Maki Maki

Bristol Beacon, 6th July 2013 – Gurt Lush Choir with St Mary Redcliffe All-Star Orchestra & Youth Choir, soloist Les Bubb

Maki Maki was recorded by Goran Bregovic on his 2002 album Tales and Songs from Weddings and Funerals, with the vocal performed by Saban Bajramovic, the great Gypsy singer who died in 2008. It’s very loosely based on an old Romanian folk song Bun e vinul ghiurghiuliu.

The fact that Maki Maki’s lyrics are in Romani (the language of the Gypsies, not to be confused in any way with Romanian!) means that it is very difficult to find a translation of the lyrics. However, Maki, Marijuska, Marijaruska and Maruska are all familiar forms of the girl’s name Marijana, so hopefully this particular song is for a wedding rather than a funeral.