“I felt like Shakira singing Waka, waka...,” that’s an excited Sayanora Philip talking about crooning the FIFA World Cup 2018 anthem composed by the band, Orfeo. The song, Davai, Davai... (Russian for ‘Come on, come on’), is an upbeat, breezy number shot in Russia, the host nation of the World Cup.
“When Waka waka... (official song of 2010 FIFA World Cup) was released, I used to sing it at all my stage shows. Shakira is my favourite artiste and Waka waka... is the best World Cup anthem for me,” she says. Davai, Davai... is in English, with Russian lyrics thrown in between.
Sayanora Philip
Sayanora admits that she was not sure about singing the number because she felt it wouldn’t suit her voice texture. “The band had approached me after they had arranged the entire song. I thought it was a little slow for me. I felt that a male voice would be better and even suggested a couple of names. But they insisted I was the right choice,” she says.
The singer-composer is elated over releasing an English song after a fairly long gap. Her first release in Malayalam music industry was an English song, Am I Dreaming... from Manju Poloru Penkutty . However, in spite of having a strong base in Western music, she hasn’t released many English songs after that except some devotional numbers. “All my singles have been in Malayalam. So this song is special for me. I usually modulate my voice for certain songs. For example, for Shakira’s songs. Even for the song in Sivaji , Rahman sir had asked me to do so. I have, however, maintained the original tone and timbre of my voice in Davai, Davai... I was extremely nervous while recording it; I am happy that it has come out well,” she adds.
And she can’t stop gushing about the video. “They had shot the video even before I sang the song. I watched the video only after I had finished recording and I was blown away by the visuals. The video is truly of international quality and I am proud to be a part of it,” she says.
So is she a football fan? “Very much. I have been rooting for Brazil for many years. Although I feel like switching over to Argentina at times, I don’t feel like giving up on Brazil!” the singer says. Orfeo is known for their re-arranged instrumental versions of popular songs, the latest being Padakali... from Yodha .
The makers
The video of Davai Davai... is directed by Steev Benjamin. Music and arrangement are by Robin Thomas. Shyam Muraleedharan and Don Thomas have penned the lyrics. Other singers are Don Thomas, Abhimanyu and Isabella Chepeleva (Russian). The musicians are Robin Thomas (piano), Carol George, Chandlu Nerimbodath and Francis Xavier (violin), Herald Antony (viola) and Maria Grigoreva (cello).
