Mi mama s' asenta y pensa y pensa, mi mama s' asenta y pensa pensa de darme a un sivachico, yo sivachico no quero. Mi mama s' asenta... pensa de darme a un birbirico, yo birbirico no quero. Mi mama s' asenta... pensa de darme a un 'bustarico, yo obustarico ya quero. Bulgarian Krai pa-nego hodiat nane beli doma ki-ni bestra voda gadat nane sinio nebe gledat
My mother sits and thinks and thinks my mother sits and thinks thinks to give me a painter I, a painter do not want My mother sits... thinks to give me a barber I, a barber do not want My mother sits... thinks to give me a shoemaker it is a shoemaker that I want Approximate Bulgarian: Beside him they walk our white houses clear water tells us they look at blue skies
From Kanta Gayiko, Judeo-Spanish songs from Bulgaria, 2025 Orit Perlman: voice Yarden Erez : ud, guitar, gumbush; violin, keyboard and arrangements Zeev Yaniv : darbuqa, sonaja, bendir, cajón
This song reflects a mother’s ruminations about which profession her daughter’s groom should have. The daughter rejects every option except the last - a shoemaker. The song is based on a Bulgarian folk source, the final verse sung in Bulgarian is transcribed and roughly translated.
Notably, the professions use Turkish and Bulgarian loanwords combined with the Ladino suffix –ico: sivachico (plasterer), from siva (Turkish, “lime”); berberico (barber), from berber (Turkish); and bustarico (shoemaker), from obustar (Bulgarian).
This website was created by Orit Perlman with the collaboration and blessings of Dr. Susana Weich-Shahak in 2025