Sweet Lullaby

The song is based around a traditional Baegu lullaby from the Solomon Islands called "Rorogwela", and uses a vocal sample of a woman called Afunakwa[1] singing, originally recorded by ethnomusicologist Hugo Zemp in 1970 and later released by UNESCO as part of their Musical Sources collection.[2] The lyrics refer to a young orphan being comforted by his older brother despite the loss of their parents.[3]

For a time, Australian television network SBS used the song as its theme. It was also used by German television broadcaster RTL as the closing theme to their coverage of UEFA Champions League football during the 1994–1995 season.

In 2008, American Internet celebrity Matt Harding traveled to the Solomon Island of Malaita to search for 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.[4]

The track and its creators have come under criticism for their unauthorized appropriation of musical recordings.[5][1]

In 1994, Larry Flick from 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."[6] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report said it's "haunting and captivating", adding, "it needs more than one listen."[7] Music writer James Masterton said in his weekly UK chart commentary, "The musical collage they create is startlingly reminiscent of something One Dove may produce but after much club exposure they have outdone them at a stroke and are destined for the Top 10 next week at least."[8] Pan-European magazine Music & Media called the song a "mellow floater".[9] James Hamilton from Music Week's RM Dance Update described it as a "African chanted haunting Euro hit"[10] and a "exotically atmospheric haunting ethereal drifter".[11] James Hunter from Vibe deemed it "an eager pop confection of continental synths and excellent singing from "the rain forest pygmies of Africa"."[12]

The debut single for the group, "Sweet Lullaby" was a success for Deep Forest, reaching #3 in Norway,[13] #7 on the Australian ARIA Charts,[14] #10 on the British charts, #78 on the US Billboard Top 100, and the Top 20 in France, Iceland and Switzerland.

The accompanying music video, directed by Indian director Tarsem Singh, was also nominated for several awards at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards.[15] The video consists of a little Ndebele boy running around and playing with his mother and some family members who are all dressed in a full Ndebele cultural clothing. It also shows the boy walking with his mother on Kalahari desert. The video shows the beauty of the Ndebele culture with a beautiful desert scene of a Kalahari Desert from South Africa. It was published on YouTube in December 2015 and as of September 2021, it has been viewed more than 1,1 million times.[16]

• Detailed release information, music samples & lyrics and translation