Tumbalalaika Around the World: As Sung by ApiChorus, Harvard's a Cappella Group

The Yiddish folk love song Tumbalalaika originated in Eastern Europe in the 19th century, but its exact origin is hard to pinpoint. That hasn't prevented it from being sung and played over and over, not only in places where Yiddish songs are sung, but just about everywhere in the world, in vocal and instrumental versions, in cabarets and in the movies.

Just as we have followed the songs Hava Nagila, Adon Olam, Hevenu Shalom Aleichem, and Abanibi as they took different forms as interpreted by a wide variety of singers, musicians, and dancers, we're continuing the series today that we started back in 2012, sharing our 29th version of this universal courting and love song.

This version is sung by ApiChorus, Harvard's premier Jewish a Cappella Group and an affiliated student organization of Harvard Hillel. Founded in 2023, ApiChorus is a coed group comprised of current students at Harvard University. They sing a diverse repertoire of Hebrew and English classics, represent a broad range of Jewish backgrounds, and perform at venues locally in Cambridge as well as in concerts across the globe. 

Enjoy!