The Deku people are one of the proudest races in all of the Zelda canon, in my opinion only challenged by the Rito. However, the ability to interact with them (outside of shooting them with their own nuts) is a surprisingly rare occurrence, considering how strong their personalities are. This rarity, while frustrating for Deku fans, makes it all the more special when they do make appearances as allies rather than enemies. Cadence of Hyrule is one of these few instances, as the Symphony of the Mask DLC allows the player to visit Deku Village, complete with a snazzy remix of the Deku Palace theme from Majora’s Mask.
The song opens with an oboe playing the main melody, its timbre matching the swampy atmosphere in the village. It’s soon taken over by a flute improvising sassy licks over the groovy drum beat. The rhythmic syncopation is impossible not to dance along with, especially when the piano hops into the mix. Its tone is relatively light despite the deep, dark octaves played in its lower register. These three melodic instruments banter for a bit before the oboe takes us back to the start, this time with a more pronounced bass line. The harmony is new as well, leading us into an entirely different key. This is a remix of an already great piece of music, but this version is more tastefully revamped than I could’ve possibly imagined.
While Cadence of Hyrule is filled to the brim with songs like this (and every single one is fantastic), “Deku Village” stood out to me quite a lot. I haven’t played the game in months, yet this song has made a permanent home for itself in my brain. It’s easily one of my favorite songs in the series due to its exquisite arrangement, but it’s also possible that I simply like the Deku people more than the average Zelda fan. There’s no way of knowing when the Deku will make their next non-hostile appearance, but when they do, I’m certain they’ll bring more great tunes with them.
