Odessa Mama (also ''Odessa Mame'', ''Odesa Mame'', ''Adesa Mame''; yi, אָדעסאַ מאַמע) is a
Yiddish song of
Russian origin, which enjoyed popularity in numerous
East Europe
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whic ...
an countries, as well as the
United States before the
Holocaust. It has been recorded by notable performers like
Pesach Burstein
Pesach "Peishachke" Burstein (April 15, 1896 – April 6, 1986) was a Polish-born American comedian, singer, coupletist, and director of Yiddish vaudeville/theater. He was honored with the Itzik Manger Prize in 1986. His wife Lillian Lux, and ...
,
Aaron Lebedeff
According to Abrahamic religions, Aaron ''′aharon'', ar, هارون, Hārūn, Greek (Septuagint): Ἀαρών; often called Aaron the priest ()., group="note" ( or ; ''’Ahărōn'') was a prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of ...
and
Herman Yablakoff. There are
Ukrainian language and
Russian language
Russian (russian: русский язык, russkij jazyk, link=no, ) is an East Slavic languages, East Slavic language mainly spoken in Russia. It is the First language, native language of the Russians, and belongs to the Indo-European langua ...
versions of the song as well. The song is about the love for the city of
Odesa, looked upon as a mother by locals and is an ode to Odesa's sidewalks, electric lights, hotels, and other modern amenities.
[How It Was Sung in Odessa: At the Intersection of Russian and Yiddish Folk Culture; by Robert A. Rothstein; Slavic Review, Vol. 60, No. 4 (Winter, 2001), pp. 781-801] ''Odessa Mama'' is a term used by people of Odesa to refer to their city.
The song was thus popular with immigrants, in a similar vein to the Yiddish American
showtune Romania, Romania.
One of the most enduring and popular versions of the song was recorded by the Yiddish entertainer and singer Aaron Lebedeff in the 1940s, with the orchestra conducted by
Shalom Secunda.
The song also exists in Russian lyrics under the name ''Одесса мама'' sung by
Leonid Utyosov. {{cite needed, date=November 2015
Notes
Songs in Yiddish
Year of song unknown
Jews and Judaism in Odesa
Songs about cities