Along with the fast-paced matches at the FIFA World Cup, people always look forward to the World Cup anthem. That’s one of the reasons why every football fan gets nostalgic about the Shakira and Ricky Martin anthems. While many have critiqued the anthem for this year, Live it Up by Nicky Jam, Will Smith and Era Istrefi, for not living up to expectations, Davai Davai by Orfeo Quintet is making its way up the chart.
This quintet band from Kerala has hit the right notes, and their fan following is rapidly on the rise. “Though a major part of the song is in English, we thought that there must be a Russian element as well since the World Cup is being hosted by Russia. Thus, we came up with the word Davai, which in Russian means come on,” says Chandlu, the violinist of the band.
The song, which was released by actor Nivin Pauly through his official Facebook page, has got more than 2,46,000 views in 72 hours.
Shakira
Elaborating on the song, Chandlu says the thought of making a football anthem began last December but the execution depended on many factors. He adds that their band member Maria, who is a Russian, is the person who made their dream come true.
“We had a plan to shoot it in Russia but were sceptical about how practical it would be. But Maria intervened and facilitated everything. She helped us with the Russian lyrics and made one of her friends in Delhi sing it as well,” says Chandlu.
According to Chandlu, Robin Thomas, who handles the piano, came up with the music, which the whole band agreed to. The English lyrics have been written by Shyam Muraleedharan and Don Thomas from Kochi. “After many permutations and combinations, we arrived at the final lyrics. It was also a tough task to select a singer who would do justice to the song. However, after many discussions we came to the conclusion that Sayonara Philip would be the apt choice. I think the song wouldn’t have been so successful without her singing it. The reviews where people say that our song is better than this year’s FIFA anthem makes us feel proud,” says Chandlu.
The band planned to shoot Davai Davai in Russia as they wanted people to get a feel of the real football fever. Robin playing the Balalaika gave the song a more authentic feel. The song has also captured the various locations where the matches would take place as well as the enthusiasm among people.
