Lioube
Music: Szapora from their CD Doinas & Dragons
Choreography: Chris Hall
This is a lovely dance introduced by Tania at the 2024 World Circle Dance Day in Leongatha, attended by Circle Dancers from Leongatha, Foster, Wonthaggi and Inverloch. Gail then taught the dance in Inverloch, and it has become a firm favourite of the Inverloch Circle Dancers.
Szapora credit the lyrics as being ‘Traditional Russian Gypsy’. Szapora is an English band completely devoted to the Gypsy music of the Balkans. It was formed in 1997. The line up of band members has changed over the years. More recent additions to the band were the soulful voices of singing partnership Mirella and Tea Hodzic from Sarajevo.
Lioube is a variation of Lyubov, a Slavic name derived from the word for ‘love’ and is a female given name.
After delving far and wide, I believe these are the words to this song (seems to be originally called Sun):
Sun - Gypsy Song
Oh, don't you wake me the young,
Oh, until the sun, Romani, rises.
Oy, luba ta luli chacho da ne
Oh, until the sun, Romani, rises.
Oh, give, give the grey horse freedom -
They bring him out to his happiness, to his fate!
Oy, luba ta luli chacho da ne
They bring him out to his happiness, to his fate!
Oh, give, give your hands brothers
And great happiness will be upon all Romani.
Oy, luba ta luli chacho da ne
Oh, until the sun, Romani, rises.
Oy, until the sun, Romani, rises.
There are a number of videos of this dance on the internet, including one featuring the original Choreographer Chris Hall dancing with Mandy deWinter, and others featuring the renowned Circle Dance teacher Ira Weisburd with other Circle Dance groups.
Gail (Inverloch Circle dance group)
September 2025