Michel Sanchez came up with the idea of mixing Baka Pygmy chants with modern music after hearing on-site recordings of these tribes. Along with Eric Mouquet they created the project Deep Forest. Their first self-titled album (nominated for a Grammy) was released in 1992, with Sweet Lullaby being the smash single which would put Deep Forest on the musical map (UK Top 10 hit). The song "Sweet Lullaby" is adapted from a traditional song from the Solomon Islands. The album Deep Forest was dance-driven and the samples were heavily digitised and edited. It was re-released as a limited edition in 1994 under the name World Mix.
For their second album Boheme, Eric and Michel left behind the sounds of the forest and ventured into Eastern Europe bringing tender, lonesome Hungarian and Gypsy chants with upbeat, yet sad, music. The chants were no longer brief, instead extended phrases had been sampled from Hungarian, Russian and Transylvanian sample CDs. Marta Sebestyen performed on this album.
The duo also performed and produced the remixes for the Youssou N'Dour single "Undecided" in 1994, with guest vocals by Neneh Cherry (who featured on n'Dour's break-through single "Seven Seconds"). That same year Deep Forest made remixes for Jon Anderson's "Deseo", Apollo 440's "Liquid Cool" and Cesária Évora's "My Fatigue is Endless". In 1996 Deep Forest collaborated with Peter Gabriel on the song While the Earth Sleeps, which was written for the film Strange Days.
The follow-up third album, Comparsa, contained sounds and chants from Madagascar and Cuba. The music is often upbeat and celebratory. The last song from the album Media Luna, which was also released as a single, features a duet of Syrian and Spanish singers Abed Azrei and Ana Torroja from Spanish band Mecano. The duo collaborated with Joe Zawinul during the recording of the album. A recording of their live concert in Japan was also released on a CD called Made in Japan. Although all the songs featured in the show are from the previous three albums, they have new often-longer arrangements and all the chants are performed and reinterpreted by live performers.
In 1999 Deep Forest worked with Cheb Mami and Catherine Lara on the song "L'Enfant Fleur" which had been composed for Sol En Si (a French charity which helps HIV families).
In 2000, Deep Forest released a music for the movie Le Prince du Pacifique, Pacifique. It mixes pacific and island beats with electronic music. Music Detected was the title of their fifth much-anticipated official Deep Forest album which saw the duo turn its attention to the Far East and the Orient for inspiration. It also signalled a change in musical style for Deep Forest, from dance to a more rock-influence.
In 2008 Eric Mouquet released Deep Brasil, this album is a collaboration with Brazilian artist Flavio Dell Isola Amazonia.
In 2009, 2010 Eric Mouquet went on tour and prepared the upcoming album Deep Africa.
This album should be released in summer 2011 and will feature lot of African artists, Lokua Kanza, Blick Bassy, Oliza, Wasis Diop, Zama Magudulela, and Wes's brother, Dany Dikoume.
Boheme
Deep Forest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Babám, babám, de babám,
De babám, de babám.
(repeat x 3)
Rudas csillag, hajnal hasadik,
Rudas csillag, hajnal hasadik,
Kelj fel romnji, mer' itt maradsz,
Hull a cigány minden fele
(repeat x 2)
Babám, babám, de babám,
De babám, de babám.
Rudas csillag, hajnal hasadik,
Rudas csillag, hajnal hasadik,
Kelj fel romnji, mer' itt maradsz,
Olyat vágok három fele,
Hull a cigány minden fele
Babám, babám, de babám,
De babám, de babám.
(repeat x 2)
Rudas csillag, hajnal hasadik,
Rudas csillag, hajnal hasadik,
Kelj fel romnji, mer' itt maradsz,
Olyat vágok három fele,
Hull a cigány minden fele
Babám, babám, de babám,
De babám, de babám.
(repeat x 3)
The lyrics to Deep Forest's song "Boheme" are in Hungarian and describe a scene at dawn. The opening lines repeat the phrase "Babám, babám, de babám" which translates to "my dad, my dad, oh dad," perhaps signaling the singer's longing for the comforting presence of a parent or loved one. The next lines mention a "rudas csillag," which translates to "rough star" or "harsh star," and the sunrise, which is described as "hasadik" or "splitting." The lyrics then urge the "romnji" to wake up and not stay where they are, warning that something will happen that will cause the "cigány," or gypsy, to scatter in all directions.
The song's lyrics reflect a particular time and place - the experience of Hungarian Gypsies at dawn - and convey a sense of urgency and danger. The repeated phrase "Babám, babám, de babám" is plaintive, and reflects a longing for safety and comfort. The rest of the lyrics evoke a sense of unease and foreboding - the "rudas csillag" and the warning to leave before something happens. The use of the word "cigány" in the lyrics also suggests a cultural and historical context, as the Roma people have faced persecution and discrimination throughout Europe.
Line by Line Meaning
Babám, babám, de babám
Repeatedly invoking the name of a loved one, possibly for comfort or yearning
Rudas csillag, hajnal hasadik
The ominous star signals the dawn of a new day, suggesting an impending change or warning
Kelj fel romnji, mer' itt maradsz
Urging a Roma person to rise and take action against a perceived threat or injustice
Olyat vágok három fele
Threatening to cut something (or someone) into three pieces, perhaps to instill fear or assert dominance
Hull a cigány minden fele
The Roma people are scattering or falling apart, possibly due to the previous threatening line
Contributed by Peyton A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
FreeCStyle
My entire childhood involved around Deep Forest just about. Here I'm 31 and its still a treasure. Will take it to my grave.
Stephen Le-surf
@Kazi Sanji you have been through some dark waters haven't you? The only good thing about bad times is it shows you how to pull someone out of them. That's when people see you as a angel on earth. And that's one amazing thing.
Stephen Le-surf
Pass it on! Managed to get a Dutch girl 👧 into them in the millennium celebrations in Thailand 🇹🇭. Think of her every time I hear sweet lullaby ❤.
Faszkalap
My parents introduced me to Deep Forest when I was 6, I'm 25 now and still listening. Truly unforgettable music.
Tin Radinović
@Start Here i care
InoonJoe
This is one of the best song of DEEP FOREST.....My heart cries when I listen it, although I do not understand one word....it is a strange language for me as a German....but the sounds and vocals goes under the skin...I LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH !!
Knen Da
@Angéla Ékes I allways thoght that this is a Hungarian song . But I don't understand Hungarian language. I love this song.
Angéla Ékes
Hi, I'm hungarian. For me it's also really hard to understand a word, cause I think the people who sang those songs were not hungarians. But, I really feel the rythm and the tunes are hungarians. 😊👍 I am really proud that a lot of people love our sounds and although we are just a few in Europe we could make such a beautiful tunes for the world. 💖
Cássia Regina
I really like the deep forest, play at some parties
Agustin Yornet
@Red ginger The vocals are from Hungria, you should take a deeper look to the making of this song