Ali Bom Bali

During dinner, I read Alex Ross’ account of Sibelius in “The Rest is Noise”. That, combined with a recently heard phrase “Ali Bom Bali”, of obscure origin but not, I am reliably told, associated with the east Indies or neighboring lands. It may, though this is pure speculation, have something to do with the Swedes, but I am at best a rank amateur philologist.

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