Darida

COUNTRY: Russia (Ingushetia)
LANGUAGE: Chechen

“Darida” is a traditional Ingush love song that, in its original form, is a conversation between a man and a woman he loves (and is “chasing.”) “Darida” means “la la la” in Chechen. Ingushetia is a Russian republic in the Caucasus Mountains. When Russians started moving into the Caucasus in the mid-1800s some Nakh people resisted, some didn’t. Those who did came to be known as Chechens; they have fought Russia ever since. The Russians called the others Ingush. After World War II Stalin falsely accused the Ingush of collaborating with the Nazis and deported them to Kazakhstan and Siberia. By the time they returned in 1957 most of their territory had become Osset-ruled North Ossetia. Today they mainly live in the republic of Ingushetia, which is located between Chechnya and North Ossetia.

Lyrics of All Around This World version:

Addy will run and I will follow
Addy will run and I will follow
I’m going to catch her, darida da, I’m going to catch her, darida da.

Thanks to Waynakh.com for help with a translation from the original Chechen.