Stationed thousands of miles from Crown Heights, a shliach found an unusual way to spread Chabad nigunim to homes around the world: by pairing his lifelong love of nigunim with revolutionary music technology.

Some months ago, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Bachar of Colombo, Sri Lanka, launched a new YouTube channel called “Yedidei Roi” dedicated to Chabad nigunim, some of which are barely known outside small circles of baalei menagnim.

Born into a chassidishe home, niggunim were part of his life from the start. Over the years, he was introduced to various uncommon niggunim from musicians such as Reb Dovid Horowitz and Reb Eli Lipsker.

“I’ve always loved Chabad nigunim and felt very connected to them,” Bachar told Anash.org. “Several years ago, I discovered many nigunim that aren’t well known, and I wanted more people to know and remember them.”

That drive led him to compile information on niggunim and the stories behind them on the Chabadpedia website. Among his contributions is a central page gathering 580 Chabad niggunim in one place for direct listening, a resource many Anash use today without knowing who put it together.

A few months ago, Reb Yosef Yitzchak began playing with AI music technology. He decided to try it out on a niggun, and his first creation was the Nikolayever niggun, known as a “Vollach.” Within days, he started his YouTube channel, which he named Yedidi Roi.

“One of the niggunim that I really liked was the niggun Yedidi Roi, after which I named the channel,” Bachar said. “I try to upload niggunim that are not always known to the public, and that is how I learned about many new niggunim.”

Bachar has perfected the technology to produce high-quality nigunim that convey the original spirit. At the same time, he’s candid about the limits of the technology.

“Artificial intelligence is still not perfect,” he tells Anash.org, “but I believe that shouldn’t stop us from producing niggunim to inspire our avodas Hashem.”

His goal now is to release fifteen albums of Chabad niggunim that will reach every Anash home.

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