Re: lai-lai-lai....

[SamWeiss <SamWeiss...>]

At 06:11 AM 10/7/02, Judith R Cohen wrote:
>thanks Sam! finally, we have an infallible system for identifying
>nigunim without having recourse to the melody!! ;)   Judith
>
> > maybe.  The first line is
> > lai-lai-lai-lai-lai-lai-lai-lai-lai-lai-lai-lai-lai-lai.

While I can't deny the humorous intent in my response, I must point out 
that I was careful to print 14 syllables, which would indeed be helpful in 
identifying the tune for someone who is familiar with Nigun Bialik.

As far as identifying Hassidic groups by the vocables they use, it is not 
at all that simple, since a lot depends on the mood, pace, and metrical 
quantities of the song. Longer notes tend to take an "ah" vowel, shorter 
ones an "i"; syncopations tend towards contrasting consonants and/or 
vowels.  Pickup notes and march-like rhythms have a different "vocabulary" 
than held notes in a Dveykus nigun.  Also, the personal taste and 
creativity of the individual singer matters much more than the Hassidic 
group.  Having said that, it seems that the Galitzyaner Hassidim (Modzitz, 
Ger, Bobov) favor the "typical" vocables like Bim-Bam, Ya-Ba-Bam, Dai-Dam; 
Lubavitchers like the more liquid Na-Na-Na, 
Ni-Nam,  Ma-Ma-Ma;  Hungarian/Carpathians have a more tragic outlook, so 
you hear a lot of  Oy-Oy, Doy-Doy.

You'll never hear Chiri-bim-bom, and rarely La-la-la among real Hassidim; 
and only the post-Carlebach pseudo-Hassidic generation uses the same 
vocable (usually Lai-Lai-Lai) throughout a song.

_____________________________________________________________
Cantor Sam Weiss === Jewish Community Center of Paramus, NJ

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