# Cat Vibing to Ievan Polkka > Cat Vibing to Ievan Polkka is a 2020 viral video meme pairing the Vibing Cat's synchronized head-bob with Turkish street musician Bilal Göregen performing the Finnish folk song "Ievan Polkka" on tambourine. Cat Vibing to Ievan Polkka is a viral video meme combining the Vibing Cat head-bob animation with footage of blind Turkish street musician Bilal Göregen performing the Finnish folk song "Ievan Polkka" on a tambourine. The mashup first appeared on Twitter in October 2020 and quickly spread as both an object labeling meme and a reaction video, racking up tens of millions of views across platforms within weeks. ## Origin On June 17, 2019, YouTube user Dejan Petrovski uploaded a video of Bilal Göregen performing "Ievan Polkka" on a tambourine while seated on a park bench[3]. Göregen, a blind street musician from Turkey, played the Finnish folk song with infectious energy. The video picked up around 1.9 million views over its first year but didn't go viral as a meme[3]. The meme version started taking shape on October 16, 2020, when Twitter user @babyodw posted an edit placing a dancing anime girl on the bench next to Göregen[3]. Two days later, on October 18, Twitter user @wonamaewa replied with the now-iconic version, swapping the anime girl for the Vibing Cat animation[3]. That reply picked up over 220 retweets, 1,800 likes, and 45,400 views in its first three weeks[3]. - **Platform:** YouTube (source video), Twitter (meme mashup) - **Creator:** Dejan Petrovski (original YouTube upload), Bilal Göregen (performer), @wonamaewa (cat edit creator) - **Date:** 2020 ## Overview The meme pairs a looping animation of a white cat rhythmically bobbing its head (known as Vibing Cat or CatJam) with a video of Bilal Göregen, a blind Turkish musician, enthusiastically performing "Ievan Polkka" on a traditional drum on a park bench. The cat is typically edited onto the bench beside Göregen, perfectly synced to the beat. The format works as a reaction meme where the cat represents someone vibing to music, good news, or any positive situation, while Göregen represents the source of that energy. It also functions as an object labeling template where both figures get labeled to represent a relatable dynamic[3]. ## How It Spread The mashup moved fast once it left @wonamaewa's reply thread. On October 19, 2020, Twitter user @Noble_Batman posted what appears to be the earliest object labeling version, tagging the cat "me" and the drummer "silly things," though it didn't gain traction[3]. The same day, @giantcat9 reposted the video to over 1,100 retweets and 124,700 views[3]. On October 20, @HackingThings reposted it to 5,800 retweets, 13,000 likes, and 247,000 views[3]. Facebook blew the numbers wide open that same day. User A-t-a-r-i-s posted a version that pulled in over 10.8 million views, 316,000 likes, and 51,000 shares in under two months[3]. The meme format really locked in on October 21, when Instagram account brightsideofig posted a "Dad and the Dog" labeled version that hit 631,500 likes in three weeks[3]. By October 24, a repost to Reddit's r/dankmemes had crossed 25,500 upvotes before being removed[3]. From there, Reddit adopted it heavily as both an object labeling meme and a reaction clip. r/memes and r/PiratedGames saw popular posts on October 25 and 26 respectively[3]. Göregen himself got in on the action. On November 1, 2020, he reuploaded @wonamaewa's cat edit to his own YouTube channel, where it gained over 1.3 million views in a single week[3]. A novelty Twitter account called CatVibes To (@CatVibesTo) also reuploaded the meme, pulling another 1.1 million views in the same timeframe[3]. ## How to Use The Cat Vibing to Ievan Polkka format works in two main ways: **As an object labeling meme:** Label the vibing cat as yourself (or any person/thing enjoying something) and label Göregen as the source of that enjoyment. Common examples: the cat labeled "me at 3am" with Göregen labeled "the same song on repeat," or the cat as "my coworker" vibing to "my breakdown in the break room." **As a reaction video:** Post the raw clip in response to good vibes, catchy music, or any situation where someone is enthusiastically enjoying the moment. The clip works especially well as a reply to music posts or feel-good content. The format leans positive. Both the cat's rhythmic head bob and Göregen's genuine enthusiasm create an upbeat energy that fits best with wholesome or lighthearted content. ## Cultural Impact The meme brought significant attention to Bilal Göregen, who went from a modestly known street performer to an international figure almost overnight. His original performance video saw its view count spike after the cat edit went viral[3]. The fact that Göregen embraced the meme by reuploading the cat version to his own channel added a wholesome layer that fans appreciated[3]. The format also boosted awareness of "Ievan Polkka" itself. The Finnish folk song, already known in internet culture through Loituma Girl (the leekspin meme from the mid-2000s), found a new generation of fans through Göregen's percussive cover[1]. The CatVibes To Twitter account turned the format into a running series, applying the vibing cat to different musicians and performances, extending the meme's shelf life well beyond its initial October 2020 peak[3]. ## Fun Facts - Bilal Göregen is blind and performs as a street musician in Turkey. His enthusiastic tambourine style turned a Finnish folk song into a global meme without him initially knowing about it[3]. - "Ievan Polkka" had already been an internet meme once before, via the Loituma Girl / Leekspin animation that spread in the mid-2000s[1]. - The Vibing Cat animation (CatJam) used in the edit originated separately as a Twitch emote before being combined with Göregen's performance[3]. - Göregen's original video sat at around 1.9 million views for over a year before the cat edit sent it into the viral stratosphere[3]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Cat Vibing to Ievan Polkka? It's a viral meme combining a head-bobbing cat animation (Vibing Cat) with video of Turkish street musician Bilal Göregen performing the Finnish song "Ievan Polkka" on a tambourine. It spread as both a reaction video and an object labeling template[3]. ### Where did Cat Vibing to Ievan Polkka come from? The source video was uploaded to YouTube on June 17, 2019, by Dejan Petrovski, showing Göregen performing. Twitter user @wonamaewa created the cat edit on October 18, 2020[3]. ### What does Cat Vibing to Ievan Polkka mean? The meme expresses vibing, enjoyment, or enthusiastic appreciation. The cat represents someone happily going along with something, while the musician represents whatever's causing that good feeling[3]. ### How do you use Cat Vibing to Ievan Polkka? Either label the cat and the musician to represent a relatable duo (object labeling), or post the clip as a reaction to upbeat or feel-good content[3]. ### Is Cat Vibing to Ievan Polkka still popular? The meme peaked in late 2020, and while the specific format sees less frequent use now, the Vibing Cat element and Göregen's performance are widely recognized internet culture references[3]. ### Who is the musician in the Cat Vibing meme? Bilal Göregen, a blind Turkish street musician who performs on a traditional tambourine-style drum. He embraced the meme and reuploaded the cat edit to his own YouTube channel[3]. ### What song is playing in the Cat Vibing meme? "Ievan Polkka," a Finnish folk song. The song was already known online from the mid-2000s Loituma Girl (Leekspin) meme before Göregen's cover went viral[1]. ### Who created the cat edit? Twitter user @wonamaewa posted the first version combining Vibing Cat with Göregen's performance on October 18, 2020, as a reply to an earlier anime girl edit by @babyodw[3]. ### Did Bilal Göregen know about the meme? Yes. On November 1, 2020, Göregen reuploaded the cat edit to his own YouTube channel, where it gained over 1.3 million views in one week[3]. ### How many views did the meme get? A Facebook repost by A-t-a-r-i-s alone pulled 10.8 million views and 316,000 likes. Göregen's own reupload hit 1.3 million views in a week. Total views across all platforms reached tens of millions[3]. ## References 1. [List of Internet phenomena]() 2. [Cat Vibing to Ievan Polkka - Urban Dictionary]() 3. [Cat Vibing to Ievan Polkka - Know Your Meme]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/cat-vibing-ievan-polkka Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library