Chercheuse d’or (meaning Gold Digger) is the debut album by Algerian-born French singer Assia. It was released in France on 23 May 2000, through Virgin France. Chercheuse d'or is a R&B album and incorporates elements of funk, soul and raï styles. Three singles are released from the album. It includes her first hit "Elle est à toi", "Là-bas" and "Ghir dini". It peaked at number 47 on the French charts, selling 200,000 copies.
| Chercheuse d’or | ||||
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 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 23 May 2000 | |||
| Recorded | 1998–2000 | |||
| Genre | R&B[1] | |||
| Length | 55:49 | |||
| Label | Virgin France | |||
| Producer |
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| Assia chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Chercheuse d’or | ||||
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Background
editIn 1995, Assia began her career as a songwriter. After released "Ghir Dini" from the soundtrack of the French film Taxi produced by IAM,[2] she signed in Virgin France in 1999. In 2000, Chercheuse d'or becomes a national success, especially with her hit single "Elle est à toi".
Critical reception
editChercheuse d'or was met with mixed reviews from music critics, many of whom criticized the French-Arabic singing. Patrick Labesse of Le Monde tries to find an explanation for this French-Arabic mix in the article Du choix de chanter en arabe et en français. Assia continue to explain her album Chercheuse d'or is about the search for happiness : "I seek what everyone seeks, happiness! And then of course the love, not only that of a man but the universal love".[3] When Chercheuse d'or was released, Assia thus analyzes the reception of the album in France : "Sometimes I was told that my songs sounded too Arabic, sometimes they said that I lacked exoticism. That's the reason why I'm going my own way today".[4]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ghir dini" | Assia | Khalil | 3:59 |
| 2. | "Elle est à toi" | Calbo | Assia, Djimi Finger | 4:36 |
| 3. | "La nuit sera longue" | Assia | Assia, Khalil | 4:04 |
| 4. | "Là-bas" | Calbo | Assia, Khalil | 4:06 |
| 5. | "Fini" | Assia, Khalil | Khalil | 4:27 |
| 6. | "Nos destinées" | Assia | Khalil | 4:43 |
| 7. | "Chercheuse d'or" | Assia | Khalil | 4:49 |
| 8. | "L'homme de mes rêves" | Calbo | Assia, Djimi Finger | 4:04 |
| 9. | "Quand les anges pleurent" (featuring Hamed Daye) | Assia, Hamed Daye | David Chevalier, Khalil | 4:27 |
| 10. | "Laissez-nous rêver" | Assia | Khalil | 4:34 |
| 11. | "Wine" | Assia | Assia, DJ Sample | 4:07 |
| 12. | "Va" | Assia | Assia, Nico Nocchi | 4:04 |
| 13. | "Le nomade des coeurs" | Assia | Khalil | 3:35 |
| Total length: | 55:49 | |||
Personnel
editCredits adapted from the liner notes of Chercheuse d'or.[5]
- Assia – composer, primary artist, vocals
- Bernard Benant – photography
- Hamed Daye – composer, performer, primary artist
- Julien Delfaud – mixing assistant
- Jean-François Delort – mixing assistant
- Xavier Derouin – acoustic guitar
- Mustapha Ettamri – percussion
- Djimi Finger – programming
- Pablo Gil – artwork, logo
- Jean-Paul Gonnod – assistant engineer
- Christophe Guiot – violone
- Catherine Juste – assistant engineer
- Ken Kessie – drum programming, engineer, realization
- Peter Maunu – acoustic guitar
- Marlon Mclain – guitar
- Tim Pierce – electric guitar
- Mickaël Rangeard – engineer
- Stéphane Reichart – engineer
- Patrick Shevelin – drum programming
- Travis Smith – engineer
- Philipp Weiss – engineer, mixing
Charts
edit| Chart (2000) | Peak position | Certification (FR) |
|---|---|---|
| France (SNEP)[6] | 47 | Gold[7] |
References
edit- ^ "Assia, chercheuse d'or". linternaute.com. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
- ^ "Assia - Ghir dini (Clip officiel)". youtube.com. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
- ^ "Assia, chercheuse d'or". linternaute.com. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ "Assia? Elle est à vous". dhnet.be. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ "Chercheuse d'Or". allmusic.com. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
- ^ Assia discography and peak positions in France Lescharts.com Archived October 16, 2012, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 22 July 2023)
- ^ Assia certifications in France Chartsinfrance.net (Retrieved 22 July 2023)