In 1952 she married juggler Erik van Aro (Gerd Eric Horst Scholz). He recognized her talent and accompanied her in her initial years of worldwide success, although they later divorced. In 1953, she made her first recordings with Kurt Edelhagen. Soon afterwards she achieved great success with songs like "Malagueña", "The Breeze and I", and "Dreh dich nicht um" with the Werner Müller orchestra. In 1955 she was featured on the "Colgate Comedy Hour" with Gordon MacRae. Between 1966 and 1972 she was a frequent guest on the Dean Martin Show. In 1972, she married the British pianist Roy Budd; they had a son, Alexander, but they divorced in 1979.
In Germany she was a major performer of Schlager music. There she recorded Cole Porter's "I love Paris" i.e. "Ganz Paris träumt von der Liebe", which sold more than 500,000 copies in (1954.) Like in other countries where she was popular, some in Germany mistakenly consider her a German singer.
Over the years, she has recorded or performed with many international stars, including Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald, Woody Herman, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Buddy Rich, Sy Oliver, Claus Ogerman, and Chet Baker.
In 2001, she released a new album Girltalk with harpist Catherine Michel. She is also the mother of singer Eric van Aro, Jr.
O Mama O Mama O Mamajo
Caterina Valente Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
O Mama o Mama o Mamajo
in Peru
in Peru tanzt man so.
Der Baia
der Baiajo
macht dort unten die verliebten Leute froh.
O Mama o Mama o Mamajo
darum fahr ich noch heut' mit dir hin.
Und dann tanzen wir zwei
tanzen wir zwei
Baio-Bajai
Baio-Bajai!
Wie's verliebte Leute tun.
Und dann tanzen wir zwei
tanzen wir zwei
Baio-Bajai
Baio-Bajai!
Wie's verliebte Leute tun.
Ole! Olaeo! Ole! Olao!
Ole! Olaeo! Ole! Olao!
Ole! Olaeo! Ole! Olao!
Ole! Olaeo! Ole! Olao!
In Balonesien heißt das einfach so:
O Mama o Mama o Mamajo
in Peru
in Peru tanzt man so.
Der Baia
der Baia
der Baiajo
macht dort unten die verliebten Leute froh.
O Mama o Mama o Mamajo
darum fahr ich noch heut' mit dir hin.
Und dann tanzen wir zwei
tanzen wir zwei
Baio-Bajai
Baio-Bajai!
Wie's verliebte Leute tun.
Ole! Olaeo! Ole! Olao!
Ole! Olaeo! Ole! Olao!
The song "O Mama, O Mama, O Mamajo" by Caterina Valente is a playful and lighthearted tune that celebrates love and dancing. The lyrics describe different ways that people across the world dance and express their love, with specific references to how people dance in Balonesia and Peru. The chorus repeats the phrase "O Mama, O Mama, O Mamajo" which seems to be a nonsensical phrase, but in Balonesia it is a common expression.
The verse mentions a dance called the Baiajo, which is said to make the lovers in Peru happy. The singer is inviting someone, possibly a lover or a friend, to come dance with her and experience the joy of love and dancing together. The repetition of "Baio-Bajai" during the chorus emphasizes the joy and energy of the dance. The song ends with energetic shouts of "Ole! Olaeo! Ole! Olao!"
Overall, the lyrics of "O Mama, O Mama, O Mamajo" are a celebration of love and the way it can bring people together through dance and joyous expression.
Line by Line Meaning
In Balonesien heißt das einfach so:
In the country of Balonesia, they refer to this dance as O Mama o Mama o Mamajo.
O Mama o Mama o Mamajo
This is the name of the dance that is being described.
in Peru
The setting of the dance is now in Peru.
in Peru tanzt man so.
This is how people dance in Peru.
Der Baia
The dance has a specific step called "Der Baia".
der Baia
Again, the dance step being referred to is "Der Baia".
der Baiajo
"Der Baia" makes the people in Peru feel happy and in love.
macht dort unten die verliebten Leute froh.
This specific dance step called "Der Baia" brings joy to the people who are in love.
O Mama o Mama o Mamajo
Again, this is the name of the dance being referred to.
darum fahr ich noch heut' mit dir hin.
For this reason, the singer is going with their partner to Peru to participate in the dance.
Und dann tanzen wir zwei
The singer and their partner will dance together.
tanzen wir zwei
The two of them will dance together as a couple.
Baio-Bajai
They will do the dance step "Der Baia" during the dance.
Baio-Bajai!
The singer is excited to do this dance step with their partner.
Wie's verliebte Leute tun.
They will dance together with the same passion and excitement as other couples in love.
Ole! Olaeo! Ole! Olao!
These are exclamations of joy and excitement during the dance.
Ole! Olaeo! Ole! Olao!
These exclamations continue, expressing the joy of the dance.
Contributed by Kaelyn G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Staless74
on Cambia O Lasciami
Please correct the highlighted verse to: "Che diritti hai su di me?". Thanks.