"Sweet Lullaby" is a song by French world music/ethnic electronica Deep Forest which originally appeared on their eponymous album. The song gained popularity in 1992 and 1993 when it was released as a single, becoming a top 30 hit in many European and Oceanian countries. In 1994, it was re-released in remixed versions.
Song information
The song is based around a traditional Baegulullaby from the Solomon Islands called "Rorogwela", and uses a vocal sample of a woman called Afunakwa singing, originally recorded by ethnomusicologistHugo Zemp in 1970 and later released by UNESCO as part of their Musical Sources collection. The lyrics refer to a young orphan being comforted by his older brother despite the loss of their parents. For a time, Australian TV networkSBS used the song as its theme. It was also used by German TV broadcaster RTL as the closing theme to their coverage of UEFA Champions League football during the 1994-95 season. Parts of the song are sampled in the 2000 trance hit "Komodo", by Mauro Picotto In 2008, Matt Harding traveled to the Solomons island of Malaita to try to find Afunakwa, the woman who is thought to be the performer of "Rorogwela" on Zemp's recording. According to Harding's follow-up video Where the Hell is Afunakwa?, Afunakwa had died in 1998. The track and its creators have come under criticism for their unauthorized appropriation of musical recordings.
Music video
The music video, directed by Tarsem Singh, was also nominated for several awards at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards. The video consists of a little girl riding a tricycle in front of iconic scenes from around the globe, juxtaposing images from her journey with parallel snippets of nobility performing similar actions.
Critical reception
James Hunter from Vibe described it as "an eager pop confection of continental synths and excellent singing from "the rain forest pygmies of Africa"." Billboard wrote, "This is one of those great projects that has created a long top-shelf life on its own. Now that the 2-year-old "Sweet Lullaby" has finally run its course, Epic is focusing on the act's self-titled track, running it through the remix mill with sterling results. Myriad versions are included to ensure chances for consumption at several formats, ranging from mainstream club to crossover radio. Nightlife hounds will worship Phillip Damien's interpretation, while cultural purists are advised to stick with the challenging album mix."
Chart performances
The debut single for the group, "Sweet Lullaby" was a success for Deep Forest, reaching #3 in Norway, #7 on the Australian ARIA Charts, #10 on the British charts, #78 on the U.S. BillboardTop 100, and the Top 20 in France, Iceland and Switzerland.
