"Snow on the Sahara" | ||||
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Single by Anggun | ||||
from the album Snow on the Sahara | ||||
Released | 1997 | |||
Recorded | 1997 | |||
Genre | New-age, world | |||
Length | 4:19 (Album Version) 3:40 (Radio Edit) | |||
Label | Epic | |||
Songwriter(s) | Erick Benzi, Nikki Matheson | |||
Producer(s) | Erick Benzi | |||
Anggun singles chronology | ||||
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Licensed audio | ||||
"La neige au Sahara" on YouTube | ||||
Licensed audio | ||||
"Snow on the Sahara" on YouTube |
"Snow on the Sahara" is a song by Indonesian singer Anggun from her first international studio album Snow on the Sahara . Written originally in French by Erick Benzi titled "La neige au Sahara",the song was adapted to English by Nikki Matheson. The French version was recorded for Anggun's first French album Au nom de la lune . The song was released in 1997 as her debut international single in 33 countries worldwide. It topped the charts in Italy,Spain and several countries in Asia. The French version quickly became a hit in France,peaking at number 1 on the French Airplay Chart and number 16 on the French Singles Chart. It became the most-played single in France in 1997,with a total of 7,900 radio airplays,and was certified gold for shipment of 250,000 copies. While in Italy,it sold 100,000 copies.
The song was written, produced and arranged by Erick Benzi and later adapted into English by songwriter Nikki Matheson. The song remains to be Anggun's signature song across the world and catapulted Anggun's fame in the international music scene in 1997 and 1998. Sarah Brightman performed a cover version of the song on her album The Harem World Tour: Live from Las Vegas . The song is mainly built on synthesizer and keyboard sounds, mixed with tribal beats. It is considered to be an adult contemporary song, while some others consider it new-age or world music.
There are 2 versions of the music video for Snow on the Sahara. The first version was shot in Bali and features storyline about Anggun and her lover becoming the sacrifice for some ancient ritual. This version was used also a Neige au Sahara. The second version features Anggun in an "art room" filled with antique furniture. She was also shot in an ice-blue background, singing the lines of the song. This version receives less airplay and was only released for the US and Italian television. The length of this version is shorter than the first one, fading in 3:39. Both version recesived heavy rotation on MTV Asia and managed to topped the MTV Asia Hitlist chart for two weeks. Making her the first Asian artist to do so.
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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France (SNEP) [17] | Gold | 250,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Anggun Cipta Sasmi is an Indonesian-French singer, songwriter, and television personality. Born in Jakarta, she began performing at the age of seven and recorded a children's album two years later. She rose to fame in 1989 as a teenage rock star and by 1993 she had released five Indonesian-language studio albums. Rolling Stone listed her single "Mimpi" as one of the 150 Greatest Indonesian Songs of All Time.
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Chrysalis / Désirs contraires is the second international studio album by Indonesian French singer Anggun. It was released by Columbia Records and Sony Music Entertainment in over fifteen countries in Europe and Asia, with the English version being first released in Japan on 30 August 2000 and the French version premiering in France on 2 October 2000. A major departure from her non-Indonesian debut album's world music composition, Chrysalis features electropop sounds with elements of R&B and ambient music. The album was again produced by Erick Benzi and featured some of Anggun's own compositions. She also co-wrote the entire material on the English version.
"Tout l'or des hommes" is a song by Canadian singer Celine Dion from her twentieth studio album, 1 fille & 4 types (2003). It was written by Jacques Veneruso and produced by Erick Benzi. "Tout l'or des hommes" was released as the album's lead single on 6 October 2003. It topped the charts in Quebec and Poland. In Canada, "Tout l'or des hommes" reached number two, becoming the joint-highest-charting French-language song on the Canadian Singles Chart. Elsewhere, it peaked at numbers three in France, five in Belgium Wallonia and 10 in Switzerland. The single was also certified Gold in France.
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Snow on the Sahara / Au nom de la lune is the fifth studio album and first international release by Indonesian singer Anggun. The French version was first released in France on 24 June 1997 by Columbia Records, while the English version was later released internationally by major label Sony Music Entertainment in 33 countries throughout Asia, Europe, and America between late 1997 to early 1999. Having various editions with different track listing and artwork, the album was also marketed as Anggun's self-titled album in several countries, such as Indonesia and Japan. The album was a huge artistic departure to Anggun's earlier rock style, experimenting with world music sounds.
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"Still Reminds Me" is a song by Indonesian singer Anggun, released as the first single from her second international album Chrysalis. There's also a French version titled "Derriere la Porte", recorded for the French version of Anggun's second international album, Désirs Contraires. Originally the song was written in French by Erick Benzi and then Anggun adapted it in English. The song was a hit in several countries across Europe and Asia. It became a number-one hit in Indonesia and charted inside the top 20 in Italy and the top 5 on the "Music & Media Europe Border Breakers Chart". Moreover, the French version "Derriere la Porte" was awarded as "French Song of the Year" by Radio France Internationale, the French radio network throughout the world.
The discography of Indonesian-born French singer-songwriter Anggun consists of eleven studio albums, two soundtrack albums, three greatest hits albums, seven single compilations, 38 singles and 20 music videos. Anggun began performing at the age of seven and recorded a children's album two years later. Her debut studio album, Dunia Aku Punya, was released in 1986 under Billboard Indonesia, but did not achieve commercial success. Her popularity was later established after the success of the single "Mimpi", which was listed as one of the 150 Greatest Indonesian Songs of All Time. With the release of subsequent singles and three more studio albums— Anak Putih Abu Abu, Nocturno and Anggun C. Sasmi... Lah!!!—Anggun became one of the most successful Indonesian rock singers in the early 1990s. In 1993, she became the youngest Indonesian singer to found her own record company, Bali Cipta Records. By the age of 19, she had sold over four million albums in Indonesia.
"Être une femme" is the first single from the third French album, Luminescence by Anggun. This single was released in late 2004, earlier than the album which was released in 2005. This single peaked at #16 at France Singles Top 100, making her second Top 20 hits in France. According to Bureau Export (french-music.org) the song peaked at #2 in 2005 Airplay Chart and became one of the biggest hits in 2005. This single was also chosen as "The most popular single 2004" by Radio France International and has sold around 55,000 copies there. The English version of the song, "In Your Mind", was popular in Asia as well and has since remained as one of Anggun's famous songs.
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Toujours un ailleurs is the sixth international studio album by Anggun. It was released physically in France and Belgium by TF1 Musique on 20 November 2015, and as a digital album worldwide. It became her first French-language album not to have its standalone English-language version. The album revisited the world music direction of her debut international album, Snow on the Sahara (1997). Toujours un ailleurs was produced by Frédéric Chateau and Brian Rawling, and features guest vocals by singers Florent Pagny, Yuri Buenaventura, and Angélique Kidjo.