Lullaby Interview Assignment

Fa la nana bambin

"Fa la nana bambin" is a traditional Italian lullaby.

The first publishing I could find of this song is from 1921 in Milan, written by Geni Sadero (pseudonym of Eugenia Scarpa), 1886-1968. It was published in a collection of 25 regional Italian songs she had arranged. This song text is of the Venetian dialect, which would indicate that the lullaby originates from the Veneto region of northeast Italy. However, because this is a song passed down orally through generations, I was unable to trace its exact origins.

Here are the Italian lyrics:

Fa la nana, bambino,

Fa la nana, bel bambin,

Nei brazeti de la mama,

Fa la nina, fa la nana.

Here is the English translation:

Go to sleep, little baby,

Go to sleep, lovely son,

In the arms, of your mother,

Go to sleepy, go to sleep.

Here is a teaching video I found for this lullaby:

Here is a video of tenor Tito Schipa singing Sadero's "Fa la nana bambin."

Here is soprano Rosa Ponselle singing Sadero's version:

Here is my own teaching video of "Fa la Nana Bambin."

Interview with Mom and Dad

For this project, I interviewed my Mom and Dad to ask them about any memories they have of lullabies from their childhood.

Both my parents are from Newfoundland, Canada, and my family has lived there for generations. Therefore, because we are descendants of peoples and settlers from centuries ago, my parent's cultural identity is tied only to Newfoundland. They both speak English, but with a Newfoundland dialect, which is quite unique from other Canadian accents.

Sadly, neither of my parents had a very caring bond with their mothers. Therefore, they do not have any memories of lullabies in their youth. My mom did say that she would sing western nursery rhymes to her little brothers when she was young. My mom also recalled how, since she never knew any, she would come up with her own lullabies to sing to her children during infancy.

My dad had some recollections of his grandma playing the accordion at family gatherings in his youth, as she was quite a talent. In this context, his grandma would usually play along to traditional Newfoundland tunes, such as "Saltwater Joys" or "I'se the B'y". I have linked a video to Saltwater Joys here, as performed by Newfoundland band "Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers":

Although I was not able to yield many lullabies from my parents, it was nice to hear some musical memories from their youth. This interview also alerted me to the importance of researching my own cultural roots, and colonization's impact on my parents and grandparent's cultural experiences.