How familiar with Russian cartoons are you? Not very much, true? Big mistake! Please meet Cheburashka and his pal, Gena the crocodile…
Gena the crocodile is probably the best known and most famous character of Russian cartoons. Kind and sympathetic, nostalgic as well as good-tempered – Gena has become iconic for many generations.
This crocodile wears a suit and a hat, smokes a pipe, works at the zoo and plays the accordion. Such a poetic image surely must get your attention! His friends are the cute Cheburashka that keeps getting himself into trouble, and the ill-natured crone Shapoklyak who claims that “one can’t become famous through good deeds”. Although they bring about a lot of problems to Gena, he remains loyal to his principles, striving for justice and friendship. He’s not just a “good guy”, he looks real and people remember his stories, even after they’ve grown up. The past era resonates in his songs: rather sad, but full of optimism.
You can listen to Gena’s birthday song at the beginning of Part two. However, if you’d like to know who Cheburashka is and where he came from, don’t skip and start with Part one (you can watch it on YouTube with English subtitles).
SCORES – PDF MuseScore VideoScore
INSTRUCTIONAL RECORDING
crocodile-gena_instructional-80bpm
Lyrics in Russian:
Пусть бегут неуклюже
Пешеходы по лужам,
И вода – по асфальту рекой.
И неясно прохожим
В этот день непогожий,
Почему я весёлый такой.
Я играю на гармошке
У прохожих на виду…
К сожаленью, день рожденья
Только раз в году.
Прилетит вдруг волшебник
В голубом вертолёте
И бесплатно покажет кино.
С днём рожденья поздравит
И, наверно, оставит
Мне в подарок пятьсот “эскимо”.
Я играю на гармошке
У прохожих на виду…
К сожаленью, день рожденья
Только раз в году.
Rough english translation:
Let the pedestrians run clumsily
On the street among the puddles
There is water everywhere on the road
They cannot know that this day is not an ordinary one
Nor the reason why I’m so happy today
As I play my accordion
And people gaze at me
What a pity
The birthday only comes once a year
The magician will soon come on his blue helicopter
He will show us a free film
He will congratulate me and I’m sure he will
give away 500 chocolate ice-creams
As I play my accordion
And people gaze at me
What a pity
The birthday only comes once a year.
article, illustration | Yelyzaveta Libenko
scores, instructional recording | Jindra Kelíšek
published on 26/08/2015