Walla

/ˈwɑlə/ noun

Definition

The indistinct murmur of a crowd in the background, especially as used in film and theater sound effects.

Etymology

From English 'wallah' meaning person or fellow, possibly influenced by the Arabic suffix '-wallah' meaning 'by God'. The theatrical sense developed from the practice of extras saying 'walla walla' to create crowd noise without distinct words.

Kelly Says

In Hollywood, 'walla' artists are specialized voice actors who create authentic crowd sounds by actually speaking gibberish or repeating nonsense phrases. The term has become so standard that major film studios have entire 'walla groups' dedicated to creating these background vocal textures.

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