Lyrics:

An international, multi-lingual echo song with a reggae groove.   When Jenny went to South Africa in 2003, she marveled not only at the number of languages spoken there (11 official languages), but also at the many different types of greetings for elders, children, strangers, individuals and groups.

(Spoken intro:)

If you wanted to say "hello" to everyone on the planet, you would have to learn almost 3000 languages and greet around 7 billion people.

 

(Chorus ñ with echo:)

Hello

Aloha                                                     Hawaiian

Bonjour                                                 French

Dumela             (doo-MAY-lah)            Tswana (Southern Africa)

 

(Verse 1:)

Around the world, when people meet

In a home or on the street

They say hello and it’s so neat

So many different ways to greet

           

(Chorus:)

Hello            

Hola                         (oh-la)                            Spanish

Shalom                                                 Hebrew

Konichiwa             (ko-nee-chee-wah)            Japanese

 

(Verse 2:)

Some wave "hi" and some shake hands

Some bow down and some just stand

Applaud, embrace or kiss a hand

So many ways in different lands

 

(Chorus:)

Hello

Jambo                         (jahm-bow)                        Swahili

Salaam                                                 Arabic

Kaixo                         (kai-show)                        Basque (Spain)

 

(Verse 3:)

Greeting the young or greeting the old

You can be shy or you can be bold

An "r" can be flat or it can be rolled

But a smile is the same around the world

 

(Chorus:)

Hello                                                             English

Terve                (tehr-vay)                        Finnish

Privyet             (preev-yet)                        Russian

Namaste           (nah-mas-tay)                        Hindi (India)

 

 (Bridge:)

At the break of day or when the sun goes down

An elder or a child, a stranger or a friend

In the South or the East, in the North or the West

How we say hello, it all depends -

 

(Chorus:)

Hello, Hello

Molo, Molo                                                             Xhosa (South Africa)

Ni hao, Ni hao             (nee how)                        Mandarin (China)

Zdravo                         (zdrah-vo)                        Slovenian

 

(Chorus:)

Hello, Hello

God dag, God dag             (go dag)                         Norwegian

Aqui, Aqui                         (ah-kee)                        Mohican

Guten tag                         (goo-ten tahg)                 German

 

(Chorus:)

Hello, Hello

Hey mon, Hey mon                                                Jamaican

Iakwe, Iakwe                  (ya-kway)                        Marshallese (Marshall Islands)

Chao ban                        (dow bahn)                       Vietnamese

Konichiwa                     (ko-nee-chee-wah)            Japanese

Namaste                         (nah-mas-tay)                    Hindi

Hello.

 

Jenny Heitler-Klevans: lead vocals

David Heitler-Klevans: lead and harmony vocals

Dave Posmontier: keyboards (clavinet, organ)

Jeff Lee Johnson: electric guitars

Chico Huff: bass

Grant MacAvoy: drums

Mayra Casales: percussion (timbales)

Kids’ Chorus: Keilan Barber, Marlee Berger, Sara Blackman, Thomas McKenzie-Smith, Sasha Narine, Becca Neckritz, Sophie Samaha, Alyssa Townsend, Anita Zhu