OUR SONGS FROM SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA

BAAR BAAR

COUNTRY: India

“Baar Baar” is a fantabulous Hindi happy birthday song from the 1967 Bollywood movie, Farz. This is All Around This World’s favorite happy birthday song of all time. (“More.”)

BASANT

COUNTRY: Nepal

“Basant” is a Nepali wedding song found on the Smithsonian Folkways recording, Music from South Asia. The original is called “Nepali Marital Song” and it references basant, a South Asian festival celebrating spring. (More.)

BOODY BOODY

COUNTRY: Afghanistan

“Boody Boody” is a song that takes us to a playground in Afghanistan where we remember that when faced with a swing, kids everywhere around the world will swing. (More.)

CHADAGAN

COUNTRY: Tuva

“Chadagan” is a traditional Tuvan love song. The chadagan is a Tuvan instrument resembling a zither that you may be inclined to play for your beloved. (More.)

CHUKKE HAKKI

COUNTRY: India

“Chukke Hakki” is a song in the language Kannada, spoken mainly in Southern India, about reaching up high high high and catching the stars. (More.)

DAWEEDAM

COUNTRY: Afghanistan

“Daweedam” is a Dari chant from Afghanistan that tells the tale of a little boy who values his teacher so much he honors him by baking him a loaf of bread. (More.)

DHE DHE

COUNTRY: India

“Dhe Dhe” is a song, originally in the southern Indian language of Tamil, that we sing in class about our kids' clothes – especially if they come adorned with spaceships, unicorns and bunnies. (More.)

DIWALI AAYEE

COUNTRY: India

In “Diwali Aayee” we celebrate Diwali, the Hindu "Festival of Lights," a joyful holiday full of food, fireworks and fun. Everyone loves it, hence the chorus: "Diwali aayee, Diwali aayee, everybody loves Diwali...." (More.)

DUDURAI

COUNTRY: Kazakhstan

The original version of the Kazakh folk song “Dudurai” tells the story of a Russian girl, Maria, who loves a Kazakh boy, Dudur, despite her family's objections based on the longstanding conflict between Russians and Kazakhs. (More.)

ILELELE

COUNTRY: India

With "Ilelele," we welcome kids to class with a playful song from Assam, in the far Eastern part of Indian, that greets all visitors to our “village.” (More.)

JANGAR

COUNTRY: Mongolia (Oirat/Kalmyk)

“Jangar” is a rousing reinterpretation of this super-rousing version of Jangar, the Oirat/Kalmyk epic tale of Jangar the great warrior. Hongor, featured in the song, was Jangar's second-in-command and credited throughout the epic for saving Jangar's lands and the Kalymk people from enemies. (More.)  

KHAUNLA PATAIMA

COUNTRY: Nepal

“Khaunla Pataima” is a contemporary Nepali song about desperately wanting to be with someone you love. (“More.”)

NAANU BATHEEN

COUNTRY: India

"Naanu Batheen" is an Indian folk song in the language Kannada about a boy who goes to the fair with his friends and his animals. (More.) 

PAHAN CHUNARIYA

COUNTRY: India

“Pahana Chunariya” is a raga celebrating Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, a holiday that inspires us all to visit grandma, light candles, and EAT. (More.)

QAMBARXAN

COUNTRY: Western China

“Qambarxan” is a Uighur song about finding beauty in even the least beautiful places. (More.)

SAD TO SAY GOODBYE

COUNTRY: Kyrgyzstan

“Sad to Say Goodbye” is bittersweet Kyrgyz song about longing for joys of the past. (More.)

TaRALILALALAI

COUNTRY: Uzbekistan

"Taralilalalai" is part of an ancient repertoire performed mainly by Jewish female singers in the city of Bukhara. “Taralilalalai” translates roughly as “la la la” and “yar eh” means “my dear.” (More.)

UD RE MORA

COUNTRY: India

“Ud Re Mora” is a universal song about the peaceful feeling of waking up before dawn on the farm.  (More.)

UHRE JAB

COUNTRY: India

“Uhre Jab” is a classic Bollywood love song for the ages. (More.)

WALHAV RE NAKHWA

COUNTRY: India

“Walhav Re Nakhwa” is a song of the children of the fishermen from India’s western coast. “We are the children of the fisherman, We have no fear of the sea.” (More.)