ruiz
Certification	See certifications below
Las Ketchup singles chronology
"The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)" (2002) "Kusha Las Payas" (2003)
Music sample Las Ketchup – "The Ketchup Song" (Spanish Version)

"The Ketchup Song" is the English title of the song "Aserejé" (pronounced [aseɾeˈxe]) recorded by the Spanish pop group Las Ketchup, which was an international hit in 2002. It was released in July 2002 as the lead single from their debut album, Hijas del Tomate. The song exists in three versions, Spanish, a version in a mixture of English and Spanish, described as "Spanglish," and a version in Portuguese. The chorus is identical in the three versions. This song reached number-one in the United Kingdom, as well as 26 other countries worldwide. As of 2006, the song has sold over 7 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time.^[1]

Background

Las Ketchup was first introduced to Columbia Records through Shaketown Music, a small record label in Córdoba, Andalusia, who sent out the group's demo to a number of different record companies.^[2] The demo featured the songs “Asereje” and “Kusha Las Payas.” When A&R Javier Portugués and Columbia director Raúl López listened to the demo, they stared at each other in delight exclaiming, "Wow, this is fantastic!"^[2] At first the intention was to arrange a distribution deal with ShakeTown Music but upon hearing the song they realised its international potential and so negotiated for Las Ketchup to sign with Sony.^[2]

Content

The song tells the story of a pimp-like "Afro-gypsy, Rastafari" character named Diego who walks into a crowded nightclub at midnight, and the DJ, as he sees Diego walk in, plays the "twelve-o'clock anthem", "the song he desires most". The chorus is reminiscent of Spanish, but actually is a nonsensical distortion of the 1979 rap hit "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang^[3]

I said a hip, hop, the hippie to the hippie

Aserejé ja de je de jebe

the hip-hip-hop, a you don't stop

tu de jebere sebiunouva (seibiunouva)

the rock it to the bang bang boogie say up jumped the boogie

majabi (majavi) an de bugui

to the rhythm of the boogie, the beat

an de buididipí

Adaptation

For the release in Brazil, a version of song was sung in Portuguese and featured a Brazilian girl group named Rouge, alongside Las Ketchup. This pushed the album's sales up and eventually led to over two million copies sold in Brazil alone.

Critical reception

In France, the song reached number-one for eleven weeks and eventually sold 1,310,000 copies, making it the best-selling single of 2002, and the second best-selling of the 21st century in the country, behind "Un Monde parfait" by Ilona Mitrecey.^[4] The song was the 50th best-selling single of the 2000 decade in UK.^[5]

Controversy and supposed Satanic references

In 2002, the song became controversial because of rumors that The Ketchup Song made references to Satanism, the angel Lucifer (the Devil), the inferno, and the like. The rumor is rooted in the title of the song, "Aserejé", which—if broken down—supposedly makes reference to a demonic being. The letter 'A' in Spanish means (to);^[6] ser (be);^[7] and hereje (heretical, the h is silent),^[8] meaning "to be heretical^[9][10]

Other lyrics like Mira lo que se avecina, a la vuelta de la esquina viene Diego ("Look what's coming up, around the corner comes Diego") supposedly signifies Diego as some kind of messenger.^[9] Con la Luna en las pupilas ("With the moon in his pupils") supposedly means Diego can only be seen at night; Y donde más no cabe un alma ("And there, where no soul can be squeezed in") supposedly means hell; Y el DJ que lo conoce toca el himno de las doce ("And the DJ that knows him [the messenger] plays the midnight hymn") is supposedly a reference to Satanic rituals, which usually occur at midnight. Aserejé, ja, de je, de jebe tu de jebere sebiunouva, majabi an de bugui an de buididipi reportedly means "Asejeré" (Spanish: un ser hereje — "a heretic being"), ja (the letters of Jehovah), deje, dejebe tu dejebe (deja tu ser — leave your being); if connected, it reads un ser hereje Jehová deja tu ser, or, "a heretic being Jehovah leave your being."^[9][10] Other lyrics like No es cosa de brujería que lo encuentre to' los días (pecando) por donde voy caminando ("It's not witchcraft the fact that I find him (sinning) everyday wherever I walk through") supposedly make references to a demonic being, just like Diego tiene chulería ("Diego has natural charm"), which some critics say it literally means that the Devil is a beautiful angel.

The group members, however, have insisted that that the song is in large parts nonsensical rather than satanical.^[9]

Track listings

Charts and sales

Certifications

Chart successions

References