HAVA NAGILA

Created on 17/03/2009
Latest update on 19/12/2023

Artist: Abraham Zevi Idelsohn
Author: traditional
Label: Polydor
Year: 1922

As a wordless chant. Means Enjoy And Be Happy. In Yiddish: Lomir Zikh Freyen. Originally a Hassidic melody from the Ukraine (Sadigora more precisely, a jewish neighborhood of Chernowitz in Bukovina), first popularized by this 'father of Jewish musicology'. In 1918 Abraham added words, Biblically inspired (Psalms 118:24).

Covers:

1939:

Moshe Nathanson [pupil of Idelsohn as Have Nageela; with the lyrics and the rhythm used ever since]

1951:

Machito [dance hit as Holiday Mambo]

1956:

Harry Belafonte

1958:

Barry Sisters [half Yiddish-half English; lyrics by Sidney Danoff; sang this since early radio days]

1958:

Betty Madigan [hit US as Dance Everyone Dance; credited to Sidney Danoff]

1959:

Compagnons De La Chanson [as Dansons, mon amour]

1959:

Dalida [as Hava Naguila, translated by Charles Aznavour]

1959:

Dario Moreno [as Dansons, mon amour]

1960:

Rika Zaraï [from Israël; her first hit in Fr]

1960:

Anneke van Hooff [as Kom Dans Met Ons Mee]

1961:

Caterina Valente

1961:

Connie Francis

1962:

Perez Prado [as The Twist Of Hava Nageela]

1962:

Spotnicks [rock instrumental]

1963:

Dick Dale [idem]

1963:

New Christy Minstrels

1963:

Allan Sherman [parody as Harvey And Sheila]

1964:

Trashmen

1964:

Bert Kaempfert

1966:

Tielman Brothers [live]

1970:

Elvis Presley

1993:

Joe Brown

1994:

Neil Diamond

1996:

Party Animals [n°1 NL as Hava Naquila]

1996:

Helmut Lotti

2001:

André Rieu

2004:

Me First & the Gimme Gimmes [on cd Ruin Jonny's Bar Mitzvah]

2019:

Galantis & Dolly Parton ft. Mr. Probz [dance hit US as Faith]

Contact


If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:

Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)

info@originals.be

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