The track reinterprets the Kurpie song Moja Mamo, originally performed by folk legend Apolonia Nowak, combining hip-hop beats, cimbalom, flutes, violins, and the voices of Daga and Dana to bridge generations and musical worlds.
Lyrics from the new song, drawing on Carpathian folk traditions: “Mother, mother dear, the guests are drawing near. Already on the bridge, oy, la la, oy, la la. Bring me here four cheese wheels, four fine lads are coming here, a quart of butter at the ready, four town lads are here already.”
The collaboration began when Subcarpați’s leader and producer, Marius Andrei Alexe (Bean MC), accepted an invitation from the Adam Mickiewicz Institute as part of the Poland-Romania Cultural Season 2024–2025.
In February, the artists met in a Bucharest studio to bring their shared vision to life, culminating in a joint radio concert and new interpretations of folk songs.
Marius Andrei Alexe (Bean MC), leader of the Romanian hip-hop group Subcarpați (photo: R.Ungureanu
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The Carpathian Mountains, stretching across Poland, Romania, and Ukraine, provided both inspiration and a symbolic link for the project.
The artists reunited in the Romanian village of Breb, in the Maramureș region, to film a music video featuring traditional dancers and musicians from both countries, authentic folk costumes, and contemporary designs by Beata Bojda.
On 30 November, DAGADANA and Subcarpați will perform together at DAGADANA’s anniversary concert at Arenele Romane in Bucharest, in front of 2,500 attendees.
Founded in 2010, Subcarpați blends ancient rhythms and traditional instruments with modern hip-hop, electronic, and alternative music, revitalising Romanian folk culture through projects at the Subcarpați Cultural Centre.
The artists' meeting in Casa din Vale in Romania (photo: R.Ungureanu)
DAGADANA, active for 17 years, combines Polish and Ukrainian folk traditions with jazz, experimental electronica, art pop, and fusion, performing nearly 1,000 concerts worldwide, including at Glastonbury Festival.
The project is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Poland, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, the Romanian Cultural Institute, and the Subcarpați Cultural Center.
The Poland-Romania Cultural Season 2024–2025 is organised by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, in cooperation with the Polish Institute in Bucharest, and the Romanian Ministry of Culture and Romanian Cultural Institute in Warsaw.
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