Choreography
İşler Nanay (Turkish Romani)
Choreography in Turkish Romani style. Song İşler Nanay/Gel Bize Keriz Edelim by Kardeş Türküler.
The song "İşler Nanay" by Kardeş Türküler, also known as "Gel Bize Keriz Edelim," touches on themes of hardship and the struggles faced by working-class people in Istanbul. The lyrics express frustration about the difficulties of life, referencing the floods and the ongoing challenges in neighborhoods like Eyüp, Balat, and Gültepe. The phrase "işler nanay," which can be translated to "the work has stopped" or "things aren't going well," reflects a sense of despair and resignation in the face of these challenges.
In the song "İşler Nanay," the reference to a flood is both literal and metaphorical. Literally, it speaks about the challenges of living in areas prone to flooding, like some neighborhoods in Istanbul. Metaphorically, the flood represents overwhelming difficulties and struggles faced by the people, suggesting that their problems are as relentless and consuming as a flood. The rain that falls elsewhere but floods their area emphasizes a sense of injustice and hardship that is uniquely theirs.
The song incorporates traditional elements, particularly through the mention of "Çakır gayda," a dance that symbolizes joy and communal celebration. This reflects the importance of cultural heritage and the need to find joy amidst struggles, suggesting that dancing and celebrating can be forms of resistance against life's difficulties.
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Navigate the video easily:
Part 1 at 8:22
Part 2 at 24:52
Part 3 at 42:05
Part 4 at 59:00
*Record a video dancing this choreo, and post it on Instagram with a hashtag #ianadanceclub. Don’t forget to tag @iana_dance to be featured on Iana’s IG stories! :)
Suggested Technique Drills
Special Course on Turkish Romani Dance Technique (5 hours in 5 classes).
İşler Nanay
Aman bir hecalim var!
Her kime?
İstanbul'un pahasını, isini pisini, selini çekenlere!
Çal bana Çakır gaydayı
Oyna oyna, çalg gaydayı
Habe yoksa, ye yorganları
Gel Bize Keriz Edelim
Bugün de perhiz edelim
Gel bize, keriz edelim
Levan da nanay, kay movasta
Yetmedi, kalmadı, yetmedi
Yağmur ötelere yağar bizim mahalleyi sel basar
Hıdrellez geldi, geçer
Soske be burda çora kaldık?
Eyüp'te, Balat'ta, Gültepe'de
So tekara, işler nanay
---
Works have stopped
Oh, i have a statement
To whom?
To those taking cost, dirt and flood of Istanbul
Play the bagpipe for me, dear Çakır
Dance and play the bagpipe
If not, eat the quilt
Come to us, let's make (you) a credulous guy
Let's do a diet today, too
Come to us, let's make (you) a credulous guy
Levan da nanay, kay movasta*
It was not enough, it's over, it wasn't enough
The rain drops to another town, but our town have flood
Hıdırellez** came but will pass out
Oh Soske, we stand alone here
In Eyüp, in Balat, in Gültepe
So tekara*, the works have stopped.
* This part isn't Turkish
** Hıdırellez is celebrated as the day on which Prophets Hızır (Al-Khidr) and Ilyas (Elijah) met on the earth.