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Mezzo-soprano Olesya Petrova from Russia sings Habañera from Bizet’s Carmen in the 2011 ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Cardiff Singer of the World final.

‘L’amour est un oiseau rebelle’ is the song Carmen sings to the soldiers, outside the cigarette factory, who ask her when she will fall in love. Love is a rebellious bird, she says: it is a child of Bohemia and does not obey any rules. She warns them that if she decides to fall in love, they should take care! Bizet based his melody on a song by Iradier.