'A rumba d’ ‘e scugnizze - The Rumba of the Street Urchins

Chesta è 'a rumba de scugnizze Ca s'abballa a tutte pizze... Truove 'e ddame, 'mpizze 'mpizze Ca te fanno duje carizze Strette 'e mane, vase e frizze... Pruove gusto e te ce avvizze Comm'a tanta pire nizze Te ne scinne a sghizze a sghizze Fino a quanno nun scapizze... Chest'è 'a rumba de scugnizze! 'O spassatiempo! Camillo! Mo te ccoglio e mo te vvendo! Gué, ll'aglie Chesta è 'a rumba de scugnizze Ca s'abballa a tutte pizze... Truove 'e ddame, 'mpizze 'mpizze Ca te fanno duje carizze Pruove gusto e te ce avvizze Cchiù te sfrine e cchiù t'appizze... Comm'a tanta pire nizze Te ne scinne a sghizze a sghizze Fino a quanno nun scapizze... Chest'è 'a rumba de scugnizze! 'O chiuovo i' tengo! Pur 'e campagne Dojce,fin',tutto fresc',mo 'o ddo Chesta è 'a rumba de scugnizze Ca s'abballa a tutte pizze... Truove 'e ddame, 'mpizze 'mpizze Ca te fanno duje carizze Pruove gusto e te ce avvizze Cchiù te sfrine e cchiù t'appizze... Comm'a tanta pire nizze Te ne scinne a sghizze a sghizze Fino a quanno nun scapizze... Chest'è 'a rumba de scugnizze! (Parte in africano) Esatto..." 1931 - Raffaele Viviani

This is the rumba of the street urchins danced all over the place . . . You find the women, right away, who give you two caresses, hand squeezes, kisses, and amusements . . . You feel pleasure and get used to it. Like so many overripe pears, you drip down in spatters until you fall . . . this is the rumba of the street urchins! The pastime! Camillo! Now I gather them for you, now I sell them to you! Oh, the garlic! This is the rumba of the street urchins danced all over the place . . . You find the women, right away, who give you two caresses, you feel pleasure and get used to it, the more you let yourself go the more excited you become. . . Like so many overripe pears, you drip down in spatters until you fall . . . this is the rumba of the street urchins! I’ve got the clove! Pure country, sweet, fine, all fresh, now I give it to you. This is the rumba of the street urchins danced all over the place . . . You find the women, right away, who give you two caresses, you feel pleasure and get used to it, the more you let yourself go the more excited you become. . . Like so many overripe pears, you drip down in spatters until you fall . . . this is the rumba of the street urchins! (African language part) Exactly English translation © 2023 Dennis Criteser oggi o dimane ("today or tomorrow"), published in 2001, is the first of a trilogy of albums Massimo Ranieri singing traditional Neapolitan songs, produced by Mauro Pagani. The arrangements are fresh with a contemporary appeal and Ranieri's voice is, as always, passionate and full of life. Pagani is a multi-instrumentalist and co-founder of the influential progressive rock band PFM, and is also well-known for producing Creuza de mä, Fabrizio De André's 1983 world fusion masterpiece. The Neapolitan Song tradition dates back centuries, but the classic period began in the 1830s. Ranieri and Pagani later produced a 6-CD box set Canzone napoletana piccola enciclopedia, published in 2015. Ranieri's live performances of these songs are a pleasure to see, showing off his dancing and theatrical skills.