Resurrecting and dusting off this old codger to ask if anybody knows anything about nonsense words in non-English songs? I believe Italian madrigals have some fa-la-la-la going on, and I know the German song "Ein Mann der Sich Columbus Nannt" which goes something like this :

Ein Mann der sich Columbus nannt, widde widde witt bum bum
War in der Schiffahrt wohlbekannt, widde widde witt bum bum
Es drückten ihn die Sorgen schwer, er suchte neues Land im Meer
Gloria Victoria, widde widde witt juchheirassa
Gloria Victoria, widde widde witt bum bum

I also found a very serious scholarly website about nonsense syllables in early Greek and Byzantine music!

So is this universal, throughout the world? Are there songs with nonsense syllables in Thai and in Mandarin and in Swahili and in Spanish as well?

Maybe some of our Mudcatters have been around the world and can report back on nonsense syllables in world folk music?