The band is formed in 2002 and named after Evguenie Sokolov, an instrumental song by Serge Gainsbourg. The name and spelling were altered slightly to ensure proper pronunciation.
The group performs a mix of chanson, cabaret and pop music. Their 2005 debut album, "Kannibaal", was produced by Peter Obbels and Wouter Van Belle. At the time they were already a well-known live act, playing events such as Gentse Feesten, Folk Dranouter and Marktrock Leuven. Their first single, 'Als Ze Lacht', topped Radio 1's Carte Blanche for ten weeks. This gave them an honorable mention on the Carte Blanche website. They have appeared twice at the Nekkanacht event in Antwerp: first as winners of a competition, the second time by request from popular Belgian folk band Kadril.
During their appearance on Belgian late night show De Laatste Show in early 2006, host Mark Uytterhoeven openly declared that he was a great fan of the band. He repeated his statement at their appearance on the magazine Humo's Pop Poll in the Antwerp Sportpaleis. In June 2006, they won the TV show "Zo is er maar één" with a cover version of Louis Neefs' "Laat ons een bloem".
Yevgueni's popularity in Belgium has brought about a new revival of cabaret music and themes of nostalgia with a touch of social commentary that can be subtle ("Mama ik wil Papa") or more blatant ("Wat Zal Het Zijn").
Mama ik wil papa
Yevgueni Lyrics
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mama ik wil papa, zie ik hem morgen misschien
kindje je vader is nog op kantoor, kheb ook een auto en daar werkt ie voor
omdat ik je steeds van school halen moet want ze rijden je overhoop te voet
ach mama als niet iedereen twee auto's had was het veel veiliger in de stad
dan hoefde papa ook niet te werken zo laat, stond ie zelf na schooltijd te wachten op straat
mama ik wil papa, zie ik hem morgen misschien
kindje je weet toch dat wij een paard voor je kochten en een weide derbij
dat wou je toch graag zo'n prachtig dier wel daarom is je pa nu niet hier
ach mama ik wou toch gewoon maar een beest
voor mijn part was het een hamster geweest
maar toen hebben de buren die pony gekocht en heeft papa voor mij een paard gezocht
maar mama ik wil papa, ik heb em vandaag nog niet gezien
mama ik wil papa, zie ik hem morgen misschien
kindje straks gaan we op reis weg van hier naar een echt paradijs
dan zie je je papa zoveel als je wil
maar het kost wel heel veel dus wees nu eens stil
mama je weet zelf toch ook hoe dat gaat als ik teveel praat op reis word papa kwaad
ik ben hier niet om te spelen zegt ie dan, ik moet rusten zodat ik weer werken kan
maar mama ik wil papa, ik heb em vandaag nog niet gezien
mama ik wil papa, zie ik hem morgen misschien
mama ik wil papa, ik heb em vandaag nog niet gezien
mama ik wil papa, zie ik hem volgende week misschien
The Yevgueni song "Mama ik wil papa" explores the yearning of a child to spend quality time with their father. The first stanza introduces the child's longing to see their father and the hope that they might see him the following day. The mother's response is to explain that the father is still at work and that he works with cars but she takes the child to school because they aren't safe to walk. The child questions why everybody needs two cars and expresses that it would be safer if there was only one because then their father could pick them up from school.
The second stanza sees the mother reminding the child that they bought them a horse, and that is why their father isn't around. The child, however, explains that they didn't want a horse but would have preferred a hamster. However, since the neighbour bought a pony, the father had to find a horse for them.
The third stanza introduces the idea of going on vacation somewhere with their father. The child is excited at the prospect of spending time with their father, but the mother explains that it would cost a lot of money. The child is then reminded that they need to be quiet on trips because their father often gets upset if they talk too much as he needs to rest after working. The song ends with the child still hoping to see their father soon.
The song touches on the longing of a child to have a strong relationship with their father and the constant real-life struggles and sacrifices that come with it. It also highlights the importance of communication within a family and how it can help to make the relationship stronger. The song's lyrics are uniquely presented from the child's perspective, giving a clear insight into their thoughts and emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
mama ik wil papa, ik heb em vandaag nog niet gezien
The child is expressing their desire to see their father and is disappointed that they haven't seen him today.
mama ik wil papa, zie ik hem morgen misschien
The child is asking if they will be able to see their father tomorrow and hoping that they will.
kindje je vader is nog op kantoor, kheb ook een auto en daar werkt ie voor
The mother is explaining that the father is still at work and that his job involves using a car.
omdat ik je steeds van school halen moet want ze rijden je overhoop te voet
The mother is explaining that she has to pick the child up from school because it's not safe for them to walk due to the risk of being hit by a car.
ach mama als niet iedereen twee auto's had was het veel veiliger in de stad
The child is expressing their opinion that the city would be safer if not everyone had two cars.
dan hoefde papa ook niet te werken zo laat, stond ie zelf na schooltijd te wachten op straat
The child suggests that if the city were safer, their father wouldn't have to work so late and could instead pick them up from school himself.
kindje je weet toch dat wij een paard voor je kochten en een weide derbij
The mother reminds the child that they bought them a horse and a field to keep it in.
dat wou je toch graag zo'n prachtig dier wel daarom is je pa nu niet hier
The mother suggests that the reason the child's father isn't present is because they were busy getting the horse for the child.
ach mama ik wou toch gewoon maar een beest, voor mijn part was het een hamster geweest
The child indicates that they would have been happy with any kind of pet, even just a hamster.
maar toen hebben de buren die pony gekocht en heeft papa voor mij een paard gezocht
The child suggests that their father got them a horse because the neighbors bought a pony.
kindje straks gaan we op reis weg van hier naar een echt paradijs
The mother is telling the child that they will be going on vacation to a paradise-like destination.
dan zie je je papa zoveel als je wil
The mother assures the child that they will be able to see their father as much as they want on the vacation.
maar het kost wel heel veel dus wees nu eens stil
The mother acknowledges that the vacation will be expensive and asks the child to be quiet and not make too much noise on the trip.
mama je weet zelf toch ook hoe dat gaat als ik teveel praat op reis word papa kwaad
The child is worried that if they talk too much during the trip, their father will become angry.
ik ben hier niet om te spelen zegt ie dan, ik moet rusten zodat ik weer werken kan
The child quotes their father as saying that he's not on vacation to play, but rather to rest so that he can work again later.
mama ik wil papa, zie ik hem volgende week misschien
The child is still expressing their desire to see their father, and is now asking if they will be able to see him next week.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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