Charts - Don Omar and Lucenzo: Danza Kuduro

An unusual number that has been doing some considerable business in the French charts recently, unusual because it has also been getting a considerable amount of airplay in the UK.

Danza Kuduro is a Portuguese/Spanish song by Puerto Rican reggaeton star Don Omar, featuring Lucenzo, a French artist of Portuguese origin, who wrote and produced the song.

Its based on an earlier sony by Lucenzo, Vem Dançar Kuduro, written in Portuguese and English that reached number two in Portugal and number one in the country's club charts. Kuduro is a style of Angolan dace music popular in Portugal

The vesion here comes from Don Omar's Meet the Orphans album, a collection that sees him collaborating with other artists, and it made number one in the US's Billboard Hit Latin Songs chart.

It also made number one in a number of other countries, and hit the top 20 in the UK, no small achievement for a non-English language song.

In the constantly mutating and evolving world of dance music, there's also a host of different remixes of the song, including one featuring Pitbull.

This week's top five:

1: Rod Janois - Ca Ira Mon Amour
2: Moussier Tombola - Logobitombo
3: Rene la Taupe - Rock la Vie
4: Don Omar & Lucenzo - Danza Kuduro
5: Land Del Rey - Video Games

Charts: Collectif Metissé

A new number one in France this week, with Collectif Metissé's Laisse Tomber tes Problèmes.

In fact, it's an entirely French top five this week, with Black Eyed Peas and Jessie J moving out of the top of the charts.

It's very much an upbeat summer song with an electro dancehall feel from the French seven piece.

They've already sold over 300,000 records in their short career, with each song aiming directly for the fun-loving summer audience.

Previously they had a number two single with their debut single Laisse-Toi Aller Bébé in 2009 from their self-titled debut album, and last year Debout Pour Danser from their second album L'esprit de la Fête reached number one in France.

This week's top five:

1) Collectif Metissé - Laisse Tomber tes Problèmes
2) M. Pokora - A Nos Actes Manques
3) David Guetta - Where Them Girls At
4) Magic System - Chérie Coco
5) Snoop Dogg - Sweat (Snoop Dogg v David Guetta)

Black Eyed Peas on Taratata with Stromae

The Black Eyed Peas are big in France, like pretty much everywhere else, with their most recent single Just Can't Get Enough getting into the top five recently.

The band also played at the Stade de France in Paris on June 25

Meanwhile, an interesting version of one of ther best known recent songs has also emerged in a nice international collaboration.

The band appeared on a special edition of the French music TV show Taratata in June, performing songs like Pump It, The Time (Dirty Bit), Just Can’t Get Enough and an exclusive mashup of Don’t Stop The Party vs. Alors On Danse, by Belgium's Stromae.

Charts: René La Taupe

An update on the top end of the French charts, and a new one in the top five for France's David Guetta, who seems to be contining his programme of collaborating with all the biggest international names.

Meanwhile, M Pokora and Magic System continue to remain in the top five, and an appearance by Anglo act Jessie J.

However, there's a significant new French entry from René La Taupe, who continues to raise the artistic standard of the French music charts.

It follows the classic that was Mignon Mignon which went to number one, and the under-rated Tu Parles Trop, which went to number three.

OK, I can't keep it up. It's rubbish. Utter rubbish. Like Crazy Frog but more rubbish.

It does however seem a long time since there was a novelty record in the top five in the UK. Maybe cynical X Factor marketing and the torrent of US product has killed them off forever in the UK.

Also worth noticing how the French charts still give a good showing for domestic acts, while in the UK the number of home-grown acts seems to be falling drastically.

This has led to some media in Britain reporting calls for a "French-like quota system", (read article here > )

as the only way to keep up the profile of British music in the face of European dance music and American hip hop and R'n'B.

Changed times indeed.

This week's top five in France:

1) M Pokora: A Nos Actes Manques
2) Snoop Dogg: Sweat (Snoop Dogg Vs. David Guetta remix)
3) Magic System: Chérie Coco
4) Jessie J: Price Tag
5) René La Taupe: Ou la la