Chunga-Changa

Tschunga-Tschanga ( Russian Чунга-Чанга ) is a Russian-language children's song from 1970 . It is about a fictional South Sea island of the same name, whose inhabitants enjoy life carefree.

The song was written especially for the Soyuzmultfilm cartoon Katerok ( Russian Катерок small cutter boat ). The music was composed by Wladimir Schainski, the text is by Jurij Entin. The song was sung by Anatolij Gorochow and Aida Wedischewa.

content

song lyrics

Russian	transcription	translation
Чунга-Чанга, синий небосвод, Чунга-Чанга, лето круглый год. Чунга-Чанга, весело живём, Чунга-Чанга, песенку поём.   Чудо-остров, чудо-остров, Жить на нём легко и просто, Жить на нём легко и просто, Чунга-Чанга.   Наше счастье постоянно, Жуй кокосы, ешь бананы, Жуй кокосы, ешь бананы, Чунга-Чанга.   Чунга-Чанга, места лучше нет, Чунга-Чанга, мы не знаем бед. Чунга-Чанга, кто здесь прожил час, Чунга-Чанга, не покинет нас!	Tschunga-Tschanga, siniy neboswod, Tschunga-Tschanga, leto krugly god, Tschunga-Tschanga, weselo dschiwom, Tschunga-Tschanga, pesenku pojom. Tschudo-Ostrov, Tschudo-Ostrov, Dschit na njom lechko i prosto, Dschit na njom lechko i prosto, Tschunga-Tschanga. Nasche stschaste postojanno, Dschuj kokosy, jesch banany, Dschuj kokosy, jesch banany, Tschunga-Tschanga.   Tschunga-Tschanga, mesta lutsche njet, Tschunga-Tschanga, my ne snajem bed, Tschunga-Tschanga, kto sdes prodschil tschas, Tschunga-Tschanga, ne pokinet nas!	Chunga-Changa, dark blue sky, Chunga-Changa, summer all year round , Chunga-Changa, we live happily, Chunga-Changa, we sing a song.   Wunderinsel, wonderful island, just on their living and relaxed, easy on her to live and relaxed, Tschunga-Changa.   Our happiness remains the same, Kau coconuts, eat bananas, kau coconuts, eat bananas, Tschunga-Changa.   Chunga-Changa, there is no better place, Chunga-Changa, we don't know any poverty, Chunga-Changa, whoever lived here for an hour, Chunga-Changa, does not leave us!

Cartoon animation

In the cartoon Katerok , the song is sung by two young island residents of Chunga-Changas as well as a giraffe and a parrot. In the cartoon, the cutter boat that the cartoon is about stranded on Chunga-Changa and is transported back into the sea by the islanders to continue their journey. The two islanders are depicted as pitch black and almost undressed, and they are portrayed as extremely primitive. Typical black clichés are used in their portrayal , for example extremely frizzy and curly hair on the head and voluminous lips.

The film Katerok also showed the “modern” life of children in the Soviet Union, who have hospitals, schools and access to the media, which is a stark contrast to the simple lifestyle of the residents of Chunga-Changa.

reception

In Russia and countries of the former Soviet Union , the children's song continues to enjoy great popularity. Several Russian children's theaters are named after the song.

The portrayal of black people as carefree and primitive can also be found in other Soviet cartoons and songs from the period and had a lasting impact on the image of Africa as a particularly backward continent in the Soviet area. Even if the portrayal of Africa initially appears positive, according to Raphael Green of the African American Intellectual History Society , it should be classified primarily as patronizing.

During the period of perestroika , the Soviet Union provided development aid to third world countries while the standard of living of the Soviet population declined. Among other things, through the stereotypical portrayal in film and music such as in Chunga-Changa - although the song had existed for 16 years during the period of perestroika - Africa was perceived as an ungrateful "scapegoat", which fueled racist resentment towards blacks. The fact that the islanders communicated with animals in songs was criticized as racist by journalists from the English newspaper The Guardian , as this implies that blacks have more in common with animals than with Russians.

The criticism of the portrayal of blacks in Chunga-Changa as racism, coming mainly from Western countries, was rejected by some Russian journalists as "insubstantial".

Trivia

In January 2020, two Russians made a joke call to Prince Harry of England , pretending to be Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and her father. In this call, they warned Prince Harry, among other things, that companies close to US President Donald Trump would try to exploit the island of Chunga-Changa for raw materials. The call made headlines in the UK media months later.

Web links

• Tschunga-Tschanga on the Soyuzmultfilm YouTube channel (with cartoon animation)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Maxim Matusewitsch: An exotic subversive: Africa, Africans and the Soviet everyday , Race & Class, Vol. 49, Iss. 4, pp. 57–81, April 1, 2008, accessed: June 9, 2020.
2. ↑ ^{a b} About Chunga-Changa Children's Musical Theater , Chunga Changa Musical Theater, accessed June 9, 2020.
3. ↑ ^{a b c d} Raphael G. Green: Constructions of Africa in Early Soviet Children's Literature , African American Intellectual History Society, October 31, 2017, accessed: June 9, 2020.
4. ^ ^{A b} Catherine Mary Ratcliff: Seeing Africa - Construction of Africa and International Development in Soviet and Russian Public Discourse - Freedom as Development? , University of Edinburgh , p. 145, 2017, accessed June 9, 2020.
5. ↑ ^{a b} Olga Nerest: Этот безбрежный советский расизм. "Чунга-чанга" , Sputnik , May 17, 2016, accessed: June 9, 2020.
6. ↑ Alex Exler: Что в голове у этих людей? , personal page of the author Alex Exler, February 22, 2020, accessed: June 9, 2020
7. ↑ Caroline Davies: Russian hoax raises questions over Sussexes' security , The Guardian , March 11, 2020, accessed June 8, 2020.
8. ↑ Matt Wilkinson: Prince Harry duped into offering to help fictional island of 'Chunga-Changa' by pranksters posing as Greta Thunberg , The Sun , March 11, 2020, accessed: June 8, 2020