A Contemporary Dabka
Another single of Matti Caspi from the upcoming album.
Matti Caspi: “with ‘Dabka’ I had an African melody in mind, with a hint of Arabian Dabka. I’ve told Danny (Robas) that I picture an ancient ritual of some kind, and he wrote a vivid description of a coming-of-age ritual of a boy who has become a man. Alongside that there is a surprising connection to the modern world, when the boy hurries back to his computer in his tent, because he’s got to chat with his pals. This ruins the whole picture”.
A Contemporary Dabka
Lyrics: Danny Robas
Music: Matti Caspi
Spring is in the air but the wind is still chilly
They are sitting near the bonfire to warm up
The ritual is about to begin and the fire will soon burn again
And the tumult will cease and someone will say
For thousands of years this custom exists
Whenever one of the boys reaches eighteen
The dancing is wild the drums are beat in a good rhythm
Hands are in the air and the moment is near
And the flame washes them in a yellow light
The women paint his face with the color he selected
The jackals are howling far away on the mountain top
There is a whisper among them and the boy mumbles
What is he trying to say and what does it mean
He needs to go home needs to pack and leave
There inside the tent the computer is on and awaits just him
He has a group chat at ten with all his pals
Yosi Harsonsky talks about the song: “Some kind of surprise? Anything extraordinary? Take ‘A Contemporary Dabka’ - a rhythm from the east and the Balkan entwined with the voices of the ‘A-WA’ girls, a song about the gap between the ancient customs and the modern life of the young man. It’s the ritualistic ceremony that continues to live on in the tribe against the group chat he’s about to have with his friends on his computer in his tent. It’s a song of rhythm, Matti Caspi that sings before the chorus voices of ‘A-WA’ get us right into the ritual”.