Out Now via Universal France and Barclay/Pantheon
Globally renowned DJ/producer Francis Mercier continues his hot streak of releases with a new single, “Ya Rayah (Win Msafer).” The track honors the late, great Algerian musician Rachid Taha and comes in collaboration with Taha’s son, a seasoned house music producer who goes by the stage name of Clyde P. “Ya Rayah (Win Msafer)” is out now via Universal France and Barclay/Pantheon.
Following Francis Mercier’s success with reinventing classic hits from globally revered artists of past decades, Rachid Taha’s estate called upon Francis personally to breathe new life into Taha’s hit “Ya Rayah,” an Algerian classic that was originally released in 1997. Francis’s modern adaptation adds “Win Msafer” to the title—which translates to “immigrant, where are you going?”—a reminder to not forget the roots one comes from and to recognize the importance of returning home. It serves as a powerful tribute to Taha, who passed away in 2018. He was 59 years old.
Sonically, Francis Mercier displays a deep respect for Rachid Taha’s work, leaving the original vocals untouched as he revamps the production. Now infused with the dancefloor-ready Afro house rhythms that Francis has become famous for, “Ya Rayah (Win Msafer)” has already made the rounds in the dance music scene this past summer as German electronic trio house and techno titans Keinemusik have shown major support, reserving it for peak moments of their lengthy sets.
Francis Mercier has established himself as a current leader in the Afro/world house scene, amassing over 75 million streams across his catalog. In the past couple of years, he’s released several official modern dance music reinventions of hits from his childhood from artists like French-Spanish singer Manu Chao, Grammy-award-winning Jamaican band Black Uhuru, Burkinese musician Victor Démé, and Malian duo Amadou & Mariam. Each of these all-time great artists is fully credited to the releases and has placed their trust in Francis to deliver their music to new, dance-oriented generations. Through his live, energy-fueled DJ sets around the globe, Francis has shown that differences in neither language, culture, or age can stop people from coming together to dance to these songs as he continues to break down barriers through music.
Francis is consistently reaching new performance milestones, DJ’ing around the globe with stops in the heralded Yuma Tent at Coachella and taking on the Ibiza circuit. While constantly touring internationally, he also finds the time to run his label, Deep Root Records – one of the few 100% black-owned dance labels that empowers artists all around the world from the African Diaspora.
Rachid Taha was described by NPR as “one of the most charismatic and influential singers to come out of France.” Born in Algeria, Taha first gained traction as the frontman of the band Carte de Séjour and later emerged as a solo artist who achieved a worldwide hit with "Ya Rayah," a song with lyrics that spoke to the hardships of the immigrant experience. Like Francis Mercier, Taha was famous for his twists on classic material, from his Arabic-language reworking of The Clash's "Rock the Casbah" to growling, jagged-edged covers of mid-century Middle Eastern love songs.
Francis Mercier Upcoming Tour Dates
October 18 – We Rave You (ADE), Amsterdam
October 20 – 1001 Tracklists Future of Dance (ADE), Amsterdam
October 22 – Madorasindahouse, Thessaloniki
October 26 – GOSPËL, New York City
October 27 – Superior Ingredients, New York City
October 28 – Walter Where?House, Phoenix
October 29 – Cave, Montreal
November 24 – 26 Leake Street, London
