- published: 06 Mar 2007
- views: 1244579
The balalaika (Russian: балала́йка, pronounced [bəlɐˈlajkə]) is a stringed musical instrument popular in Russia, with a characteristic triangular body and three strings.
The balalaika family of instruments includes instruments of various sizes, from the highest-pitched to the lowest, the prima balalaika, secunda balalaika, alto balalaika, bass balalaika, and contrabass balalaika. All have three-sided bodies, spruce or fir tops, backs made of three to nine wooden sections (usually maple), and they are typically strung with three strings.
The prima balalaika is played with the fingers, the secunda and alto either with the fingers or a plectrum, depending on the music being played, and the bass and contrabass (equipped with extension legs that rest on the floor) are played with leather plectrums.
The earliest mention of the term balalaika dates back to an AD 1688 Russian document. The term "balabaika" was widely used in Ukrainian language documents[specify] from 1717 to 1732. According to one theory,[specify] the term was loaned to Russian, where - in literary language - it first appeared in "Elysei", a 1771 poem by V. Maikov.
Actors: Stepan Nercessian (actor), Moacyr Deriquém (miscellaneous crew), Roberto Bonfim (actor), Daniel Filho (director), Rogério Fróes (actor), Milton Gonçalves (actor), Zbigniew Ziembinski (actor), Henriqueta Brieba (actress), Oswaldo Louzada (actor), Ilka Soares (actress), Dias Gomes (writer), Marlene (actress), Márcia Rodrigues (actress), Plínio Marcos (actor), Walter Campos (director),
Plot: An outlaw, Artur do Amor Divino, aka Tucão, rules the neighborhood of Ramos, in Rio de Janeiro. He runs an illegal lottery. But his power is threatened by the rival Jovelino Sabonete. Noeli, a female cab-driver, falls in love with Tucão's son, Zelito. There's also a Romeo-and-Juliet-style love affair between Taís, Tucão's daughter, and Márcio, Jovelino's son. But in a costume party, Márcio is killed by Tucão's gang, headed by Quidoca. As a backdrop to the whole series, we find Zé Catimba and his girfriend Lena, prominent figures at Imperatriz Leopoldinense Samba School.
Keywords: costume-party, number-in-title, outlaw, taxi-driverFamily taught him right from wrong,
Local tales and children's songs,
Sunday school was his shelter,
With his friends Joe and Walter,
Now those days so far away,
An empty swing where he once played,
Now he's got so fat and bald,
He never thought that he'd grow old.
Everyday when he gets the train
Looks out the window and he thinks in vain
If I could only be that boy again
He's got a sales job and it gets him down
Same old faces, same old sounds
Heart attacks, orthopaedic backs
Documents and labelled racks
His wife can't stand the sight of him
With his routine glass of gin
She makes his lunch of processed ham
And waits in for the meter man
Everyday when he gets the train
looks out the window and he thinks in vain
If I could only be that boy again
(Take it away Bill)
He could be that boy again
Another day, another gin
His kids don't even notice him
Something different about his face
His happy smile seems out of place
Family gathered round for tea
Eyes fixed on the new telly
A news flash came and then it said
Bill McCai was just found dead
No more windows, no more trains
Hung himself out in the rain
Now he'll never be that boy again
And we say...
Bye, bye Bill Mccai
Bye, bye Bill Mccai