Aloukie
(1999)
Zulya’s second release Aloukie awarded World Music Album of the Year 2000 in Australia continues to enjoy high acclaim.
Following the success of her debut album Journey of Voice in 1997 which has taken her touring nationwide and made her ABC Radio National favourite, in this yet another exciting creative project Zulya brought us the songs from her Tatar heritage
In Aloukie Zulya centers vocally on the hauntingly beautiful Tatar singing style, she grew up around in the heart of Russia. It is a sound originating somewhere in between Eastern Europe and Far East, that musicologists call “a bridge between Mongolian and Hungarian music”.
Zulya presents the traditional songs and the original compositions in a unique cross-cultural interpretation, celebrating the musical diversity she has experienced in the years of living in Australia.
She says “Having settled here I realised the importance of not only sharing one’s culture but also creating a unique Australian culture.”
Featuring a host of talented musicians she has arranged the songs using instruments as varied as didgeridoo, tabla, kora, double bass, bassoon, talking drum, thumb piano, flugel horn and piano accordion among others.
Aloukie means a soulful song, that invokes memories of home. Zulya’s crystalline voice shares the richness and strength of her culture whilst making a distinct new Australian sound.
All songs traditional, except 1, 6, 8, 10 by Zulya. All songs arranged by Zulya, Mal Webb and Martin Tucker, except 12 by Nino Tsitsishvili and Joseph Jordania. Recorded at Chez Mal Dipthong Studio, Melbourne, by Mal Webb. Mixed by Mal Webb and Siiri Metsar. Mastered by Martin Pullan at Edensound Mastering, Melbourne. Photography by Zulya, James Barker and Steven Wilkinson.
Lyrics
SAGINOU
YEARNING
Kozlar da jitte, bigrak yamansou
Uzemne aldyim, hallar aibat dimen
Ouzak ozela habar kotep
Saginou dyr inde bu hallar
Yangyrlar yawa, yafraklar altyn
Mondyi chaklarda iska toshalar
Tugan ilem, aniem, atiem
Saginou dyr inde bu hallar
Kungelem tula mongly jyr belan
Jyrlamyi kalyr halem youk minem
Koshka ailanep kaityr idem
Sabyrlyk bir inde Hodaem
Suzlar, suzlar sez mine tynglamyisyz
Echtage uilar aitelmyi kala
Ouzak ozela, kungelem tula
Saginou dyr inde bu hallar
The autumn is here, sad times
I am fooling myself, saying I am ok
But my heart is yearning,
Waiting for news from home
If only I could turn into a bird
And fly to my loved ones
SAHRALARDA
IN THE WOODS
Sahralarda koshlar nik monglana?
Ashyitorgan jimeshe youk, youk, youk
Mongsyz da eget, nik monglana?
Soigan yary yanynda youk, youk, youk
Why are the birds sad in the woods?
Because there aren’t any berries
Why is the young man lonesome?
Because his beloved is not with him
ONYTA ALMYIM
I CAN’T FORGET
Jaiga chyksam barym ale
Zay souhe builarina
Onyta da almam, tashlyi da almam
Gomerem builarina
Agidelhne inglap builap
Yozarseng ourdakkaem
Tashlyim disang, tashla bagyrem,
Tash bulsa yorakkaeng
Minem chachem jide kalyn
Jidelap ourmasamda
Jide yatka kuz da salmam
Jide yel kourmasamda
When summer comes
I’ll go down to the Zay river
I won’t ever forget you,
I won’t ever leave you, my love
ATIKAEMNENG OENDA
AT MY FATHER’S
Atikaemneng da oenda gena di
Sandugach idem la turemda gena
Atikaemnengda ture tarazase di
Ture tarazasenda koyash shaulase
Atikai, mine di birdeng bailarga la
Janim tynmagachtin yuk tyr faidasy
At my father’s I was like a nightingale
But my father has given me to the rich family
My soul is restless here,
It mustn’t have been good for me
TUGAN IL
HOMELAND
Arabizda kom sahrasy
Sandugachlar outalmyi
Yamle bulsada torgan jir
Tugan jirga jitalmyi
Sandugachlar sairashalar
Tugan ilem gol diep
Tugan ilneng, tugan jirneng
Kaderlaren bel diep
Sandugach kungan agachnyng
Tamyryn korytmagyz
Chit jirlarda yalgyz bashym,
Duslarym onytmagyz
Look after the trees that the nightingales sing in
Don’t forget me, friends, in these faraway lands
HAIRAN BULAM
IN AMAZEMENT
Kai chaklarda tarasadan karasam
Hairan kalam
Bu nindi il, monda nishlim?
Hairan bulam, hairan
Barsy da bar, nik yamansu?
Bik nyk uilyim, bik nyk
Bigrak yamle ul, alla niga
Yorak syzlyi, yorak
Bu yazmyshny Hodai birde me?
Sailadymmy, sailadym
Minem kebek yugalgannar
Kupter inde, jir ostenda
Uilar, hislar kainyi eschta
Kyen minga, kyen
Nindi dawa bar bu halga?
Mongsu minga, mongsu
Sometimes I look out of the window
In amazement
Where am I? What am I doing here?
Why is my heart aching?
AI BOLUBOLUM
NIGHTINGALE
Ai bolubolum, vai bolubolum
Agidelhneng kamishy
Tang aldynnan chout chout kila
Sandugachlar tawishy
Ai bolubolum, vai bolubolum
Kunyp sairyi tallarga
Sineng turda serlaremne
Soilim sandugachlarga
Ai bolubolum, vai bolubolum
Agidelhda tang ata
Tanglar ata, ozela ouzak,
Jyrlata da yelata
Just before the dawn one can hear
The songs of the nightingales
My heart’s deepest secrets
I am sharing only with the nightingales
When the sun is rising over the Agidel river
My soul is yearning
It makes me sing, it makes me weep
HADICHA ABIEM
GRANDMOTHER HADICHA
Balakai bala chagymda
Hadicha abiem jyrlyi ide
Ahny iska tosherganda
Bigrak kungelem ozela
Mongly ide abiemneng jyry
Altyn ide anyng yorage
Tula yash kuzlarema
Bigrak yamansou bu chaklarda
Youksynam sine abiem
Yazmyshka karshy baryp bulmyi
Yoragemda sineng jyryng
Ahny gomerga onytmum
When I was little, my grandmother used to sing
I miss her dearly and will always keep her song in my heart
KUBALAGEM
BUTTERFLY
Kubalak gollarga kunsa
Gollar tibrana mikan?
Oul da mine sagynganda,
Kubalagem, tugaragem,
Asyl koshym, sandugachem
Jyrlap jibara mikan?
Tau astunnda, tal astunnda
Salkyn chishma tougarak
Ochyp baryp, kaityr idem,
Kubalagem, tugaragem,
Asyl koshym, sandugachem,
Agar bulsam kubalak
Kubalak gollarga kuna
Gollda bulgach oyasy
Minem kungelem singa tarta,
Kubalagem, tugaragem,
Asyl koshym, sandugachem,
Sin bit koungelem koyashy
When a butterfly lands on a flower,
Does the flower quiver?
When my sweetheart misses me,
Does he start singing, like I do?
MINEM DONYADA
IN MY WORLD
Minem oemda yoragem jingel
Minem oemda yoragem tynych
Oemda minem yoragem achyk
Minem oemda
Minem bakchada chachaklar ata
Bakchaga minem koyash tosha
Minem bakchaga yangyr da yawa
Minem bakchaga
Minem uramda balalar uinyi
Uramda minem kyzlar elmaya
Minem uramda egetlar jyrlyi
Minem uramda
Minem donyada har kem bahetle
Donyada minem duslyk, tynychlyk
Minem donyada iman, ziraklek
Minem donyada
At home my heart is calm, happy, open.
In my garden flowers are blossoming, the sun is shining.
In my street, the children are playing, girls are smiling.
In my world, everyone is happy. Love, faith, wisdom.
SARMAN RIVER
Sandugachlar kunyp kaida sairyi?
Sarman builarynda tirakta
Singa bulgan yashlek mohabbatem
Ourelep chachak ata yorakta
Sarman builarynnan outkan chakta
Tynglarsyngmy jyrlar jyrlarmyn
Kouzlarengne tutyryp kararsyngmy
Zangar taudan yaulyk bolgarmyn
Sarman builarynda yashel alan
Pechannare jitar ber zaman
Kawyshulary irkam bik kungelle
Amma ayerelyshu bik yaman
Where do the nightingales sing?
Down by the Sarman river
My love for you is blossoming in my heart
When we go down to the Sarman river,
Will you listen to my songs?
Will you look at me with your pretty eyes?
I’ll wave a blue scarf from the other side
Staying together, dear, is joyful,
But parting from each other is very sad
BISHEK JYRY
LULLABY
Ally-bally babkase,
Kaya kitkan ankase
Kaennykka jillakka,
Tasslimaga bulakka
Yokla balam sin balam,
Sine bishekka salam
Sin bishekta wakytta,
Sineng yanyngda kalam
Sleep, little baby. Where is her Mum gone?
She went to the birch-tree grove
To pick wild strawberries for little Tasslima
ALOUKIE (words by Gabdulla Tukai)
Ishettem min kicha: berau jyrlyi,
Chyn beznengcha matur, milli koi
Aloukie, baloukie
Tuzalmadym, bardym jyrlauchyga
Didem: “Kardash, bu koi nindi koi?”
Aloukie, baloukie
Jawabynda millattashem minga:
“Bu koi bula, dide, Aloukie!”
Aloukie, baloukie
Yesterday I heard somebody sing a really beautiful song.
It went “Aloukie, baloukie”
I could not help but go to the singer and ask:
“What is this song?” Aloukie, baloukie
My countryman responded:
“This song is called ‘Aloukie’!”