“She rocked me; gave me rhythm” – Kalush Orchestra bring an ode to mothers in “Stefania” lyrics

They are mixing the modern and the classic. Kalush Orchestra are one of the eight finalists in Vidbir, Ukraine’s selection for Eurovision 2022. With their song “Stefania”, the group reflects on a hard-working and strong, yet sensitive, mother.

Scroll down to read the “Stefania” lyrics

Vidbir 2022: Kalush Orchestra “Stefania”

Hip hop group Kalush took their name from the city where they formed in 2019, in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, western Ukraine. The three-piece of rapper Oleh Psiuk, multi-instrumentalist Ihor Didenchuk and MC Kylymen attained commercial success quickly in their home country, creating rap pieces from the slang of Psiuk’s home town. Ihor Didenchuk already has some Eurovision experience under his belt as he stood on the stage with Go_A in Rotterdam last year as their flautist.

Kalush released their first album HOTIN in 2021, which followed the great success of their single “Zori”. This song received notable airplay on Ukrainian radio and has been streamed over two million times since its release on Spotify. Meanwhile, the group collaborated heavily with other big Ukrainian acts, such as Okean Elzy and alyona alyona.

Recently, the group decided to create their own orchestra, which focused on the combination of hip hop and ancient folklore. For this effort, Kalush teamed up with three other musicians: backing vocalist and rapper Dzhonni Dyvniy, plus multi-instrumentalists Tymofii Muzychuk and Vitalii Duzhyk.

The orchestra’s first large release came with “Shtomber Womber” in December 2021. The song discussed social issues and came with a music video featuring ancient instruments and a typical Ivano-Frankivsk coat.

What do the “Stefania” lyrics mean?

Kalush Orchestra bring an ode to the mother in “Stefania”. Lyric-wise, the song mixes two styles. In the chorus, the song uses typical folk song lyrics – short sentences with long vowels. The verses, on the other hand, contain much longer lines, which are performed much quicker compared to the slower chorus, creating the typical rap flow that fans are used to from Kalush. 

One of the key words of the song is “колискова”, which means “lullaby”. The lullaby is a symbol in the song for the good memories that the narrator has of their mother. The sound of the lullaby brings them back to a moment when they were still under the safe guard of their mother. It comes back in both the chorus and the verse, as each rap verse ends with the sentence “Lyuli lyuli lyuli”, which is a classic Slavic folk lullaby. 

The song starts off with a child looking at how their mother has aged. Several lines awake a nostalgic feeling to the past and towards the image of a mother: “The field blooms, but she is turning grey / Sing me a lullaby mum / I want to hear your native word”. Like typical folk rhymes, this part seems more romantic and idealises a tragic situation.

In the verse, where a more contemporary rap is used, there is a much more realistic depiction of the events. It discusses the hardship of being a mother. There seems to be an absence of support for the mother, who tries her best to raise her child. The narrator realises their mother has done a lot for them and that they will always return to her: “She rocked me; gave me rhythm and probably the power of will; did not take, but she gave”. 

While the mother is portrayed as a sweet and soft woman in the folk-style chorus, in the verses, she is a much more rounded character. There, she is portrayed as a strong but sensitive person: “She will not awaken, won’t wake, me in strong storms / She will take two fig signs from grandma, as if they were bullets / She knew me very well she was not deceived, like she was very tired she rocked me in time”. 

“Stefania” lyrics – Kalush Orchestra (Vidbir 2022)

Music and lyrics by: Ihor Didenchuk, Ivan Klimenko, Oleh Psiuk, Tymofii Muzychuk and Vitalii Duzhyk

Do you like Kalush Orchestra’s “Stefania”? Are you hoping that they will win Vidbir 2022? Let us know in the comments down below!