Uskudara (Joel, Francesco et al)

[Judith Cohen <judithrc...>]

Hi, As far as I know, the original Turkish song was part of a late 19th 
century "operetta" called "Chickpeas", and became so popular it was soon 
translated into dozens of languages. The multi-lingual Alexandrian 
version represents the actual conversational linguistic practice of the 
city at that time - turn of the century. A Christian Egyptian firned of 
mine from Alexandria burst out laughing when he heard me sing it and 
said he remembers people talking not very differently. Basically, the 
Turkish song is about a young girl who walks around Uskudara (the Asian 
part of Istanbul) and finds a handkerchief which she knows belongs to 
her beloved "of the bedroom eyes" and fills it with Turkish Delight for 
him... The various versions in other languages basically each have their 
own text and story. It's on both my "Dans mon chemin j'ai rencontre" 
(Radio-Canada/Interdisc) and Gerineldo IV. - Judith 


>From: Joel Bresler <jbresler (at) ma(dot)ultranet(dot)com>
>Reply-To: jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org
>To: World music from a Jewish slant. <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
>Subject: Re: Judeo Arabic/North African music
>Date: Sat, 03 Apr 1999 22:24:47 -0500
>
>Hi, Francesco.
>
>I'm sure Judith can say a lot more on the subject, but there is a nice
>version on "Masters of Turkish Music, Volume 2", re-released from a 78
>dating from 1949. It's sung by Safiye Ayla (a woman) with keman, kanun, 
ud
>and clarinet accompaniment. The notes say it is a well known urban 
"turku"
>(folk song) from Istanbul. The name is "Katibim". Uskudara is the first
>word of the incipit.
>
>In addition to the Gerineldo version, Judith does a suite on her 
recording
>"Primavera en Salónica" and Francoise Atlan does it on "Romances 
Sefardies:
>Entre le Rose et le Jasmin". 
>
>The multi-language version is "Fel Sharah Canet Betet Masha", again 
done by
>Judith, this time on "On my way I met?; also by Helene Engel on 
"Chansons
>Judéo-espagnoles", and "Chansons Traditionnelles Juives", Italy's own
>Liliana Treves Alcalay on "Sefarad canti giudeo-spagnoli raccolti e
>interpretati", list member Isabelle Ganz' Alhambra on "The Art of
>Judeo-Spanish Song", the Gerard Edery Ensemble on "Romanzas Sefarditas" 
and
>Gloria Levy, "Sephardic Folk Songs Sung by Gloria Levy", released in 
1959
>(she learned it from her Sephardic Egyptian mother) which I believe 
gives
>her pride of place as the earliest commercial recording of the song.
>
>Pesach sameach,
>
>Joel
>
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>
>Evidently Eartha Kitt did a version of the song(!) in 1952, likely 
based on
>this recording. 
>
>Past that, I don't know when it dates from. A great song!At 10:34 AM 
4/1/99
>, you wrote:
>>>Francesco,
>>>
>>>Thanks for that wonderful insight on the relative freedom of
>>>Judeo-Arabic interpretation of songs.
>>>
>>>Are most of the songs of the series indeed in Hebrew, or are they in
>>>Arabic (or other languages)?
>>>
>>>Bob
>>
>>All songs are in Arabic. No Hebrew involved -- I wrote the word 
"Hebrew"
>>instead of "Arabic" in my posting by mistake: sorry! These songs are
>>(were?) part - as far as I can understand such things - of the local,
>>non-Jewish, culture, and at the same time are somehow perceived as
>>"Jewish". Pretty much like, I don't know, Jerry Lewis in the US (can 
this
>>compare?)...
>>Of course, French language plays a big role in this picture, since the
>>Jewish singers were all speaking French as well, and were able to 
adjust to
>>living in France more easily that the Arabs. In fact, what 
distinguished
>>the Jews in those countries was their direct access to European 
education
>>via the school system established all over North Africa and the Middle 
East
>>by the Alliance Israelite Universelle.
>>Many among these Jews also spoke Italian -- like in Libia and Tunisia, 
but
>>also in Egipt and Syria -- and sometimes had an Italian passport. They 
were
>>all connected to the Italian-Sephardi (mainly from Livorno/Leghorn)
>>diaspora.
>>A good aural documentation about this mixture of different cultures 
can be
>>found in Gerineldo's version of "Uskudara" - a suite of different 
poetical
>>compositions on the same Turkish melody, which carries on from Turkey 
to
>>Morocco. One of the songs is a mixture of Arabic, French, Italian and
>>English.
>>I am actually curious to know more about this particular multilingual 
song,
>>its origins, where it was collected, etc.; and I'm sure that Judith 
Cohen
>>can say a lot about this. Judith?
>>
>>Hag sameah,
>>Francesco
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>
>Joel Bresler
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