Ellen wrote:
I’m looking for the origin of a song entitled “Sambalale.” It’s about a boy who is a show off and is trying to get a mango out of a tree. Raffi credits it to Brazil but I can’t find anything on this. It’s one of my preschool favorites.
E. Harold-Stein
If anyone can help with the origin of “Sambalale”, and/or the original lyrics and/or an English translation, please comment below.
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
Here’s a YouTube video I found with the name “Sambalelê na Kalimba”. They call it a Brazilian Folk Song (perhaps this is the same song?). Either way it’s great!
UPDATE: You can find the correct Samba Lele lyrics with an MP3 Recording, midi tune score and English, French and Spanish translations on Mama Lisa’s World! It is a Brazilian Folk Song in Portuguese.
This article was posted on Sunday, September 28th, 2008 at 8:43 pm and is filed under Brazil, Brazilian Folk Songs, Countries & Cultures, Folk Songs, Languages, Portuguese, Questions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
September 28th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
My husband found a recording to hear the English version of this song. (Click the link.)
September 28th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
Ellen, who originally asked about this song, wrote:
That’s IT! A little different melody than Raffi’s version, but at least I have the full name: Sambalele na Kalimba. Now, to find out the original lyrics! Thanks a million.
Ellen
September 29th, 2008 at 5:56 am
Here are the original lyrics
Samba Lelê está doente
Está com a cabeça quebrada
Samba Lelê precisava
De umas dezoito lambadas
Samba , samba,
Samba ô Lelê
Pisa na barra da saia ô Lalá (BIS)
Ó Morena bonita,
Como é que se namora ?
Põe o lencinho no bolso
Deixa a pontinha de fora
Ó Morena bonita
Como é que se casa
Põe o véu na cabeça
Depois dá o fora de casa
Ó Morena bonita
Como é que cozinha
Bota a panela no fogo
Vai conversar com a vizinha
Ó Morena bonita
Onde é que você mora
Moro na Praia Formosa
Digo adeus e vou embora
You can hear a sample here
September 29th, 2008 at 10:54 am
You can see the English lyrics here. They are quite different from the original Brazilian ones.
September 29th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
If someone could provide an English translation to the original lyrics, that would be great!
-Lisa
September 29th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Well guys, this is what I came to:
Samba Lelê is sick
He broke his head
Samba Lelê needed/deserved
Eighteen whackings.
Dance the samba, dance the samba
Samba ô Lelê
Step on the hem/rim of the skirt ô Lalá
O pretty brunette
How does one get a boyfriend?
Put your handkerchief in your pocket
Let the top/corner show out.
O pretty brunette
How does one get married?
Put the veil on your head
And then get away from home
O pretty brunette
How does one cook?
Put the pan on the fire
Go and chat with your neighbor
O pretty brunette
Where do you live?
I live in Formosa Beach,
I say goodbye and go away.
October 2nd, 2008 at 2:43 pm
We posted Samba Lelê with an English translation, midi and score. (Click the link to see the page and also to access our French and Spanish translations of the song).
If anyone would like to sing it for us, we’d be happy to post a recording!
-Mama Lisa
May 18th, 2009 at 11:23 am
what does “ô Lalá” mean?
Is that like saying “oo la-la” in French?
Or “oh, my” in English?
May 31st, 2009 at 10:53 am
Raffi made Sambalele popular in the US. His lyrics are very different. You can find Raffi’s Samba lele lyrics by clicking the link (hopefully it’ll stay online).
March 10th, 2010 at 3:01 am
I learned this different:’
Sambalele was a show off
Flonkeyed a stone to hit a mango
Mango came down, stone fell down on his head
Sambalele is home in bed
O step by step and twirl menina (sp?)
Hold your skirt and whirl menina
step by step and twirl menina
you are the prettiest girl o menina
(repeat after each verse)
Sambalele was a show off
He built some stilts to be a tall man
He took a tumble on his great big head
Sambalele is home in bed
Sambalele was a show off
He set a snare to catch a rabbit
Did not know how caught his big toe instead
Sambalele is home in bed.
March 11th, 2010 at 8:20 pm
Cool version!
May 17th, 2010 at 4:23 pm
ô Lalá doesn’t meaning nothing in portuguese is just a word to the song be more beautiful.
Or something are calling Lalá (the nickname of some girl) and Lelê (some boy) could be but this songs are too old and nobody have assurance
February 22nd, 2011 at 9:00 pm
Sambalele cannot dance no he threw a stone at a mango samba took a tumble on his own head sambalele in his own bed samba samba sambalele. Samba samba sambalala samba samba sambalele pi si na baha thi si o lala samba samba samba sambalele samba samba sambalala samba samba sambalele pi si na baha thi si o lala samba made some silks to be tall know he took a tumble on his head sambalele back in his bed samba samba sambalele samba samba sambalala samba samba sambalele pi si na baha thi si o lala samba samba sambalele samba samba sambalala samba samba sambalele pi si na baha thi si o lala pi si na baha this si o lala samba samba (four claps) sambalele
February 19th, 2015 at 5:14 am
I sing this song to my grand baby every time I’m with her(2:-/wks.)
Here are the English lyrics.
Sambalale is a show off. Threw a stone at a mango.
Mango stayed up, stone fell down on his head.
Jambalale’s home in bed.
Chorus: OOOOH, stamp and stamp and twirl, ah, my Nina.
Hold your skirt and twirl, ah, my Nina.
Stamp and stamp and twirl, ah, my Nina.
You are the prettiest girl, ah, my Nina.
Sambalale is a show off. Set a snare to catch a rabbit.
But he made a mistake, and caught himself instead.
Sambalale’s home in bed.
Chorus:
Sambalale is a show off. Built him stilts to be a tall man.
But he took a tumble on his great big head.
Sambalale’s home in bed.
Chorus.
The End!
July 4th, 2015 at 3:07 pm
I finally found information on song I barely remembered bits and pieces of like prettiest and showoff and laying home in bed
December 2nd, 2020 at 2:48 am
Hi! I’m brazilian and this music is very old in my country. All children she’s listen. I need a music score from piano, please!