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-j3F...

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  Music

[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]

-- 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]

Hello and hope you have a nice day.

[abysstheblue]

We love you Greek brothers. We love Alexandros Grigoropoulos.. Greetings from Turkey!

[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.

[Alceu Auditor]

esta é a musica mais maravilhosa que conheço. me marca muito esta musica.

[Indigo Marlassis-Bouras]

Tin metafrasi tin gamises ligo

[Indigo Marlassis-Bouras]

Tin meta ftasi

[ευα τσιοφα]

and in greece too!!!i agree with u

[ShiZi999]

thank you thank you thank you for uploading!!!

[womaneros]

Enn sevdigimmm

[6510686]

greedings from vuzantioum

[burak bak]

harika bir parça



[Στέλιος Χατζηευαγγέλου]

?? what i said made you happy?