Dove sta Zazá? - Where Is Zazá?

Era la festa di San Gennaro, Quanta folla per la via... Con Zazá, compagna mia, Me ne andai a passeggiá. C'era la banda di Pignataro Che suonava il "Parsifallo" E il maestro, sul piedistallo, Ci faceva deliziá... Nel momento culminante Del finale travolgente, 'Mmiez'a tutta chella gente, Se fumarono a Zazá!... Dove sta Zazá?! Uh, Madonna mia... Come fa Zazá, senza Isaia?... Pare, pare, Zazá che t'ho perduta, ahimé! Chi ha truvato a Zazá ca mm"a purtasse a me... Jámmola a truvá... Sù, facciamo presto. Jámmola a truvá con la banda in testa... Uh, Zazá! Uh, Zazá! Uh, Zazá! Tuttuquante aîmm"a strillá: Isaia sta ccá! Isaia sta ccá! Isaia sta ccá!... Za-za-za-za-za-za-zá... Era la festa di San Gennaro, L'anno appresso cante e suone... Bancarelle e prucessione... Chi se po' dimenticá!? C'era la banda di Pignataro, Centinaia di bancarelle Di torrone e di nocelle Che facevano 'ncantá. Come allora quel viavai, Ritornò per quella via... Ritornò pure Isaia, Sempre in cerca di Zazá... Dove sta Zazá? Uh! Madonna mia... Come fa Zazá, senza Isaia? Pare pare, Zazá che t'ho perduta, ahimé! Chi ha truvato a Zazá, ca mm"a purtasse a me... Jámmola a truvá... Sù, facciamo presto. Jámmola a truvá con la banda in testa... T'amerò, T'amerò, T'amerò, Pure a lei glielo dirò: T'amerò, Zazá! T'amerò, Zazá! T'amerò, Zazá! Za-za-za-za-za-za-zá... Dove sta Zazá? 1944 Raffaele Cutolo and Giuseppe Cioffi "Dove sta Zazá?" was successful right out of the gate, and indeed became a post-war smash hit that was translated into ten languages and spread throughout and beyond Europe. The song was first learned and spread by English and American soldiers stationed in 1944 Naples, and it became a musical staple in which both the victors of the war and the vanquished could find common pleasure. But who was this mysterious Zazà? A young woman, a dog, or perhaps even a canary? In Naples, the word was quickly deployed to refer to the girlfriends of African-American soldiers. But Raffaele Cutolo, the lyricist, said that he simply used "zazà" to represent the sound of a brass band. And to give an idea of the popularity of the song, Cutolo had to escape Naples to Rome in 1950, where he lived as a hermit in his apartment in order to avoid being persecuted by fans demanding to know where Zazà might be! Gabriella Ferri gave the song a second life, and the title was used for a 4-part TV variety show she hosted in 1973, with each episode focusing on a different time period: the Belle Époque, the years of Fascism, the post-war period, and the future.

It was the festival of Saint Januarius, such crowds on the streets . . . With Zazá, my companion, I left to take a walk around. There was the band from Pignataro that was playing “Parsifal,” and the conductor, on the pedestal, delighted us . . . At the climactic moment of the captivating finale, in the midst of all those people, someone kidnapped Zazá! Where is Zazá?! O, Madonna mia . . . How is Zazá doing, without Isaia? It seems, it seems, Zazá, that I’ve lost you, alas! Whoever finds Zazá, bring her to me . . . Let’s go find her . . . up, let’s be quick. Let’s go find her, led by the band . . . Oh, Zazá! Oh, Zazá! Oh, Zazá! Everyone must shout: Isaia is here! Isaia is here! Isaia is here! Za-za-za-za-za-za-zá . . . It was the festival of Saint Januarius, the following year, singing and playing . . . Stalls and processions . . . Who can forget!? There was the band of Pignataro, hundreds of stalls with torrone and hazelnuts that were spellbinding. As before, that coming and going, he returned by that way . . . Isaia himself returned, always in search of Zazá . . . Where is Zazá?! O, Madonna mia . . . How is Zazá, without Isaia? It seems, it seems, Zazá, that I’ve lost you, alas! Whoever finds Zazá, bring her to me . . . Let’s go find her . . . up, let’s be quick. Let’s go find her, with the band in the lead . . . I will love you, I will love you, I will love you, I will tell it to her: I’ll love you, Zazá! I’ll love you, Zazá! I’ll love you, Zazá! Za-za-za-za-za-za-zá . . . English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser . . . E se fumarono a Zazà is Ferri's fourth album, released in 1971, a collection of traditional Neapolitan songs like "'O sole mio" and "Simmo 'e napule . . . paisà."