Category: Europa

“Dragostea din tei” is a 2004 summer hit by Moldovan band O-Zone. The song became known throughout Europe and was written by Dan Bălan, O-Zone's lead singer, in Romanian. The title means something like “love of the linden trees”.

The song is about a telephone conversation in which the singer, who refers to himself as a “haiduc,” a heroic outlaw or freedom fighter in Romanian folklore, expresses his feelings of love and longing.

The catchy chorus has emphatically contributed to its worldwide popularity. Despite the upbeat melody, the lyrics are about love, separation, and the joy of retrieving fond memories.

The song is about a man's love for a beautiful woman named Jelena—which also happens to be my name. Jelena has left him, but he cannot let go of his love for her.

Music is incredibly rich and important to us. It is sung and played at birthdays, weddings, and funerals. This is one of the most well-known songs, especially since many women in Serbia are named Jelena.

The song was written in 1972 by a singer and composer who had fallen in love with a woman named Jelena. The melody is inspired by the old Greek song Misirlou. I only recently discovered this, as Lela Vranjanka has always been considered part of our own cultural heritage. This is a great example of how the peoples of the Balkans are deeply connected—especially those of the former Yugoslavia.

The melody was also used in Quentin Tarantino’s film Pulp Fiction, which is why it might sound familiar to many people.

I have many memories of this song being sung to me or being requested by musicians playing in restaurants and at celebrations. At weddings, it is customary to give money to musicians to request special songs, and my father always chose this one.

I am a mother and an artist with 20 years of experience in development work. Together with my husband and two daughters, I have lived and worked in the Netherlands, Serbia, and Botswana. Since September 2024, we have been living in Enschede.

The song is a lullaby, which originally is sung by a father to his children, inviting them to an adventurous dreamland. The father joins the children and makes sure nothing happens to them. Ultimately, the song is about the love of parents for their children.

The song first became famous, when it back in 1993 won the National Danish song contest and thereby represented Denmark at Eurovision. The artist, Tommy Seebach, was quite a famous artist at the time, and his son, Rasmus Seebach, also ended up becoming a famous singer in Denmark in the 2010's. Rasmus ended up making his own version that introduced the song to a whole new generation.

Personally, I did not have a special relationship with this song, until I started working in a kindergarten before starting at the university. My coworkers and I always played this song for the small children, when they were about to take their afternoon nap. It just became a nice kind of like ritual in a hectic day, and every time I have listened to the song since then, I always tend to become a bit more relaxed.

I am a 26-year-old Dane. I work at the University of Twente as a PhD candidate studying the synergies between renewable energy and a circular industry. Besides that, I do CrossFit in the old church at Crossfit Twente, go for long run in the forest and enjoy baking bread and cake for my colleagues and friends.

'Polegnala e Todora' is without a doubt one of the most iconic Bulgarian folk songs, embodying the spirit of Bulgarian folklore. The mountain wind blows gently and breaks a branch from the olive tree, waking Todora. She is angry with the wind. After all, she just dreamed that her lover came to her with a gold ring... The melody, both gentle and deeply symbolic, is inextricably linked to Bulgaria's culture and traditions. The arrangement by Filip Kutev has transformed the song into a choral piece while preserving its authenticity.

Thanks to the choir "The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices", the song reached the world stage, becoming a symbol of the richness and uniqueness of Bulgarian folk music. The ending, with the image of a colourful floral wreath and a golden ring, is not only romantic but also carries deep meaning related to the traditions and beliefs at the heart of Bulgarian cultural identity.

This song is proof that folk songs have the power to touch hearts, regardless of time or place.

I have lived in Enschede since 1996 and am a professional musician. I work as a choir conductor, concert pianist, and piano accompanist.

This song is rather old; the original text goes back to 1861 and is a fragment of a poem written by Nikolai Nekrasov, a famous Russian poet. The music was written later, around 1898.

In this song, a peddler tries to seduce a village girl to buy his goods (calico and brocade). It is unclear from the song whether he succeeded or not, although in the original poem he gives her his goods as a gift and plans to marry her after all.

For me, it is just one of the very old Russian folk songs which I've heard thousands of times starting from my early childhood. I was very surprised, of course, that this song/music turned out to be quite popular.

It is always difficult to explain, why a song becomes so popular. Perhaps, it was a lucky combination of the text and music; the role of the music maybe was even more important, although the composer (Yakov Prigozhy) is now totally forgotten. Several other composers tried to make songs based on this text, but it did not work at all.

I cannot say what this song means to me... I, my parents, and also their parents heard this song many times since our childhood, and I just take it for granted.

I am a chemical engineer from Moscow, Russia. In 2001 I was invited to the University of Twente and since then I work partly at the UT and partly in a spin-off company of the UT called Encontech B.V.

This song is written by the very famous French singer and composer Joe Dassin, also very well-known from “Siffler sur la colline” and “Les Champs Élysées”. It has two distinct ambiances, a rather cold and ominous, the other joyful and warm.

The author starts with a verse on the city of Quebec, about to enter a long and cold and dark winter "Quand les jours ressemblent au nuits" / "When the days seem just as night" etc.

However, even though this tough season is showing up, the author is happy, since he finds his sun, warmth and joy within the eyes of the woman he loves: Emily.

This song was released in 1977 and became popular back then for this older generation. However, 1-2 years ago, it was covered by a peña (a type of music group from the south-west of France, making very festive music with horns mainly) and it became an anthem for the rugby world cup in France. The internet made it very popular, and brought a new life to this song, making it known to the younger generation as well, uniting both in song.

Ever since, it's been an anthem in the summer and it can be heard on many occasions, such as stadiums during the Olympics this summer for instance, or every summer-fests/parties. Here is a video from Joe Dassin's YouTube channel showing the success of the song during the summer.

I really enjoy this song, as it always reminds me of the summer and the good times that come with it. I used to sing it with my friends at the summer parties from my village in Aveyron, and I will probably continue.

I’m a French Dutch 19-year-old and come from a small village in France called Saint-Jean-du-Bruel. I however lived my whole life in the Netherlands in Den Haag. I currently study Advanced Technology at the UT. I play the guitar in a band on campus called "The Isotopes".

This song is a classic in Antillean music and is cherished by many on the island, including myself. 'Atardi', which means 'in the evening' in Papiamentu, is often associated with feelings of nostalgia, love, and longing. Evening is a time for reflection, a moment to look back on the day.

Evening symbolizes solitude and melancholy—a time when people pause to reflect on what they have lost or no longer have.

My father and I were inseparable. His love for the island and for me was immense. This song brings those feelings back - watching the sunset together, living on the island, and experiencing moments of pure happiness. I often think back to those times.

Whenever I play this song, I relive those unforgettable moments with both a smile and a tear. There were times I struggled with life on the island, but my father’s gaze reminded me that this is simply how it is - nothing will change. So, cherish every moment, because before you know it, it’s gone. 'Atardi' brings me back to that place, with the sound of the waves in the background. In that moment, we are together again on my birth island.

My adoptive father passed away 30 years ago. He came to the island as a young Dutch soldier and ended up living there for 30 years. He felt at home on the island, where he met my aunt. Together, they decided to adopt me.