Balamo - Eleni Vitali (with Greek/Gypsy lyrics and English interpretation)

Based on a Gypsy Greek folk song, this Dionysis Tsaknis composition is the basis of Tony Gatlif's Spanish Gypsy song Naci en Alamo in his film Vengo. Gatlif used the Spanish phrase "naci en Alamo" (meaning "born in Alamo"), which sounds like "Nas Balamo" (meaning "Leave outsider" in Greek/Gypsy). It is an example of how great music transcends languages, geography and cultures.

Here is a translation from a gypsy musician friend of plomari69:

Den eho topo, den eho elpida
-- I don't have a place, I don't have a hope
de tha me hasi, kamia patrida
-- no homeland will ever lose me
ke me ta heria mou ke tin kardia mou
-- and with my hands and my heart
ftiahno tsantiria sta onira mou
-- I make chadir (arabic-gypsy tent) in my dreams

Nas balamos, nas balamos
-- go away outsider(non gypsy), leave outsider
kai to loumno to afentiko
-- and the mean boss
nagia domles atze I balamo
-- does not accept the outsider (non-gypsy = white)

Ke ta ganikia mas otan chorevoun
-- and when our women dance
ne chastaromata pou se magevoun
-- with perfums and colours that put a spell on you
kounoune somata kai ta pite tous
-- they move their bodies and their jewels
mesa se klinoune stis agalies tous
-- they take their arms around you..
Note: Instead of "Naglia domles atze," Eleni uses different words in this version.

Here is my interpretation of this song:
I've no place and nothing to look forward to
No homeland for me, what's there to do
With a heavy heart and trembling hands
I dream of setting up my tent in distant lands

Leave me alone, leave me alone
You only care about your own
I dont belong, I must go alone

And when our women dance
They put you in a trance
As their fragrances surround you
With their arms around you

You can see Dionysis's video on Youtube here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT-j3FzguZ8

Category:

Music

Tags:

• nais
• nash
• Balamo
• balamos
• Eleni
• Vitali
• Dionysis
• Tsaknis
• Greek
• Gypsy
• naci
• en
• alamo
• vengo
• gitano
• Romani
• μπαλαμό
• Ελενη
• Βιταλη
• to
• tragoudi
• twn
• guftwn
• mbalamo
• lyrics
• english
• translation
• yt:stretch=16:9

[mosesmujahid]

Beautiful music,but I'm from Scotland and I had a lot of sympathy for gypsies before they came here and made life hell for us,thieves,stealing and hanging about in gangs and not working,very sad and it made me bitter,most gypsy parents teach their kids to steal and also pimp their kids,very sad.

[bemused321]

@mosesmujahid -- It is an unfortunate situation. Let us hope that conditions improve for them.  Criminal behavior exists in other parts of the society. According to wikipedia, there were so many crimes committed in England in the 1700’s that more than 60,000 convicts, even for petty crimes, were transported to North America and another 165,000 to newly discovered Australia. The colonies used many of the convicts as cheap labor and then set them free. Life is complex.

[huschow]

Greetings from Turkey

[bemused321]

@huschow Hello and hope you have a nice day.

[JuanitaLaQuejica]

Στην πραγματικότητα ο ισπανικός τίτλος σημαίνει "Γεννήθηκα στην αγάπη". Απλά κόβονται οι καταλήξεις και έτσι μπορεί κανείς να μπερδευτεί.

[bemused321]

@JuanitaLaQuejica Since you have Spanish background, I do not wish to question your comment. I agree with you that one can cut off the last letter “r” from “el amor” and it would sound similar to “Alamo.” However, I want to point out that according to the credits in Tony Gatlif’s Spanish film Vengo, the song is listed as “naci en Alamo” and not “naci en el amor.”

[caribchick87]

This is such a beautiful song. I don't speak Greek or Gypsy, but you can hear the passion/pain in it.

[GameMasterMC]

epeidh exw akousei xilies fores to idio la8os kai epeidh 3erw thn glwssa epeidh eimai kai gw tsigganos 8elw na kanw mia dior8wsh dn einai '' ναις'' ειναι νας με το (Σ) παχυ δηλαδη (Nash) και δν ειναι ναγια δομλες ατζει μπαλαμπο ειναι μανγκλιαρντομ λεσταρ τσεη μπαλαμο που θα πει ζητησα απο αυτον κορη...

[dpjaexp]

Roma musicians/composers/singers are some of the very finest musicians on earth. If it weren't for the Roma, there would be no music worth dancing to at most weddings and special occasions - from the Iberian Peninsula to the Balkans and Anatolia. I see an awful lot of hateful, racist comments here. There are good and bad in every lot. That's not what this music is about. If you don't like this song, then find something you like and be happy there. Leave the rest of us in peace to enjoy it.

[mihaldemir]

Wonderful. Greeting from Eskişehir, Turkey.

[trelleborgsgata]

na asbala mo.

[jam270f]

Very glad. 

[GiorgosLa]

tsogano me arxidia

[TheCuriouskittycat]

so beautiful <3 

[MrSurgeonKyle]

Bravo elenii !! :)

[chelarko]

What a stupid comment! Freedom of speech? Not, ignorance and predjuces!

What has music to do with acts of individuals... It's like to say that I liked The Beatles until I knew how many british citizens are in Asian prisions for drug traffiking...

"Most gypsy parents teach their kids to steal" you say, what a generalization! Many muslims are terrorists should another stupid person say. What a pity to have to read such racist comments in a page with such a beautiful music!

[tamaraali1]

@mosesmujahid I'm from Trinidad and Tobago...I love Gypsy music..but I've heard a lot of the Gypsys addiction to stealing...but in Trinidad, they kill for food, money and cars......The world is crazy...but music keeps people like me, sane !