Song lyrics
Performance lyrics supplied by Alex Kryve: Romani represented in Cyrillic script. Spelling, stress marks, repetitions and interjections are preserved. These are the words of this particular version.
Нанэ цо́ха, нанэ гад Ми кинэ́л мангэ о дад Сар мэ джа́ва пал о ром Ми кинэ́л мангэ о ром Ай. Сар мэ джа́ва ой пал о ром Ми кинэ́л мангэ о ром
Да́до, ма́мо, чин чэ́на О ла чэ́на сомнаку́нэ Сат ру мангэ на чинэ́ха На баса́вна о чха́я Сат ру мангэ на чинэ́ха на баса́вна о чха́я
Гэ́ом мэ андро́да са́дос Пиркэрджо́мэ лэскэ́ро Покэрджо́мэ тро сэ́ро Кай ту ка́мэс мро йи́ло Покэрджо́мэ тро сэ́ро Ой -ёй- ёй
One title, several paths
Nane Cocha, Nane Tsokha, Nane cocha, nane gad and «Нанэ цоха» are spellings found in different publications associated with this song. The catalogue entry for the 1976 film soundtrack release gives the title as «Нана цоха» (Nana Tsokha). [1] [2] [3] [5]
These documents serve different purposes. Some describe a particular recording, others a performance within a community, and others accompany a music release. A shared title helps us find material, but does not establish that every version has identical words, melody or arrangement.
The sources present the song in Romani. Cyrillic and Latin spellings represent its sounds in different ways. For comparison, we retain each source’s spelling without treating one transcription as the only correct form for every dialect and performer. [1] [2]
Where and when it was documented
| Date | Document or publication | What it records |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Release of Eugen Doga’s music for Gypsies Are Found Near Heaven, Г62—05467-8. [5] | The track list includes «Нана цоха», performed by A. Buzyleva; the catalogue transcribes her surname as «Бузилева». |
| 2001 | Field recording from Bardejov-Poštárka, Žudro archive, identifier A_P_PG_Bardejov_2001_149. [2] | A particular local performance, its participants and information about other variants. |
| 2006 | Publication cited in the same archive record: Jana Belišová, Hoj na nej na. Phurikane giľa 2. Tanečné rómske piesne. Bratislava: Žudro. [2] | The archival material’s print publication context. The book and the field recording have different dates. |
| Under “2008” in the catalogue | «Нет ни юбки, ни платка» on Eugen Doga’s official website. [4] | A song from the film for voice and orchestra, with a piano version and a reference to folk motifs. Its placement in the catalogue does not establish when the song originated. |
| 2012 | Naxos / ARC Music catalogue, EUCD2394, Valentina Ponomareva, track 16. [3] | Nane Tsokha: music and lyrics credited as Traditional; arrangement credited to Valentina Ponomareva. |
| 2020 | Nane Cocha, Roma Voices, performed by Romano Hangos. [1] | Traditional attribution, lyrics and an account of the song’s life in Slovakia. |
| 2026 | Nane Cocha performed by Alex Kryve. [7] | The contemporary recording presented on this page. |
The earliest dated audio document in this selection is the 1976 film soundtrack release. This dates the document we have found, not the birth of the song. An earlier recording or printed score cannot yet be identified here with the same documentary support.
Evidence for its traditional roots
Roma Voices explicitly presents Nane Cocha as a Romani folk song with an unknown author. The publication acknowledges uncertainty about its precise origins and age. [1]
For Valentina Ponomareva’s recording, the Naxos / ARC catalogue distinguishes traditional music and lyrics from an arrangement credited to a named musician. This documents the attribution on that particular release. [3]
On Doga’s official website, «Нет ни юбки, ни платка», a song from Gypsies Are Found Near Heaven, is described as being based on folk motifs. That wording acknowledges a traditional foundation within the composer’s own catalogue. [4]
Taken together, these sources support describing the song as having traditional roots. They do not replace a comparative study of specific melodies and versions. The traditional foundation, a musician’s creative work, an individual performance and a sound recording are distinct parts of its history, each deserving an accurate account.
Collecting folklore: Doga and Loteanu’s work
In an interview dated 1 November 2011, Eugen Doga recalled preparing the music for Gypsies Are Found Near Heaven. He and Emil Loteanu travelled to different regions, listened to performers and recorded material, then studied what they had collected on their return. Songs from the Buzylev family hold a special place in his account. [6]
His recollections reveal work that often remains behind the screen: finding people, encountering local traditions, listening closely, recording and studying what was heard. In the film, this material found artistic expression in the musical world created by Doga and Loteanu. [5] [6]
Keeping a record of that work is part of telling the song’s story. We remember the voice in the film; behind it are also the passing of repertoire within a family, the work of collectors and the skill of performers.
Voices and variants
The film soundtrack release associates «Нана цоха» with A. Buzyleva. This is a particular performance whose credit should be preserved separately from the overall attribution of the film’s music. [5]
The Žudro archive documents a different setting in which the song was sung. Its record names Magda Miková, Štefan Dreveňák and Milan Miko, and lists variants from several communities. It provides evidence of local performances beyond the reissue of a single film recording. [2]
Differences are already visible in the published words:
| Textual element | Roma Voices publication [1] | Žudro archive recording [2] |
|---|---|---|
| Line about the father | “Mi kinel mange o dad” | “maj vičinel miro dad” |
| Line about the husband | “Mi kinel mange o rom” | “vičinel mange o rom” |
| Meaning in the sources’ own translations | The father or husband is to buy the needed clothing. | The father or husband calls or shouts. |
A familiar opening therefore does not guarantee that the complete lyrics match. We show how two publications transcribe and explain these lines; each individual performance has its own words and pronunciation. [1] [2]
Translated titles differ too: Doga’s official catalogue, Roma Voices and the Naxos catalogue use different Russian or English wording. A catalogue title belongs to the description of a particular release, rather than providing a single definitive translation for every version of the song.
Alex Kryve’s version
I return to Nane Cocha as a performer for whom it has long been part of a personal musical memory. This version is based on my own recording of the performance. Modern technology made it possible to restore the recording and work on its sound while preserving the song’s character and feeling.
Performance and interpretation: Alex Kryve. Preparation and release: KS Company. Listen on YouTube ↗
The historical recordings and publications on this page are sources for the research. Their participants are credited alongside the relevant versions. Musical memory also means remembering the people whose work we continue to hear years later.
This page is part of The Romani Song: Language, Memory, the Road. A separate study explores Mamenka: each song has its own history of documents, variants and performances.
Questions still open
The main task for further research is to find a documented source predating the film: a recording, a published score or a field transcription with a verifiable date and provenance. No such document has yet been established in this selection.
Comparing melodies and musical form will require further work: where a shared tune remains, where a particular musical version emerges, and which verses appear in different performances. A reference to folk motifs or a Traditional credit in a catalogue does not give a note-by-note account of each musician’s contribution.
The performance lyrics supplied by Alex Kryve are published in a separate Song lyrics section on this page. A detailed comparison with archival and printed variants remains a task for further research.
This page preserves documentary evidence and gratitude to the people involved. Further discoveries may clarify the chronology, relationships between variants and individual contributions to each version.
Sources and what they establish
[1] Roma Voices. Nane Cocha. Traditional attribution, lyrics, translation and an account of the song’s life in the community. Does not establish its precise age or original author.
Open the Roma Voices publication ↗
[2] Žudro. Nane cocha, nane gad. Archive record for a 2001 field recording: location, performers, lyrics, translations, variants and a reference to the 2006 print publication. Evidence of a particular performance.
[3] Naxos / ARC Music. EUCD2394, track 16. Catalogue information for Valentina Ponomareva’s recording: traditional music and lyrics, with a named arranger. Describes this release rather than serving as a universal register of all versions.
[4] Eugen Doga’s official website. Songs catalogue. The entry «Нет ни юбки, ни платка» from Gypsies Are Found Near Heaven appears under “2008”. Confirms the wording about folk motifs; does not date the traditional foundation’s origins.
Open the composer’s catalogue ↗
[5] Eugen Doga’s music from Gypsies Are Found Near Heaven. 1976 release, Г62—05467-8. Records.su catalogue with images and release information, including the song title and performer.
[6] Eugen Doga on Emil Loteanu. Interview dated 1 November 2011. The composer’s account of finding and recording folklore, published on his website. Firsthand testimony from a participant in the film’s production.
[7] Alex Kryve. Nane Cocha. The contemporary performance and video presented on this page.
English version prepared on 30 October 2026, based on the Russian article. It brings together previously checked sources and editorial comparison. The research remains open to additions and corrections.