- This article is about a type of Jewish religious music, Nigun. For the main article on religious Jewish music, see Religious Jewish music.
A
nigun ( meaning "tune" or "melody", pl.
nigunim) or
niggun (pl.
niggunim) is a form of
Jewish religious song or tune sung by groups. It is
vocal music, often with repetitive sounds such as "bim-bim-bam" or "ai-ai-ai!" instead of formal lyrics. Sometimes, Bible verses or quotes from other classical Jewish texts are sung repetitively to form a nigun. Some nigunim are sung as
prayers of lament, while others may be joyous or victorious.
