PHOTO CREDIT: Above photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.

This page contains a translation into English of four different versions of Greek lyrics to the Egyptian song "Salma, Ya Salama" (Σάλμα Για Σάλαμα), including versions recorded by Vicky Mosholiou, Marinella, Ziynet Sali, and Hrispa. The song title is written in Egyptian Arabic as "سالمة يا سلامة‎". Also included is a pronunciation guide for the Greek lyrics so you can sing along if you like.

Song lyrics are provided for educational purposes. If you like the song, please purchase either the album or a download from an authorized source.

About this Song

The roots of this song go back to 1919, in Egypt. Legendary composer Sayyed Darwish wrote it for a play titled Qulu Lu. According to the book Acting Egyptian: Theater, Identity, and Political Culture in Cairo, 1869–1930 by Carmen M. K. Gitre:

"Salma Ya Salama" celebrated the return of men recruited for the Egyptian Labor Corps. These were Egyptian civilians whom the British conscripted in numerous, often brutal, ways.... One third of Egyptian men between the ages of seventeen and thirty-five either volunteered or were forced to participate in the Egyptian Labor Corps. They laid railway lines, dug trenches, and performed other menial labor for miniscule pay. A report to the British government stated that Egyptian laborers "died like flies due to the ill treatment that they received".

The term often used to refer to the forced labor was "le corvée," which in French means "the drudge work". The term initially arose in Egypt during the era of Mohamed Ali Pasha (early 1800's), and the British continued using it.

ABOUT THE PHOTO: The photo shows Sayyed Darwish, the composer of the 1919 original version of this song.

In 1977, Dalida created her own version of this song, keeping the chorus section, but working with composer Jeff Barnel (stage name for Georges Habib Barnoti) to add musical segments for the verses. She released two versions: one in Egyptian Arabic, and the other in French. Dalida was born in Shobra, Egypt in 1933 to Italian parents. She was crowned Miss Egypt in 1954.

In 1955, she appeared in the Egyptian motion picture Sigarah wa Kas (A Glass and a Cigarette) which also starred Samia Gamal. However, Egypt's post-revolution climate was not hospitable to people who were not ethnic Egyptians, so Dalida left Egypt and spent most of her adult life in France, where she reached stardom as a singer. Tragically, in 1987 she died by suicide.

About Yiota Lydia

One of the artists who recorded this song was Yiota Lydia, (sometimes spelled as Giota Lydia). That was the stage name of Panayiota Mantaraki. She was born in Greece, in a Greek Anatolian refugee district known as Nea Ionia, on February 24, 1934, and came from a family of singers. Her parents were refugees from Smyrna, which today is known as Izmir in Turkey.

Lydia began her career as a singer at the young age of 11, and she became one of the most renowned singers in the laiko genre of music.

Lydia has been a very prolific artist, known for her work as a recording artist. She recorded over 1,000 songs of all musical styles, on 350 record albums. Her final album, Kathara Kai Xaspera, was released in 1986.

She married her husband, Stratos Attalidi, when she was only 14 years old. He was also an artist and composer, and he promoted her career as a singer. They often appeared together as a duet act. They had a son named Stavros.

About Marinella

Marinella's real name was Kyriaki Papadopoulou. She was born in Thessaloniki, Greece, the daughter of refugees from Constantinople (present-day Istanbul). The famous singer-songwriter Tolis Harmas discovered this rising star at a young age in the 1950s, and gave her the stage name Marinella, inspired by his song of that title. It was during this time when Stelios Kazantzidis saw her and fell in love with her. Marinella later joined Stelios on tours. They eventually got married, and in the eyes of many they were the greatest duet in Greece, unsurpassed even today.

Unfortunately, the marriage didn't last, and they divorced in 1966. Marinella then went on to launch a solo career.

Marinella is one of the greatest living legends of Greece still actively performing, popular, and still very relevant in the Greek music scene.

About Lefteris Papadopoulos

Lefteris Papodopoulos created the lyrics for Vicky Mosholios' version of this song. He was born in Athens in 1935, as the son of Greek refugees who had fled to Greece from the genocide in Turkey in the 1920's. Although he built a career in journalism, Papadopoulos has been a major force in Greek music, penning the lyrics for about 1,200 songs and collaborating with many great artists of the 20th century. The work he did with Manos Loizos is considered a landmark of his career.

Song:

• Salma, Ya Salama
• Pali Berdeftika
• Fotia

Music: Sayyed Darwish, Jeff Barnel

Has Been Recorded By:

In Arabic

• Sayed Darwish, 1919
• Dalida, 1977 (initially in Arabic, later in French)
• Alabina, 2007 ("Olé Y Ola")
• Nana Mouskouri, 2018, lyrics for her version by Mohamed Salah El Dineh

In Greek

• Vicky Mosholiou, 1978 ("Salma Ya Salama")
• Giota Lydia, 1979 ("Salma Ya Salama")
• Marinella, 1992 ("Pali Berdeftika")
• Ziynet Sali, 2006 ("Salma Ya Salama")
• Hrispa, 2006 ("Fotia")

In Turkish

• Atilla Taş, 1998 ("Sallana Sallana")

Τραγούδι:

• Σαλμα Για Σαλαμα
• Πάλι Μπερδεύτηκα
• Φωτιά

Μουσική: Τζεφ Μπαρνελ (Τζιορντζ Χαμπιμπ Μπαρνοτι)

Άλλοι Ερμηνευτές:

Στα Αραβικά

• Σαγεντ Νταρουις, 1919
• Νταλιντα, 1977
• Ιωάννα Νανά Μούσχουρη, 2018 ("Σάλμα Για Σάλαμα"), Στίχοι Μοχαμεντ Σαλαχ Ελ Ντινε

Στα Ελληνικά

• Βίκυ Μοσχολιού, 1978 ("Σάλμα Για Σάλαμα")
• Γιώτα Λυδία, 1979 ("Σάλμα Για Σάλαμα")
• Μαρινέλλα, 1992 ("Πάλι Μπερδεύτηκα")
• Ζινετ Σαλι, 2006 ("Σάλμα Για Σάλαμα")
• Χρύσπα, 2006 ("Φωτιά")

Στα Τουρκικά

• Ατιλλα Τας, 1998 ("Σαλλανα Σαλλανα")