*2nd Generation dance. A dance that developed and was disseminated in a non-traditional way. 2G dances are specific – have a fixed format designed to correspond with the arrangement of a particular recording., whereas 1G dances are generic – have a shorter sequence that works with live music – where many different songs are played and arrangements vary according to the tastes of musicians and dancers. For more on the differences between 1st & 2nd G dances click here.
Te Aven Baxtale (teh ah-VEHN BAHF-tah-leh) is a common Romani greeting, translating roughly as “good luck to you”, or “break a leg” (in the theatrical sense).
A French Romani music group, Urs Karpatz, made a 1998 recording of a song titled Te Aven Baxtale. The music is in the style of Romanian Roma.
Haj, Devla, Devla so kerdyom,
Pala, Devla, pala matilyom.
Chorus:
//T’aven t’aven baxtale,
Ol bare haj ol tikne,
Murro trajo luludyi, Ande ratyi.//
Hajde, romnyej, romnyej te zhas,
The has te pijas haj te gilyabas.
Chorus:
Deman, Devla adyes te trajisau,
Le hurde, bare ka te dikhau.
Chorus:
Deman, Devla, Devla sastipe,
Le romnyake haj le xurdorre.
Chorus:
La La, etc
English Translation –
God, what have I done?
Again, Lord, I’ve become drunk.
Chorus:
May you be lucky! Grownups and children, My life is like a flower in the night.
Come, woman, let’s go, Eat drink and sing.
Give me, Lord, today to live,
So I may see the small ones grow up.
Give me, Lord, good health,
For the woman and the children.
Later, Romanian dance instructors Christian Florescu and Sonia Dion choreographed a dance based on typical Transylvanian Romani moves, and presented it to North Americans at Stockton, 2007. Their dance is better than most choreographies set to Romani music at capturing the freewheeling, improvisational nature of Romani dancing (see ROMANI MUSIC and DANCE under DANCE.Dance Information).
Compare to “back home”
Folkdance Footnotes 