"Ya Rayah" (Arabic: يا رايح, romanized: Yâ râyiḥ, lit. 'you, the one leaving') is an Algerian chaâbi song written and performed in 1973 by Dahmane El Harrachi (Amrani Abderrahmane).[2][3] Up until the past 15 years this song was known to be Dahman El Harrachi's original song and in the Chaâbi/Andalous tradition of Algiers. This song is a ballad of the traveler, the exiled, the longing to come back, the immigrant, the "wanderin' star", etc. hence its universal appeal.
Taha released the song as a single in August 1997 and reached number eleven on the French singles chart. In February 1998, the song was certified silver in France.[4]
In the year 2010, the song was covered as part of an Israeli rap compilation album,TACT. The song's beat was sampled and used in the song Belyby by Booksills, which featured Shlome Shabat.
In January 2012, it was covered again by the Algerian singer Amel Bouchoucha (Fady Bitar & The AB Brothers), using African dance beats and Berber sounds, bringing the song closer to its roots.
In 2016 a French artist, John Mamann, released a song J’suis Comme Toi (Ya Rayah) in collaboration with Lartiste and Rim’K which is an interpolation of the original.
