From the mailbag...

Dovid Kerner writes:

I've tracked down the only known recording of 'Chanbalaya' and posted it on my site at Chanbalaya.

Let's put the 'Hank' back in Chanukah.

Chanukah Sameach!

Dovid

MoC writes:

I've been following your thread on Lipa's use of an apparently vulgur riff from Usher.

(The truth is I don't even know who Usher is or what that riff is but I get the picture).

I've been following the debate about whether it's right or wrong, and whether the riffs sourced from vulgar rock songs introducing chashanim and kallahs are appropriate.

To me the issue is not whether it is right or wrong. To some extent, that's irrelevant.

To me it's just sad because it reflects the "prustness" of so much of modern Jewish music. I'm not sure exactly how one defines "prust". Perhaps the closest I can get is "unrefined".

Lipa and his ilk may mean well but when they carry on the way they do and introduce vulgar, base and unrefined elements (like riffs that are sourced from vulgar places, ridiculous dance moves, and digitilization of the sound, etc.) into jewish music they are bringing Jewish music down to the gutter. The whole purpose of Jewish music is to inspire and uplift neshamos. They are doing the opposite.

I am not suggesting that putting a pasuk to a rock song, or a rocking style of Jewish music is in and of itself prust. That is not at all the case. There is much inspiring and uplifting Jewish music in that genre and it is certainly true that rock may be the best way to reach many of our teens.

At the end of the day, I don't think I can adequately describe the difference between what is prust and what is not. But I know it when I hear it.