Planetarian
10 tracks

Planetarian

Album Description

Azadoota (Assyrian for "freedom") is a hardworking, Sydney-based multicultural party band, led by Iraqi musician Robin Zirwanda. With other members hailing from Latin American, Asian and European backgrounds, Azadoota's sound is a true hybrid of contemporary musical cultures, owing as much to Western pop as it does to its more exotic influences. The Arabic vibe dominates on tracks like "Bruni", "Habaniya" and "El Balil", but gives way to African soukous flavours on the title track, and the Latin phrasings that permeate "Doola Teela" and the tongue-in-cheek "Jimmy Barnes Samba". Planetarian is a tight, tasty smorgasbord of locally produced worldbeat. Four stars.

- Seth Jordan, Limelight Magazine.

Bruni Music Video

"Bruni" is an exaggerated (or not) comedic representation of an Assyrian mother doting on her precious son. Robin wrote this song, which uses the iconic Assyrian Khigga beat, as a friendly jibe at one of the musicians who played on the recording. (He knows who he is!) He was still living at home at the time, and his amazing mum spoilt him just a teensy bit.

Track Credits

Music and lyrics by Robin Zirwanda
Song produced and mixed by Tom Kazas
Robin Zirwanda - vocals and percussion
Vashti Sivell - Piano
Daniel Weltlinger - Violin
Marty Farrugia - Trumpet
Pasky Pastor - Bass
Evan Yako - Drums
Raimondo Fioravanti - Guitar
Paul Marbo, Bubkey Isaac and Evan Yako - Backing vocals
Recorded at BJB Studios way back in 2007
Mastered by William Bowden

Video Credits

Video produced by Elle Zirwanda
Starring Robin Zirwanda, Stuart Vandegraaff, Rodrigo Simoes, Zac Haider-Keene, Emilio Palazzolo, and featuring Josh Zirwanda as "Bruni".
Designed, directed and edited by Elle Zirwanda
DOP Joseph Hakobi for Shamiram Media
Radio announcer voice Emmanuel Yousif
Colourist Jarryd Hall
Filmed on location at the historic Morgan Estate, Los Altos, California USA.
Thanks to Assyrian Arts Institute for welcoming us to California and making our trip so unforgettable.

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Lyrics

I'm very confused. I don't belong anywhere, I've lost touch with the world, I've lost all respect.
My sister's not talking to me, My mum's fed up, She's really angry, she says, "Enough with this showing off!"
I put it to you that from my perspective, the taste of freedom is the sweetest thing.
What can I do? I'm disconnected from my generation, I've been cursed with the fate of being born the only son.
My dad returned home. He called me aside. He whispered in my ear. It brought tears to my eyes.
I put it to you that from my perspective, the taste of freedom is the sweetest thing.
Who will be the one to instigate change? Who will be the one to show us love?
Enough with this showing off! It's left me with no-one. I've lost touch with reality. I don't belong anywhere.
I put it to you that from my perspective, the taste of freedom is the sweetest thing.
God sends a cure for this child, an easy solution to this problem: Singing, singing.

(In Assyrian)
Here she comes, here she comes, Wearing a yellow dress
Here she comes, here she comes, With flowers she picked specially for me.
I don't want to open my eyes, I don't want to wake from this dream
I'm looking at this vision of beauty, I'm asking "Who is she?"
(In Arabic)
The beauty that I see, My eyes can't believe it. My damaged heart is filled with kindness.
(In English)
Doola teela, hey doola teela, Swing your hips and dance like Shakira.
Doola teela, hey doola teela, Shake your hips, dance like Shakira.
(In Assyrian)
Here she comes, here she comes, Wearing a yellow dress
Here she comes, here she comes, With flowers she picked specially for me.
I don't want to open my eyes, I don't want to wake from this dream
I'm looking at this vision of beauty, I'm asking "Who is she?"
It feels like Spring is here. She brings a message.
I'm telling the world there will be Peace between all nations.

Son, get up, your breakfast is ready!
Son, get up, your mum is waiting for you.
He’s sweet and good-looking, He’s so kind-hearted, I love him, I love him, I love him with all my heart.
Son, get up, your breakfast is ready!
Son, get up, your mum is waiting for you.
I always ask before I take him to the market, Whatever his heart desires I will buy for him.
Son, get up, your breakfast is ready!
Son, get up, your mum is waiting for you.
If a day goes by and I haven’t seen him, I’ll light seven candles and pull all the hair from my head.
Son, get up, your breakfast is ready!
Son, get up, your mum is waiting for you.
All his friends really really love him. When he goes on tour he gets a hundred phone calls.
Son, get up, your breakfast is ready!
Son, get up, your mum is spoiling you.
Bon apetit, bon apetit!
Oh mum, oh mum, I really love you a lot. Not a day goes by that I don’t pray for you with all my heart.

Lyric translation to come.

I’m begging you, Don’t leave me in this misery
I’m begging you, Don’t leave me stunned and confused.
I don’t know what I’m going to hear. I don’t know but I’m scared.
I’m begging you, Help me escape from this misery.

I love you so much, it doesn't need justification. Every day and night I think about you, my love.
Through all the years that I've been living here I've always talked about you.
Oh girl from Habaniya, It's you I love.
The day you arrive in Australia I'll find you a house close to the water, so your heart doesn't miss the Habaniya lakeside.
I'll show you my love and I'll build you a house.
Oh girl from Habaniya, It's you I love.
I'm asking, I'm thinking, I'm waiting, I'm talking about those days in Habaniya.
Don't look at me and start crying. Don't tell me I haven't been faithful.
So many years I've been waiting for you, do you think I've even spoken to any other girl?
Oh girl from Habaniya, It's you I love.
I'm asking, I'm thinking, I'm waiting, I'm talking about those days in Habaniya.
My eyes don't want to see any more. It's too difficult, my heart is torn, thinking about this girl.
Her father and mother are saying, "Find yourself another girlfriend. Our daughter isn't going to Australia."
Oh girl from Habaniya, It's you I love.

Get up, get up, get up and dance, The bride is coming!
A bridegroom, I'm standing and waiting. The groomsmen are singing.
I'm waiting for her to come through the door, To look in her eyes for the first time.
Get up, get up, get up and dance, The bride is coming!
As soon as she sits down next to me I'll gently take hold of her hand.
If her mother isn't watching I'll give her a kiss.
Get up, get up, get up and dance, The bride is coming!
I'm looking in your eyes. Marvelling at their beauty. I'm asking the sky and the moon. They agree your eyes are very pretty.
Get up, get up, get up and dance, The bride is coming!
Now you and I will get up and dance together so we can show these people how we've accepted each other.
Get up, get up, get up and dance, The bride is coming!

In my prayers I asked for a girl full of love, intelligence and attitude,
Who'd stay with me forever, Who would never leave my thoughts.
She's on my mind, she's on my mind, This girl who loves me.
She gave her love to me, She's never going to leave me.
It seems like ages since she spoke to me, it was a week before Musardeh*,
She was wearing a yellow dress,she filled my heart with desire.
She's on my mind, she's on my mind, This girl who loves me.
She gave her love to me, She's never going to forget me.

*Musardeh or Nusardil is an Assyrian festival celebrated on the seventh Sunday after Pentecost (June) to commemorate the church's baptism ceremony. But as with most festivals, the origins of the ceremony date to pre-Christian times. Ancient Assyrians worshipped pagan gods. Sprinkling water on the path of a pagan religious procession was a common practice meant to show respect. When St. Thomas converted the Assyrians to Christianity in the first century, he resorted to a mass baptism because of the many people involved. His splashing of water on a crowd of people, combined with the earlier pagan tradition, led to the current practice. Traditionally, Nusardil participants splash or spill water on each other in a ritualistic way. Even those not associated with the celebration may get splashed for fun. Today, children also use squirt guns or similar devices to spray water on each other and on their elders.

I was distraught after you left, but how is your life going now?
I tell myself there’s no antidote for love, But how is life treating you now?
This is the girl I used to love, Sad because I don’t see her any more.
I’ll pray to God that you'll look after yourself. Don’t ever think I didn’t love you.
This is the girl I used to love, Sad because I don’t see her any more.
I cut the connection so you don’t have power, If I forgive you, maybe you could come back.
She knows I don’t love her. She’s sad because I don’t see her any more.

You left me, I’m really miserable, Going through some rough times.
They say you’re going out with someone else.
I know, I know, I know something about you.
Why did you break up with me? You left me and I went a bit crazy. You took your love away from me And gave it to somebody else.
I know, I know, I know something about you.
The words that you’ve been spreading around are getting back to me and making me very sad.
The words that you’ve been spreading around are getting back to me and really hurting me.
They say you’re loving someone else.
I know, I know, I know something about you.