Watch: Nyet Nyet Nikavo in Italian

By COLlive reporter

Nyet, Nyet and dance!

A talented group from Los Angeles has collaborated to present an updated version of the classic and defiant Chabad nigun “Nyet Nyet Nikavo.”

This nigun was sung by the chosid Reb Michoel Dworkin upon the release of the Frierdiker Rebbe from Soviet imprisonment in 1927. Originally written in Russian, the lyrics read: “G-d is One, His name is One, besides Him there is no one.”

In the new version, the lyrics were translated into Italian and Hebrew, as well as including the full Russian version. It is the first Italian Chasidic song to be ever released, producers said.

Behind it is the “International Niggun Project,” a young group of Lubavitchers aspiring to produce chasidic nigunim “in a fresh, yet traditional project” and free to listen. This is their first song and video to be released.

Singing the Hebrew vocals is Rabbi Shmuel Marcus of the 8th Day Band and a Shliach in California, and the Italian is sung by Yossi Rodal, a young Chabad Rabbi who grew up on Shlichus in Italy.

Playing the clarinet is Leo Chelyapov, a musician who graduated from Moscow’s Schnittketate Institute of Music and had played on the Chabad Telethon of California and other TV shows.

Providing the fresh sound is Yisroel Drihem, who goes by iZZy D JaY. He grew up on chassidic songs and worked with Chelyapov to create an eclectic fusion of live classic clarinet and a fresh modern sound.

The video was filmed by Menachem Weinstein of Munch Media. Actors who appeared in the video were Mena Bechor, Mendel Goldstein, Zalman Talishevsky, Zev Katz, Tzemach Lerman and Binyomin Klipper.

The producers thanked Shmuel Marcus, Chaim Fogelman, Orin Antebi for their invaluable input, as well as iKippah.

VIDEO: