Kaval Sviri
Lyrics
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! Bulgarian (Cyrillic alphabet) ! Latin alphabet transliteration ! Translated into English |
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| Кавал свири, мамо, горе доле, мамо, горе доле, мамо. Кавал свири мамо, горе доле, мамо, под селото. Я ще ида, мамо, да го видя, да го видя, мамо, да го чуя. Ако ми е нашенчето ще го любя ден до пладне, Ако ми е ябанджийче ще го любя дор до живот.{{cite web|last1=Storm|first1=Lily|title=Folk Song Lyrics Archive - Kaval Sviri|url=http://songbat.com/archive/songs/bulgarian/daval-sviri|website=songbat.com|accessdate=10 December 2017|language=en}} | Kaval sviri, mamo, gore, dole, mamo, gore, dole, mamo. Kaval sviri, mamo, gore, dole, mamo, pod seloto. Ya shte ida mamo da go vidya, da go vidya mamo, da go chuya. Ako mi e nashencheto shte go lyubya den do pladne, ako mi e yabandzhiyche, shte go lyubya dor do zhivot. | A kaval is playing, mother, up, down, mother, up, down, mother. A kaval is playing mother, up, down, mother, near the village. I will go, mother, to see it, to see it, mother, to hear it. If it's someone from our village I'll love him only for a short time, If it's a foreigner (i.e. from another village) I'll love him all my life. |
Popular versions
A popular version was arranged by Petar Lyondev and performed by Ensemble Trakia on the Grammy Award-winning album Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares, Vol. II (album), released in 1987 by Disques Cellier in Switzerland.{{cite web |title=Marcel Cellier Présente Le Mystère Des Voix Bulgares - Le Mystère Des Voix Bulgares (Volume 2) |url=https://www.discogs.com/Marcel-Cellier-Pr%C3%A9sente-Le-Myst%C3%A8re-Des-Voix-Bulgares-Le-Myst%C3%A8re-Des-Voix-Bulgares-Volume-2/release/3777643#images/19422669 |accessdate=10 December 2017 |website=Discogs |language=en |format=image}}{{cite web |title=Past Winners |url=http://www.grammy.com/nominees/search?artist=&field_nominee_work_value=mystere&year=All&genre=All |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924121344/http://www.grammy.com/nominees/search?artist=&field_nominee_work_value=&year=1989&genre=All |archivedate=24 September 2015 |website=Grammy.com |publisher=National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences}}
"Kaval Sviri" was recorded by Australian world music ensemble Balkan Ethno Orchestra, and features on their 2020 EP Zora.
"Kaval Sviri" by Katya Barulova & Bulgar Halk Korosu, the Bulgarian State Radio & Television Female Vocal Choir, has been sampled on at least one electronic music album. This version has also achieved notable popularity on YouTube. {{cite web |title=Bulgarian folklor- Kaval Sviri|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVqrW-fPOQ0 |accessdate=1 July 2024 |website=YouTube |language=en |format=video}}
Use as a sample and in popular culture
The song is a somewhat commonly used sample in modern pop and rap music as the following examples illustrate:
- Union Jack (1994) - Two Full Moons and a Trout
- Jinx (1996) - After the Fallout - Fresh Records (UK) (FRSHT32) {{cite web |title=Jinx - After the Fallout |url=https://www.discogs.com/master/197421-Jinx-After-The-Fallout |accessdate=1 July 2024 |website=Discogs.com |language=en}}
- Stahlhammer (1997) - Stahlingrad
- S. Castro (2013) - Krieger II (German)
- Kollegah (2014) - Königsaura
- Stan Kolev & Aaron Suiss (2020) - Anomalous (Original Mix)
- M.I.A. (2020) - OHMNI W202091
- SL (rapper) & M1llionz - Versus (2021)
The song was used by composer Joseph LoDuca as the basis for Xena's fight theme in Xena: Warrior Princess,{{cite book |last1=McAvan |first1=Emily |title=The Postmodern Sacred : Popular Culture Spirituality in the Science Fiction, Fantasy and Urban Fantasy Genres |date=2012 |publisher=McFarland & Company |isbn=9780786463886 |location=Jefferson, NC |pages=81–82}} although the vocals that appear in the show's opening sequence sing different lyrics.{{cite book |first1= |url=https://archive.org/details/balkanpopularcul00buch |title=Balkan popular culture and the Ottoman ecumene music, image, and regional political discourse |date=2007 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=9780810866775 |editor1-last=Buchanan |editor1-first=Donna A. |location=Lanham, Md. |page=[https://archive.org/details/balkanpopularcul00buch/page/n285 256] |url-access=limited}}
The song was used to promote Lady Gaga's 2017 documentary "Five Foot Two".{{cite news |date=24 August 2017 |title=Lady Gaga Posts a Video with a Bulgarian Folk Song on Instagram |language=en |work=BNT News |url=https://www.bnt.bg/en/a/lady-gaga-posts-a-video-with-a-bulgarian-folk-song-on-instagram}}
A modified version of the song was used by Bulgarian influencer Misho Amoli as his entrance theme for «La Velada del Año III»,{{cite news |date=2 July 2023 |title=Velada del Año 3 de Ibai: resumen, resultados y ganadores de los combates de boxeo |language=es |work=Marca |url=https://www.marca.com/videojuegos/lo-mas-gaming/2023/07/01/64a034efd766090028208316-directo.html}} a boxing event hosted by Ibai Llanos in 2023.
Singer Heli Andrea covered the song as a part of metal band Humanity's Last Breath's song "Instill".
The Seattle Cascades Drum and Bugle Corps included an arrangement of the song as part of their production "Sky Above" for the Drum Corps International 2024 competitive season.{{Cite web |last=Shelton |first=Natalie |date=2023-12-28 |title=Seattle Cascades Announce 'Sky Above' as 2024 DCI Production Title |url=https://www.flomarching.com/articles/11759124-seattle-cascades-announce-sky-above-as-2024-dci-production-title |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=FloMarching |language=en}}