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.
Stivali E Colbacco
Gogol Bordello Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Di un capo cosaco
Con quegli stivali
E quel nero... Colbacco
Ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi
Ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi
Mi sembra la figlia
Con quegli stivali
E quel nero... Colbacco
Ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi
Ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi
Chiunque ti guarda
Rimane di stucco
Ed ogni ragazzo
Si sente un calmucco
Ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi
Ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi
Tutta la gente si gira
Si gira
Quando ti vede passar
Passar
Non sente piu che c′e freddo
C'e freddo
E resta ferma a guardar
Sei alta sei bionda
Sei proprio uno spacco
Con quegli stivali
E quel nero colbacco.
Ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi
Tutta la gente si gira
Si gira.
Quando ti vede passar
Passar.
Non sente piu che c′e freddo
C'e freddo.
E resta ferma a guardar.
Sei alta sei bionda
Sei proprio uno spacco
Con quegli stivali
E quel nero colbacco.
Ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi
Tutta la gente si gira
Si gira.
Quando ti vede passar
Passar.
Non sente piu che c'e freddo
C′e freddo.
E resta ferma a guardar.
Sei alta sei bionda
Sei proprio uno spacco
Con quegli stivali
E quel nero colbacco.
Ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi
The lyrics of Gogol Bordello's song Stivali E Colbacco describe a woman who captures the attention of everyone around her, with her commanding presence and striking appearance. The singer compares her to the daughter of a Cosack chief, with her tall figure, blonde hair, and her black stivali (boots) and colbacco (a type of fur hat). Everyone who sees her is left in shock and even the men are reduced to feeling like calmucco (a derogatory term for a Central Asian), unable to resist her magnetic pull. The woman becomes the focal point of the crowd, with people fixated on her as she walks by, even to the point of forgetting the cold weather.
Overall, the lyrics represent the singer's admiration for this woman and their inability to look away from her. It's not entirely clear what the deeper meaning of the song is, but it could be interpreted as a commentary on the power of physical appearance and how it can captivate those around us.
Line by Line Meaning
Mi sembra la figlia
Di un capo cosaco
Con quegli stivali
E quel nero... Colbacco
Ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi
Ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi
She seems like the daughter of a Cossack leader, wearing those boots and that black Colbacco hat. People are taken aback by her appearance and the way she carries herself, like a true warrior. They can't help but stare in amazement.
Chiunque ti guarda
Rimane di stucco
Ed ogni ragazzo
Si sente un calmucco
Ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi
Ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi
Everyone who sees her is left stunned and mesmerized, especially the boys who feel captivated by her sheer beauty and confidence. They can’t believe what they're seeing.
Tutta la gente si gira
Si gira
Quando ti vede passar
Passar
Non sente piu che c′e freddo
C'e freddo
E resta ferma a guardar
Everyone turns their head when she walks by, ignoring the cold weather and just standing still to watch. They can't believe someone could be so captivating that they forget everything else around them.
Sei alta sei bionda
Sei proprio uno spacco
Con quegli stivali
E quel nero colbacco.
Ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi, ahi
She's tall and blonde, with a figure that catches everyone's attention. Her boots and black Colbacco hat complete her unique and attractive style.
Writer(s): Eugene Hütz, Gogol Bordello
Contributed by Daniel D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sam221B
Quest'uomo, anzi, questa band, è geniale.
Zumba with Zalina
Amazing. Great job guys
Colette Bembenek
Jeez.....knocks you on your dupa ! Love it.... yeah.....what album is this from?
Colette Bembenek
This album is called "My _______" <(something Russian meaning "My Gypsy Girl", I was told by a woman on youtube who likes Gogol as well. (Eugene Hutz, yes, we all now his real name. He picked Gogol Bordello for reasons of his own and for acknowledge- ment of his dynamite band !
Caroline Shodan
"My gypsiesca"
It doesn't translate to english at all, but that is the best one can do.
Enrico Fantini
SHow me chords please!
Colette Bembenek
P.S. In English translation (the album name) please.......lol.
Alessio Fasano
this song is not from Celentano , is a poupular italian song of the first part of the 20th century
Алексей Волков
Так где альбом-то этот взять? На торрентах не нашел.
Максим Шолохов
он секретный