Klingon “Bohemian Rhapsody” music video gets a boost from Star Trek Day

You’ve never heard “Bohemian Rhapsody” until you’ve heard it in the original Klingon

A music video featuring Queen’s hit song “Bohemian Rhapsody” sung entirely in Klingon has been getting some attention from Star Trek fans lately for its unique spin on the legendary tune. The video was the brainchild of Winnipeg-based musician and producer Rusty Matyas, who wrote and recorded the song with the help of the Moonrise Music Club.

A report from Canada’s Global News shed some light on the growing popularity of the video. Published to YouTube in April of 2020, the Klingon cover song saw a spike in views during the week following this year’s Star Trek Day festivities and - at this time - has more than 48,000 views.

Rusty Matyas loves science fiction and wanted to bring his own version of that to the real world. “I have access to a studio,” Matyas said of the project. “I have a Klingon dictionary and I thought, ‘What would be a really difficult and epic song to do in Klingon?’ and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ came to mind right away.” Matyas began translating the song from his dictionary and eventually hired a local Trekkie who was fluent in Klingon to perfect the lyrics. Matyas recorded the bass, piano and guitar parts, bringing in more local talent for lead vocals, drums, harp, violin and even a theremin for that authentic Star Trek sound.

The Klingon cover of “Bohemian Rhapsody” is a fun take on a classic song, packed full of creative costumes, clever editing and the beautiful, guttural tones of a proud warrior race. Head over to the Moonrise Music Club channel on YouTube to see this one-of-a-kind music video for yourself.