Ecuador

"Ecuador" is a song produced by German DJ and record production team Sash! featuring fellow German DJ Rodriguez. It was released in April 1997 as the third single from their debut album, It's My Life – The Album (1997). The song became an international hit, peaking at number one in Flanders, Romania and Scotland, as well as on the American and Canadian dance charts. It reached the top 20 in more than ten other countries worldwide. Critical reception Scottish Daily Record complimented "Ecuador" as an "intelligent dance hit" and a "catchy number". Daisy & Havoc from Music Weeks RM rated it three out of five, adding that it's "more listenable in our opinion than the mega success 'Encore'". Chart performance In the United Kingdom, "Ecuador" was almost as successful as "Encore une fois", reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart and earning Sash! a platinum certification for sales and streams in excess of 600,000 units. "Ecuador" reached number one in the Flanders region of Belgium, Romania and Scotland and the top 10 in Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. It also reached the top 20 in Austria, France and Iceland. On the Eurochart Hot 100, "Ecuador" peaked at number three. In the United States, the song was the second number-one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart for Sash!. It was a more successful dance hit in Canada, becoming Sash!'s first number one on the RPM Dance Chart, staying at the top position for four weeks and ending the year as Canada's second-most successful dance single, behind Stars on 54's version of "If You Could Read My Mind". Music video The accompanying music video for "Ecuador" was directed by Oliver Sommer, who had previously directed the videos for "Encore une fois" and "Stay", and was shot in Lanzarote and Tenerife, Spain. It features female models appearing like bird-like creatures in a desert landscape.