“Ay Di Di Di Dai” is a simple “niggun,” a melody that is sung using “vocables” — sounds rather than lyrics — and repeated with increasing intensity as a way to engage the community in a musical experience that is mystical and spiritually profound. Nigunim originated in the ultra-observant Jewish communities of 18th century Eastern Europe and have become a staple of Jewish celebrations worldwide, sometimes sung playfully — as we do with “Ay Di Di Di Dai,” using hand motions — or with deep religious fervor. All Around This World learned this song from an Israeli song leader. We sing it in our West Asia and the Middle East season with a nod Israeli folk music’s formidable Eastern European roots.
We are revising the AllAroundThisWorld.com site — the information you’re seeking may still be here, but a lot of links are broken and details may be out of date. We are currently using a new (better!) site — ExploreEverywhere.com — to tell you all about our class offerings, our “pen pal” program and how to become one of our teachers, and will eventually be moving all the goodies from here over to there. So, GO TO THE NEW SITE!
