Abanibi, Eurovision Song Winner in 1978, is Still Popular Around the World

It's been 46 years since A Ba Ni Bi, a seemingly nonsensical song, won first prize for Israel in the 1978 Eurovision Song Contest. In 2010 we noted that the song has taken off and found expression in many languages and in many venues that are surely surprising original singer Izhar Cohen, composer Nurit Hirsh, and songwriter Ehud Manor.

It's still a feature in the Jewish camp scene where it's a staple of the song and dance fesitvals that are focal points of the camp season.

A Ba Ni Bi is actually not nonsensical, at least when sung in Hebrew. It gets a little weird when it's sung in Chinese, Spanish, Thai, and other languages. 

It's cleverly written in S'fat HaBet (B Language,) an Israeli variation of Pig Latin.  The phrase Aba Nibi Obo Hebev Obo Tabach is simply Ani Ohev Otach (I Love You) with the suffixes ba, bi, bo, and beh appended to each syllable.  If it were sung in English, the words would be Iby Lubuve Youboo.  But nobody sings it that way.

We found a new version by Chilean singer Ariel Toro, recorded earlier this year in his studio.

Enjoy!