MC Erik & Barbara signed a contract with Polygram for 3 albums by the end of 1997 and released their first single I'm Free with the bonus-track Anjel II as a B-side. The second single U Can't Stop got to the highest positions in hitlists of several radio stations. In December 1995 MC Erik & Barbara took part in Bratislava Beat Mass in the Cathedral of St. Martin, Bratislava.
Finally, on September 4 the album U Can't Stop was released. It made the list of bestsellers and also brought the next hits: a remake of Summer Nights from the musical movie Grease, and the only song in Slovak entitled Keď príde láska. The video of Summer Nights '95 was shot in Tunis. The song was very popular, especially in Estonia and Namibia. Save The Jungle, released February 1996, is the most unusual video they made. Erik and Barbara appear as very bored astronauts on their journey through deep space and time.
Exactly half a year after the U Can't Stop album's first release,its reedition with a new cover and four extra tracks was released. On March 11 the album (with subtitle '96 Version ) was released everywhere in Europe. Full marketing support was guaranteed by Germany, Belgium, Finland and Switzerland, with other countries joining later.
This year MC Erik & Barbara took part in the Eurovision Song Contest but were not chosen to represent Slovakia. Marcel Palonder was chosen instead. On March 21, 1996 they went to Moscow, where they gave two performances. A big tour in Czech Republic and Slovakia followed. In May they received the Silver Otto prize.
During the summer, Erik and Barbara went back to recording studio to prepare their new album. A pilot single and video entitled It's Your Day saw the light of the world as first. On September 29 all the work on the new album was finished and one month later the album named Second was officially released. It was followed by a single, which was the coverversion of Abba's famous song Dancing Queen. There is another coversong on the album: Good Vibrations, originally sung by the Beach Boys. On this album, Barbara presents three songs she composed together with her brother Andrej. Erik's participation on them was reduced to short rap parts only. One can also hear Erik's solo song I Don't Wanna Lose You he composed for his girlfriend.
On June 16, 1997 they released a video tape entitled Videos And More,featuring the videos of the singles U Can't Stop, Summer Nights '95, Keď príde láska, Save The Jungle, Anjel II, It's Your Day, Dancing Queen, Never Gonna and Sen.
The release of the album was followed with a concert tour: 10 performances in Czech Republic in November and December and 10 performances in Slovakia in February 1997. For the first time they were accompanied by a live band. The group had a great success in Japan so they got an offer to extend the original contract from three to four albums (just for Japan).
The duo is currently on hiatus although a greatest hits compilation titled Gold - Zlaté hity was released in 1999 and an album of re-recorded old songs, titled 2010 was released, as hinted, in 2010.
Eurodance Encyclopedia
I'm Free
MC Erik & Barbara Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know, what I say
I'm free, I love this way, I'm free
I'm free in New York City
In London, Paris, Bratislava ragga muffin hear ya
Make a better rhytm to be on the floor
Make more friends as I open the door
This ragga music makes better friends
When you make a song, save this file
'cause I wanna dance in a raggamanna style
Come baby, come baby, don't let me stand
Take my mind in a ragga land
Play my song now in the place
In a ragga rhytm people are groovin'
In a ragga dansa your body is movin'
I taste my freedom and I wanna scream
My name is MC ERIK & BARBARA
And we are free
The lyrics of the song "I'm Free" by MC Erik & Barbara represent a sense of liberation and freedom from everything that may hold a person back in life. The first few lines of the song, "I'm free, I'm free, I love this way, I know what I say," are repeated throughout the song, thereby emphasizing the sense of freedom that the artists are trying to convey. The song is an invitation to listeners to join in the celebration of being free as they sing, "Come baby, come baby, give me your hands," and "Take my mind in a ragga land/play my song now in the place."
In the second verse, the artists mention several different cities, including New York City, London, Paris, and Bratislava. This illustrates that the feeling of freedom and liberation is universal and felt all over the world. They then introduce the idea of coming together through music as they say, "This ragga music makes better friends/When you make a song, save this file/'cause I wanna dance in a raggamanna style." The concept of unity and the power of music to bring people together are further emphasized as they sing, "In a ragga rhytm people are groovin'/In a ragga dansa your body is movin'."
The song exemplifies the power of music and dance to transcend boundaries and bring people together in celebration. It is a song that reminds us to let go of all our inhibitions and be free to express ourselves through music and dance.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm free, I'm free, I love this way
I feel liberated to be who I am and express myself freely, and it makes me happy
I know, what I say
I'm confident in my words and beliefs
I'm free, I love this way, I'm free
I continue to revel in my newfound freedom and joy
I'm free in New York City
I feel free to be myself in a big, bustling city like New York
In London, Paris, Bratislava ragga muffin hear ya
Even in different cities with different cultures, people can appreciate and enjoy the ragga music I create
Make a better rhytm to be on the floor
I strive to create catchy, danceable music to keep people moving
Make more friends as I open the door
My music allows me to connect with more people and make new friends
Come baby, come baby, give me your hands
I want people to come join me on the dance floor
This ragga music makes better friends
By sharing my ragga music, it brings people together and creates new friendships
When you make a song, save this file
I encourage other musicians to save their creations and preserve their hard work
'cause I wanna dance in a raggamanna style
I want to keep dancing in the ragga style and enjoying my freedom
Come baby, come baby, don't let me stand
I don't want to stand alone, come dance with me
Take my mind in a ragga land
Let yourself get lost in the music and the freedom it brings
Play my song now in the place
I want everyone to hear and enjoy the music I've created
In a ragga rhytm people are groovin'
People are enjoying and letting loose in the rhythm of my music
In a ragga dansa your body is movin'
The dance style associated with ragga music is perfect for moving your body and feeling free
I taste my freedom and I wanna scream
This newfound freedom is incredibly liberating and I can't contain my excitement
My name is MC ERIK & BARBARA
I am the artist behind this music, it's my creation
And we are free
Together, MC ERIK & BARBARA create music and enjoy newfound freedom
Contributed by Tristan M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.