Outlandish

The Danish group Outlandish gives Aicha a much more modern, familiar sound in their version, with less of a rai or Arabic sound to the song. It turns Khaled’s song into a soothing pop/hip-hop song with a relaxing feel. The song has the same meaning and is a great cover for a band that is so socially conscious. The three members of Outlandish represent various cultures; Isam Bachiri is from Morocco, Waqas Wadri is from Pakistan, and Lenny Martinez is from Honduras but the three grew up north of Copenhagen. Their various origins are proudly on display in the band's name, "Outlandish" which in English means "of a foreign country or land," derived from Germanic languages from which foreigner translates literally to outlander [i.e. Auslander in German.] Isam, Waqas and Lenny inspire self-dignity in ways beyond their band's name – the members of the group encourage their fans to express their values, remember their past and believe in themselves. In an introduction to a live performance of Aicha, Waqas recites a quote he heard recently and it really conveys the group's beliefs regarding women’s rights. Waqas says, “If you educate a man, you educate one person. If you educate a woman, you liberate a nation.” In this same performance near the end of the song Lenny raps in Spanish, linking Outlandish’s version to Khaled’s Aicha where the rai singer ends the song with an Arabic verse.

AÏcha. How a song is crossing boarders

The song AÏcha has ties to Algeria (Khaled), France (Jean-Jacques Goldman & Khaled once again), Denmark (Outlandish) and the countries from which the Outlandish members come; Morocco, Honduras and Pakistan. Both versions of the song have an appeal that extends globally, making it a song that truly crosses stereotypes and national borders.

all the pictures came from flickr.com but the additions to the last picture of the world map were mine.