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.
Tres Marias
Deep Forest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Se está apagando/ pero sigue brillando
Afuera el planeta rojo para-parpadeando
Mi vieja estrella está dormida
Mi vida qué tranquila estás
Me enamoras cada día mucho más
Cada día más profundamente
Infinitamente te estoy queriendo
Una de las tres marías sigue brillando
Se está apagando pero sigue brillando afuera...
Soñá con los angelitos soñá conmigo
Con todo el tiempo que nos queda juntos
Mi vida qué tranquila estás, me enamoras
Cada día mucho más, cada día más profundamente
Infinitamente te estoy queriendo
Mi estrella mía se está durmiendo
(En el cielo las tres marías siguen brillando
Una está apagada pero sigue brillando)
Por eso es que es una estrella porque sigue brillando
Después del tiempo/ sigue brillante
Una de las tres marías…
The lyrics of Deep Forest's song Tres Marias are about a star that is slowly fading but still shining. The singer compares their love to this star that continues shining even as it nears its end. The planet Mars is mentioned as well, possibly as a symbol of the passing of time. The singer then speaks directly to their love, telling them to dream and to cherish the time they have together. The lyrics end with the reminder that even as one of the Three Marias fades, it continues to shine and be a star.
The lyrics can be interpreted as a metaphor for a relationship that is waning but still holds a powerful beauty. The singer's love for their partner is likened to the star that continues to shine even as it fades away. The reference to Mars could represent the unstoppable progression of time. The message is ultimately one of acceptance - even as things change and fade, their beauty remains, and that is something to be celebrated.
Line by Line Meaning
Una de las tres marías sigue brillando
Despite the loss of one of the three stars in the constellation, one of them still shines bright
Se está apagando pero sigue brillando
Although it is slowly fading, it still glimmers
Afuera el planeta rojo para-parpadeando
The red planet blinks in the outside world
Mi vieja estrella está dormida
My old star has fallen asleep
Mi vida qué tranquila estás
My life is so peaceful
Me enamoras cada día mucho más
You captivate me more and more with each passing day
Cada día más profundamente
My love for you grows deeper every day
Infinitamente te estoy queriendo
I love you infinitely
Mi estrella mía está durmiendo
I wish my star would wake up
Soñá con los angelitos soñá conmigo
Dream of angels, dream of me
Con todo el tiempo que nos queda juntos
With all the time we have left together
Por eso es que es una estrella porque sigue brillando
That's why it's a star, because it keeps shining
Después del tiempo sigue brillante
Even after time passes, it still shines bright
Una de las tres marías...
One of the three stars...
Contributed by Anthony H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.