Band history
Band history
The band was formed in 1994. Various line-ups, initial sound rather hardcore and lyrics mostly in Russian, played at "10 Years After Chernobyl" Action in Chişinău, warmed up for Rage Against the Machine at the Learn to Swim II Festival in 1996; the recording of that festival includes their "В доме моем" ("V dome moiom", "In My House") in Russian, and "Hardcore Moldovenesc" in Romanian.
Around 1998, their sound began to change, embracing traditional Romanian/Moldovan music and with lyrics entirely in Romanian.
On August 14, 1999, Zdob şi Zdub played as part of the Russian MTV-Party, held on Red Square in Moscow, along with Russian bands "Gorky Park" and "IFK" and US band The Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The band has toured extensively, mostly in Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania, but also in Germany (1998) and the Netherlands (2000), and more recently in Serbia, Hungary, and Italy. On January 31, 2001, in Moscow, "Zdob şi Zdub" performed with the legendary musician and film director Emir Kusturica and his "No Smoking Orchestra".
The video of their song "Bună Dimineaţa!" ("Good Morning"), a tongue-in-cheek evocation of the agro-romanticism of the Stalinist-era Soviet Union and its satellites was awarded Romanian video clip of the year (2001) at the "Televest" Festival in Timişoara, Romania. The following year they won the equivalent MTV Romania Video Music Award for "Ţiganii şi OZN" ("The Gypsies and the UFO").
On February 26, 2005, the band won a national pre-selection contest to claim the right to represent Moldova in its first ever appearance at the Eurovision Song Contest, with their song Boonika Bate Toba ("Grandmamma is beating da drum-a"). On May 19 they performed fourth in the running order of the semi-final and came up sixth in the grand final on May 21.
Line-up
The following listing is by no means a comprehensive list of who has ever played in Zdob şi Zdub. Early line-ups were very fluid, and many prominent Moldovan musicians have been known to "sit in" for recording sessions or for individual concerts.
* Roman Yagupov (born 13 September 1973) - vocals, flute, ocarina, iorgafon ("yorgaphone"), and other ethnic instruments. Original member.
* Mihai Gîncu (born 5 March 1975) - usually bass guitar; drums 2003-2004. Original member.
* Sviatoslav Starus - guitar
* Anatol Pugaci (also spelled "Pugach", born 6 October 1973) - drums, sometimes bass. Original member, left 1999 and returned 2004
* Andrei Cebotari - drums, 1999-2002
* Victor Dandeş (born 3 April 1972)- trombone, accordion, ethnic instruments
* Valeriu Mazilu (born 12 September 1978) - trumpet
* Igor Buzurniuc (born 23 June 1981) - guitar
Discography
* "Tabăra Noastră" (Our camp)
* "Hardcore Moldovenesc" (Moldovan Hardcore)
* "Zdubii bateţi tare"
* "Remix"
* "Agroromantica"
* "450 de oi" (450 Sheep)
* "Ethnomecanica"
Boonika bate doba
Zdob Şi Zdub Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never seen that super hit - boonika beats da drum-a
Big mallet in the hand, high hat in the same beat
She's screaming like Hawkins, my old Big Mama
Boonika beats da drum-a like I never heard before
She's a slapping Miss Blackman, gimme some more
Check it, let's kick it, we wanna dance now
We are turning into hammers ticking rhythm out
Boonika bate doba
Boonika bate tare
Boonika bate doba cu maciuca'n casa mare!
I love so much doba making boom-boom
Now get your body moving, just follow the tune
It's a real magic- big mama play her drum-a
She's flying into trance like an Indian shaman
Who is the "Beatles", who is Peter Pan
Who is the gypsy Hendrix -
She don't care, that misses L
I smile, I cry when I see that crazy baba
Dizzy tempo dizzy let's go my music-mama
Boonika bate doba
Boonika bate tare
Boonika bate doba cu maciuca'n casa mare!
People in the place, feel your body shakes
Boonika beats da drum-a-tama tapping out the breaks
Pop you up with dat beat
Get rid of rotten meat
You dig with your soul
Deep inside that rock'n'roll
She's a drum machine, you know what I mean
She wanna play jumparale to make you spin,
Drain a bottle of wine, no need to smoke the leaves
By the end of that show you'll blow yourself to bits
You are a real drum machine
You make me wanna dance, you're a slapping queen
To get that state you drink juice from grapes
And I go deep into the music space
Boonika bate doba
Boonika bate tare
Boonika bate doba cu maciuca'n casa mare!
The song "Bunica Bate Toba" by Zdob Si Zdub is an energetic and upbeat piece that features heavy usage of jump up jungle and breakbeat genres. The song is a tribute to the drummer, referred to as "boonika," who creates a unique and captivating rhythm. In the song, the singer expresses his love for the sound of the drums and how it makes his body move to the rhythm. The tempo of the song is fast and frenetic, with the drumbeat serving as the driving force behind the music. The lyrics further describe how the drummer is lost in a trance-like state, much like an Indian shaman, as she plays her instrument with abandon.
The song is an excellent example of fusion music, blending elements of traditional Moldavian music with contemporary jungle beats. The heavy use of traditional Moldavian instruments and folk melodies, coupled with an electronic beat, creates a unique sound that is characteristic of Zdob Si Zdub's music. The lyrics are in Moldavian, which is a Romanian dialect spoken in Moldova.
Line by Line Meaning
It's jump up jungle, a little like break beat
The song is a combination of jump up jungle and break beats.
Never seen that super hit - boonika beats da drum-a
The drumming in the song is unique and amazing.
Big mallet in the hand, high hat in the same beat
The drummer is skilled at playing the big mallet and high hat in the same rhythm.
She's screaming like Hawkins, my old Big Mama
The drummer is screaming like Hawkins, and reminds the singer of his old Big Mama.
Boonika beats da drum-a like I never heard before
The drumming is so unique and different that the singer has never heard anything like it before.
She's a slapping Miss Blackman, gimme some more
The drummer is slapping the drums like Miss Blackman and the singer wants more of it.
Check it, let's kick it, we wanna dance now
The singer suggests that they start dancing to the drumming.
We are turning into hammers ticking rhythm out
The drummer and the audience are turning into hammers, ticking out the rhythm of the music.
People in the place, feel your body shakes
The people in the place can feel their bodies shaking to the beat of the music.
Boonika beats da drum-a-tama tapping out the breaks
The drummer is tapping out the breaks in the music using the drum-a-tama.
Pop you up with dat beat
The beat of the music will lift up your spirits.
Get rid of rotten meat
The music will help you to get rid of negativity and bad energy.
You dig with your soul
You need to dig deep into your soul to fully feel and appreciate the music.
Deep inside that rock'n'roll
The true essence of the music lies deep within rock'n'roll.
She's a drum machine, you know what I mean
The drummer is so skilled at playing the drums that it's like she's a drum machine.
She wanna play jumparale to make you spin
The drummer wants to play jumparale to get the audience spinning and dancing.
Drain a bottle of wine, no need to smoke the leaves
You can enjoy the music with a bottle of wine and don't need to smoke anything to appreciate it fully.
By the end of that show you'll blow yourself to bits
The music will blow you away and leave you feeling exhilarated by the end of the show.
You are a real drum machine
The drummer is so proficient that she's like a real drum machine.
You make me wanna dance, you're a slapping queen
The drummer's style of drumming is so amazing that it makes the singer want to dance and she's like a queen of slapping.
To get that state you drink juice from grapes
To fully appreciate the music, you need to drink juice from grapes.
And I go deep into the music space
The singer immerses herself deeply into the music.
Boonika bate doba
Boonika beats the drum.
Boonika bate tare
Boonika beats it hard.
Boonika bate doba cu maciuca'n casa mare!
Boonika beats the drum with the big mallet in the big house.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jaop13
these guys are Eurovision legends
@GabrielaUngureanu-eq4sy
Romina
@GabrielaUngureanu-eq4sy
Și albano
@emiliawitkowska2407
Yes!❤
@el_naif
This level of coolness will hardly ever be topped.
@gandalfwiz20007
Try epic sax guy
@ren4497
@@gandalfwiz20007 nice joke
@torstenscholz6243
Nothing beats a rock performance with a drumming grandma.
@daev3000
Their 2011 entry was better.
@emilstoica7986
7.