“Voyage, voyage” is a song by French singer Desireless, released as the first single from her debut studio album, Francois (1989). It was written by Jean-Michel Rivat and Dominique Dubois, and produced by the former. Since “Voyage, voyage” is sung exclusively in French, its chart success came as a surprise as it managed the rare feat of becoming a success in several nations usually closed to Francophone songs and artists, such as the United Kingdom and Ireland. In West Germany, the song topped the chart, and has the longest chart trajectory of 1987 in the top 20. It also reached number one in Austria, Norway, and Spain. The song missed the top spot in France, peaking at number two for four weeks. The song initially reached number 53 in the UK in November 1987. After being remixed by Pete Hammond and Pete Waterman, the song was re-released in the United Kingdom in the spring of 1988, and climbed to number five in June of that year. The song’s success continued in Ireland, where it reached number four twice, the original version in November 1987, followed by the PWL remix in June 1988.
“Bamboléo” is a 1987 Spanish language song by Gitano-French band Gipsy Kings, from their eponymous album. The song was written by band members Tonino Baliardo, Chico Bouchikhi and Nicolas Reyes. It was arranged by Dominique Perrier. The word bamboleo means “wobble” “sway” or “dangle” in Spanish. The song’s refrain says: “bamboleo, bambolea, porque mi vida yo la prefier* vivir así“, which translates to: “Swaying, swaying, because I prefer to live my life this way.” Part of the song is an adaptation of the 1980 Venezuelan folk song “Caballo Viejo” by Simon Diaz. The refrain is based on Bamboleô by Andre Filho, recorded by Carmen Miranda in 1931. The now iconic song has been a worldwide hit for the Gipsy Kings and has since been covered by many artists, both in Spanish and in other languages.
“Joe le taxi” (“Joe the Taxi Driver”) is a French song written for French singer Vanessa Paradis by Franck Langolff and Etienne Roda-GIl. The song emphasizes the notion that Joe, who drives a yellow Citroen Saxo, seems to know all there is to know about the French capital including the whereabouts of all the little bars, all of the Parisian streets, the Seine, and bridges. The song’s lyrics suggest that Joe enjoys drinking rum and has a passion for Latin music. The song topped the French charts for 11 weeks in 1988, and, uncommonly for a French-language song at that time, was released in the UK and Ireland the following year, peaking at numbers three and two, respectively. The music video for the song was produced by Lili Balian, Jake Hertz, and Addie Calcagnini.
“Yé ké yé ké” is a song by Guinean recording artist Mory Kante. It was released in 1987 as a single from his third studio album, Akwaba Beach. The lyrics are in Mandinka. Kanté adapted it from a traditional song called “Yekeke.” “All good things have many owners,”. He added that “the song comes from a wonderful tradition we have in the villages. You know, when young girls are approaching the age of marriage, they flirt with each other through music. The song became an international hit; it was one of Africa’s best-ever selling hits as well as being a European number one in 1988, making it the first ever African single to sell over one million copies. The song was a top five hit in France, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands, where it topped the chart for two weeks. In the UK it reached No. 29.
“Im Nin’alu” (If the gates are locked) is a Hebrew poem by 17th-century Rabbi Shalom Shabazi. It has been placed to music and sung by Israeli singer Ofra Haza and others. Haza first performed this song with the Shechunat Hatikva Workshop Theatre, appearing on television on IBA’s General Television in 1978. The original version was included on the 1984 album Yemenite Songs, also known as Fifty Gates of Wisdom. The remixed version was part of her international debut Shaday of 1988. “In Nin’alu” on to become famous in Europe when a remixed version of the song, produced by Izhar Ashdot, reached the top 10 in many countries. The single reached number one in Finland, Norway, Spain, Switzerland and West Germany, where it stayed nine weeks atop the singles chart in mid-1988. In the United Kingdom, the track was a top-20 hit, peaking at number 15, and in the United States, it reached number 15 on the Billboard.
