After being evacuated to Western Ukraine in 1986 following the Chernobyl disaster, Hütz became enamored of the mystical, outsider qualities of gypsy music. Living as a refugee in Poland, Hungary, Austria, and Italy before moving to the United States in 1993, he experienced life as an outsider himself.
After arriving in New York, he teamed up with guitarist Vlad Solofar and squeezebox player Sasha Kazatchkoff. American Eliot Fergusen added a strong rock sound on the drums and the band was also augmented by Sergei Riabtsev on fiddle, a former theater director from Moscow whose past experience would prove helpful in the future in crafting Gogol Bordello's bizarre stage shows (like one which tells the story of super-powered immigrant Ukrainian vampires).
The group's early gigs involved playing straight gypsy music at Russian weddings, but their music soon evolved into the hyper-kinetic explosions that earned them a solid following amongst New York's downtown hipsters. The band issued a single in 1999 entitled Gogol Bordello, quickly followed by their debut full-length, Voi-La Intruder, which was produced by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds' drummer Jim Sclavunos. Solofar and Kazatchkoff were replaced by accordionist Yuri Lemeshev, who hails from the Russian island of Sakhalin, and two Israelis, guitarist Oren Kaplan and saxophonist Ori Kaplan, who despite their similar names were not related.
Hütz helped bolster the band's popularity by becoming somewhat of a celebrity in the downtown scene, in part fueled by his Thursday night DJ gigs at Bulgarian club/restaurant/bar Mehanata, where he played Ukrainian, Gypsy, raï and flamenco music for a crowd of artists, models, Ukrainians, Russians, Gypsies, and Bulgarians with tendencies toward exuberant dancing and smashing plates. In the spring of 2002, Gogol Bordello embarked on a European tour and performed as part of the Whitney Biennial, bringing their music to a whole new audience.
In 2007, the band released their fourth studio album, Super Taranta!.
The members of Gogol Bordello have also made appearances in film. In 2006, their song "Start Wearing Purple" was featured in the film Everything Is Illuminated (starring Elijah Wood and Eugene Hütz), bringing their music to an even broader audience throughout the US.
Gogol Bordello all appeared in Madonna's first short film as director, Filth and Wisdom. Eugene Hütz is to play one of the lead roles. The band have contributed three original songs to the soundtrack.
Their music was also featured in the film Wristcutters: A Love Story and the character of Eugene was based on and partially written by Eugene Hütz.
Malandrino
Gogol Bordello Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I remember from the start
My midwives looking at each other
"Wow, this boy is born with singing heart"
All doors for him will now fly open
For everybody loves a nut
It's true once they threw me in trenches
Malandro, Malandro, Malandrino
Truffaldo, Truffaldo, Truffaldino
Malandro, Malandro, Malandrino
I was born with singing heart
Malandro, Malandro, Malandrino
Truffaldo, Truffaldo, Truffaldino
Malandro, Malandro, Malandrino
I was born with singing heart
Those midwives were like politicians
To bickering they were so proud
One said, "Life is beautiful gift, boy"
Other one said, "Government loan"
I still don't know which one is right girl
And you know I don't really care
I got to keep my heart a-singing
And for that anything I'll dare
Oh, for that anything, anything I'll dare
Malandro, Malandro, Malandrino
Truffaldo, Truffaldo, Truffaldino
Malandro, Malandro, Malandrino
I was born with singing heart
Malandro, Malandro, Malandrino
Truffaldo, Truffaldo, Truffaldino
Malandro, Malandro, Malandrino
I was born with singing heart
крекс фекс пекс
крекс фекс пекс
крекс фекс пекс
And make-up sex
крекс фекс пекс
крекс фекс пекс
крекс фекс пекс
And make-up sex
Malandro, Malandro, Malandrino
Truffaldo, Truffaldo, Truffaldino
Malandro, Malandro, Malandrino
I was born with singing heart
I was born with singing heart
I was born with singing heart
I was born with singing heart
I was born with singing heart
The song "Malandrino" by Gogol Bordello is a reflection on the singer's birth and how he was born with a singing heart. The lyrics suggest that the midwives who attended his birth were amazed at his arrival and noted that he had a singing heart. They predicted that all doors would fly open for him, as people tend to love individuals who seem different or unique. However, in the song's bridge, the singer alludes that the midwives argued about the value of life, with one believing life is a beautiful gift, while the other saw it more as a burden. The lyrics suggest that the singer takes after the midwife who saw life as the former and agrees with her. Life is an opportunity for him to utilize his gift of a "singing heart" and that he will go to any length to preserve it.
Throughout the song, the singer's gift of a singing heart is expressed in the words "Malandro, Malandro, Malandrino" and "Truffaldo, Truffaldo, Truffaldino." These words are repeated as a mantra that emphasizes the singer's claim of having a unique gift since birth. The song's lyrics also transition between English and Russian, with the bridge being predominantly in English. The switch between languages highlights Gogol Bordello's immigration background and how they integrate their cultural experience into their music.
Line by Line Meaning
My birth I can hardly remember
The singer does not remember their birth
But I remember from the start
However, they remember from the beginning of their life
My midwives looking at each other
The midwives who helped deliver the singer are mentioned
"Wow, this boy is born with singing heart"
The midwives noticed something special about the artist right away: they were born with a talent for singing or a passion for it
All doors for him will now fly open
The artist is being described as talented and therefore, all opportunities will now be available to them
For everybody loves a nut
The singer suggests that being talented or unique makes people more likable and popular
It's true once they threw me in trenches
The singer was once in a difficult or dangerous situation
Front line amigos sure love that
Their comrades or friends in the front line of battle appreciated the artist's talent or personality
Those midwives were like politicians
The midwives are compared to politicians, who often argue or disagree with each other
To bickering they were so proud
The midwives were proud of their argument over whether life is a beautiful gift or a government loan
One said, "Life is beautiful gift, boy"
One midwife believes that life is a beautiful gift
Other one said, "Government loan"
The other midwife believes that life is like a government loan
I still don't know which one is right girl
The singer does not know which midwife was right, or which belief system is correct
And you know I don't really care
The singer does not care about the philosophical debate and is more concerned with their own passions and talents
I got to keep my heart a-singing
The singer needs to keep pursuing their passion for music or singing
And for that anything I'll dare
The artist will do anything to continue following their dream, or they will take risks to pursue their passion
крекс фекс пекс
This row of text could be seen as nonsense or gibberish.
And make-up sex
The line suggests a sexual encounter intended to reconcile or make up after a disagreement
I was born with singing heart
The singer was born with a natural talent or love for singing
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Eugene Hutz, Michael Ward, Oliver Francis Charles, Pedro Erazo-Segovia, Sergey Ryabstev, Thomas Gobena, Yuri Lemeshev
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Saige Gibbons
It's just a new chapter of Gogol Bordello. The insanity is still there, in this song though, it's just a little sparse. Nothing wrong with something a bit different!
Fafnerluver922
They always have a way with words.
Aline Sanchez Ramirez Baruchi
É como a psicologia me explica
macdougall101
nice! in two months i'll be rolling in the good times!
Letranger
This song, in particular, stands out as going back to the sparser sound of the earlier albums. The rest of the album strikes me as even less Gogol-y than this song. So it's interesting that you'd pick out this song.
Swissonrye
he is a wonderlust king searching for the rules of life. why would he ever stop absorbing other cultures and evolving along the way? to expect all his music to stay in the same style makes no sense. try to see the experience of gogol bordello from the outside, with a singing heart
Ronnie Miller
Start listening to the truth
Silvia m.
what about your music?
Hernan Reyes
Rolon!!
jp akaj
good one