Wednesday, September 07, 2016
Friday, September 02, 2016
Monday, August 29, 2016
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
אין עוד מלבדו | שלומי שבת | דודי קנפלר | מקהלת שירה
אין עוד מלבדו | שלומי שבת | דודי קנפלר | מקהלת שירה
Not sure what to make of this. It's a beautiful rendition in Yiddish of a Shlomi Shabbat song. One the one hand, it's neat that there's a Chassidish version. On the other, the Hebrew original is so beautiful and stands on its own. It didn't *need* a Yiddish translation to kosher it, as it were. Thre's something about that genre of Israeli pop spiritual -- Sarit Hadad's K'shehalev Boche, Eyal Golan's Malchei Hamlachim etc. -- that stands on its own. These songs don't need to be "frummed up". That said, this is quite well done for what it is.
Not sure what to make of this. It's a beautiful rendition in Yiddish of a Shlomi Shabbat song. One the one hand, it's neat that there's a Chassidish version. On the other, the Hebrew original is so beautiful and stands on its own. It didn't *need* a Yiddish translation to kosher it, as it were. Thre's something about that genre of Israeli pop spiritual -- Sarit Hadad's K'shehalev Boche, Eyal Golan's Malchei Hamlachim etc. -- that stands on its own. These songs don't need to be "frummed up". That said, this is quite well done for what it is.
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Monday, August 15, 2016
Friday, August 12, 2016
Now That's A Chumash Play
At my school, for our Chumash party we had Morah Breindy teaching us a few songs. (I know, I know, but I couldn't resist.) Stevie Wonder rocks the Chumash casino resort
Thursday, August 11, 2016
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
The Renaissance Is Over
Child Care Center To Take Over Site Of Well Known BP Catering Hall
I played some memorable gigs there, including one chassidish wedding, where the chosson requested REO Speedwagon's "Can't Fight This Feeling" for the mitzvah tantz because "it's our song." Other then that one request, it was a typical Chassidish event, with no secular music whatsoever. I'll never forget the stares I got while playing that one, before segueing into the traditional tune.
I played some memorable gigs there, including one chassidish wedding, where the chosson requested REO Speedwagon's "Can't Fight This Feeling" for the mitzvah tantz because "it's our song." Other then that one request, it was a typical Chassidish event, with no secular music whatsoever. I'll never forget the stares I got while playing that one, before segueing into the traditional tune.
Tuesday, August 02, 2016
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Musicians' Reference
Rav Eitam Henkin HY'D is quoted in the the Seforim blog post "Torah Under Wraps":
“The definitive assignment of each person into specifically this community or that one is often artificial. It is absurd that the public considers many comedians, musicians, and low-brow entertainers (for purposes of this example) as “Haredi” because they attended heder and wear a hat in the synagogue, while thousands of families who give their all for Torah and are punctilious about every jot and tittle (not to mention that for them television, secular newspapers, and the like are not even up for discussion) are “not Haredi" because they wear a colored shirt and also rejoice on Yom Ha-‘Atzma’ut. Although people can only see externals, they can ascertain what they will have to account for in the Heavenly court, whether they will be asked about Torah study, honesty in business, and hoping for the redemption,[5] or whom they cast their vote for in national elections.”
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Peeps in the mailbag...
A. writes:
Got a few peeps of my own all from one chasunah.
"The loud key-changer"
Violinist leads the guests who are singing the Alter Rebbe's Nigun (at a Chabad wedding) to the badekenish. Until one very large and very very loud singer becomes the leader, moving the entire crowd from D to D# and eventually to E. Poor violinist tries to override him, then tries to play along, then gives up.
"The faster faster guy"
Beginning of the 2nd set, band is about 2 minutes into an upbeat funky hora medley, crowd is having a great time. One younger brother/cousin/nephew/friend starts yelling at me to play faster. When ignored, starts gesticulating wildly. Still ignored, actually gets up on stage to yell right next to me about which fast songs I should play right now and everyone will go wild. I resist the urge to go punk rocker on him; anyway I'm wearing earplugs so his ranting is barely detectable. Eventually he gives up and disappears.
"The interminable tribute/parody singers"
Two family members play instruments, so we've agreed to let them take over on guitar & drums, and sing a tribute song they've written TTTO "Just One Shabbos." Except it turns out it's the 2 musicians plus 3 singers and the monitor mix is totally wrong for them, so it's a complete trainwreck, at about 80% speed, with even more verses than the original. Oh well, at least the band got 15 minutes to get dessert and drinks.
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Monday, July 11, 2016
Tuesday, July 05, 2016
Monday, July 04, 2016
Some Links
A completely over the top review of Eleanor Riessa's new collab with Frank London's Klezmer Brass Allstars, The Glorious Debut of Yiddish Songbird Eleanor Reissa as the Jewish Beyonce, that contains both factual inaccuracies -- Delilah wasn't Jewish -- and super schmaltzy writing. But schmaltz is appropriate, no? There's a great clip at the link.
Meanwhile, WNYC is Remembering Elie Wiesel, and you can hear him singing in two short snippets.
Meanwhile, WNYC is Remembering Elie Wiesel, and you can hear him singing in two short snippets.
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Kosha Dillz's 'Dodging Bullets' Video Feat. Matisyahu
Premiering on Billboard: Kosha Dillz's 'Dodging Bullets' Video Feat. Matisyahu
From Chabad to dancing girls (Tznius warning), but an Israel supporter (of sorts), which is not easy these days.
From Chabad to dancing girls (Tznius warning), but an Israel supporter (of sorts), which is not easy these days.
Friday, June 24, 2016
Vu Zenen Di Froyen?
Over at the Forward surprisingly tolerant piece about Yiddish Soul, A Concert of Talented Men.
Some, however, had complaints, not about the quality of the singers or musicians but rather about who they were. In the middle of the show a woman stood up and shouted “Where are the women? Women can sing beautifully too you know,” and promptly left the venue.
It is, of course, a serious and fraught issue. Besides the Folksbiene’s Executive Director Bryna Wasserman not a single woman appeared or spoke during the three-hour show. Not one woman played an instrument, let alone sang. In the days following Yiddish Soul some secular Klezmer musicians and Yiddish singers took to Facebook to decry the Folksbiene’s decision to “discriminate” against women in order to assure that a religious audience would attend.
I have a lot of sympathy for such arguments but in this case I don’t agree with them. If all of the Folksbiene’s concerts and plays only featured men it would be an entirely different story. But it’s just the opposite: the company puts on a womanless show just once a year so that religious Jews who would otherwise be unable to attend can enjoy it. It’s worth it to do it once a year, especially if it allows the Folksbiene to present such great cantors and singers as Lipa Schmeltzer, Yaakov Lemmer and Benny Friedman.
On the other hand, it wouldn’t hurt if next year’s Kulturfest featured a second concert on the same scale in which the Yiddish world’s many talented women singers and musicians could perform.
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Monday, June 20, 2016
Friday, June 10, 2016
Wednesday, June 08, 2016
Baruch Dayan Emes, Moshe Dor Z"L
The composer of Erev Shel Shoshanim died this week.
עונג שבת (עונ"ש): 'ערב של שושנים': לזכרו של משה דור
Hat tip, A.
עונג שבת (עונ"ש): 'ערב של שושנים': לזכרו של משה דור
Hat tip, A.
Tuesday, June 07, 2016
Ein Li...
E. and David both emailed about Lipa Schmeltzer's cover of Ein Li Erez Anchoret performed with the song's composer in Hebrew and Yiddish: "Israeli lesbian composer moved to tears by NY haredi singer’s Yiddish version of her classic tune"
It's a horrible version musically speaking, IMO, but it doesn't much matter, because what's important is the dialogue that's happening here. Now it's easy to pretend that this is new, but the reality is that over the past few years there has been an increasing crossover of Chasidic artists willing to step out of the community's comfort zone to perform with/for secular/differently religious Jews (and non-Jews).
And that's the important part of this, the bridge-building that has been going on despite the leadership on both sides.
It's a horrible version musically speaking, IMO, but it doesn't much matter, because what's important is the dialogue that's happening here. Now it's easy to pretend that this is new, but the reality is that over the past few years there has been an increasing crossover of Chasidic artists willing to step out of the community's comfort zone to perform with/for secular/differently religious Jews (and non-Jews).
And that's the important part of this, the bridge-building that has been going on despite the leadership on both sides.
Monday, June 06, 2016
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Friday, May 13, 2016
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
It's Waze Are Waze of Piece!
Daas Torah - Issues of Jewish Identity: Ger chasidim make strong takanas in its fight against Internet and use of WhatsApp
What are Gerer one-man-bands going to do now, when their transpose button fails at the gig?
What are Gerer one-man-bands going to do now, when their transpose button fails at the gig?
Saturday, May 07, 2016
Friday, May 06, 2016
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Monday, April 25, 2016
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Monday, April 18, 2016
Friday, April 15, 2016
The Dirty Mikveh Band
The song isn't so interesting to me, but the band name is perspired, I mean, inspired.
New Song in honor of Yud Aleph Nissan, the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s birthday
New Song in honor of Yud Aleph Nissan, the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s birthday
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Sunday, April 03, 2016
Cross-Currents Joins the Bandwagon....
....ranting about loud music at simchos in Hear Me Out.
As is typical with these kinds of articles, they blend together unproven assertions, irrelevant or even downright incorrect "statistics", silly suggestions and unworkable solutions that do almost nothing towards addressing the problem, but do serve as a "heter" for some sanctimonious , self-righteous fools to disrespect musicians.
I don't have the patience to address the distortions/misrepresentations/irrelevancies in this piece, and given the author's history of misleading statements, I don't think he deserves the benefit of the doubt on this either.
I do want to address one point, though. There is a simple solution to this issue. It is to hire bands that play softer. We exist. As one of the bandleaders who does just that, I can say that the "professional volume complainers" in the frum world do not practice what they preach. I more often get requests to turn up than turn down, and yet, my business from the professional complainer demographic is negligible, despite them hearing me at events and my booking many jobs on that basis from others in the community. When videos of the professional complainer's children's weddings are posted on line, they inevitably feature bands on the louder end of the spectrum.
I played an event for one of the "activists" behind a campaign about this in the frum community. She didn't hire me herself, though. She didn't talk to me before the event about volume either. The caterer hired me. So, someone who claims to be so concerned about this as a "signature issue", wasn't involved in making sure they had a volume-conscious musician at their own event. At the event, of course, she made sure to "virtue-signal" about volume, when it was absolutely not an issue.
To be clear. There are some in the from community who view these articles as a license to be verbally abusive towards musicians. This is irrespective of whether the musicians are playing too loud or not, and often happens before we've even played a note.
The solution is simple. Hire bands who are volume-conscious. Thus far, I've seen no evidence of that from the people who tend to respond to articles like this. Just nastiness.
(There are some other relevant factors as well, like the venue, layout of the room, etc. But, in large part, these could all be resolved by hiring bands that play softer. Yet, when the activists published a list of "approved bands", the list featured many bands that are clearly a part of the problem, and notably did not include some of those known for softer volume.)
As is typical with these kinds of articles, they blend together unproven assertions, irrelevant or even downright incorrect "statistics", silly suggestions and unworkable solutions that do almost nothing towards addressing the problem, but do serve as a "heter" for some sanctimonious , self-righteous fools to disrespect musicians.
I don't have the patience to address the distortions/misrepresentations/irrelevancies in this piece, and given the author's history of misleading statements, I don't think he deserves the benefit of the doubt on this either.
I do want to address one point, though. There is a simple solution to this issue. It is to hire bands that play softer. We exist. As one of the bandleaders who does just that, I can say that the "professional volume complainers" in the frum world do not practice what they preach. I more often get requests to turn up than turn down, and yet, my business from the professional complainer demographic is negligible, despite them hearing me at events and my booking many jobs on that basis from others in the community. When videos of the professional complainer's children's weddings are posted on line, they inevitably feature bands on the louder end of the spectrum.
I played an event for one of the "activists" behind a campaign about this in the frum community. She didn't hire me herself, though. She didn't talk to me before the event about volume either. The caterer hired me. So, someone who claims to be so concerned about this as a "signature issue", wasn't involved in making sure they had a volume-conscious musician at their own event. At the event, of course, she made sure to "virtue-signal" about volume, when it was absolutely not an issue.
To be clear. There are some in the from community who view these articles as a license to be verbally abusive towards musicians. This is irrespective of whether the musicians are playing too loud or not, and often happens before we've even played a note.
The solution is simple. Hire bands who are volume-conscious. Thus far, I've seen no evidence of that from the people who tend to respond to articles like this. Just nastiness.
(There are some other relevant factors as well, like the venue, layout of the room, etc. But, in large part, these could all be resolved by hiring bands that play softer. Yet, when the activists published a list of "approved bands", the list featured many bands that are clearly a part of the problem, and notably did not include some of those known for softer volume.)
Monday, March 28, 2016
Friday, March 18, 2016
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Monday, February 29, 2016
From the mailbag...
Avraham (Alan) Friedenberg writes:
Do you have any ideas where I might be able to find CDs from the Stanley Miller Band? He was popular in the 70s, and I loved his stuff. They had a live album, and there was another one called "American Simcha."
If you have any ideas, please let me know. Thanks!
This has been asked here before... I think if Stanley Miller released digital downloads of his albums, people would buy them.
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
PSA Baby Banz Gemach
This looks silly, but is actually a good idea, if you are a close relative and need your away to be in the room at one of those loud weddings. Of course, the best option would be to hire a lower-volume band (I'm available), and next best would be for the baby to not be in the room.
But, if you need to have the baby there, or if you're one of those people who feels compelled to park your infant right in front of the speaker during the dance set, these are a good b'dieved option.
Monday, February 22, 2016
Drunk Homosexual Sex and Shabbos Zemiros
I recently read Marc Shapiro's recently published book "Changing the Immutable. It's a fantastic read, especially if you're interested in how history is often "shaded" in the Orthodox community.
In the section dealing with sex and modesty related censorship, he includes the following:
Amazon has it here:
In the section dealing with sex and modesty related censorship, he includes the following:
Let me conclude this chapter by returning to the subject of sex and pointing out that had it not been for an act of censorship, Israel Najara's (c.1555-c.1625) Ya-h ribon, would probably never have achieved popularity. R. Hayim Vital (1543-1620), in his Sefer hahezyonot, records that while drunk Najara engaged in homosexual acts. He also mentions that Najara had sexual relations with a non-Jewish woman. Because of this, Vital wrote that "the hymns that he has composed are in themselves good, but whoever speaks to him and whatever leaves his mouth is forbidden, because he always used foul language and was a drunkard his whole life."The book is not really about music, but it's a fascinating read.
In early editions of the book, Najara's name was deleted, and it is possible that it was even deleted from the manuscript used for the first edition. It was only with the 1954 publication of Sefer hahezyonot, from Vital's own autograph manuscript, that the report about Najara became known. Had this information been public knowledge in earlier years, it is unlikely that Najara's hymn would ever have been adopted, even though, as we have seen, Vital asserted that his hymns are without objection. Yet even after the publication of the uncensored Sefer hahezyonot, we should not be surprised that a 2002 edition of the work published by a Jerusalem yeshiva continues to omit Najara's name. To do so is a lot easier than explaining to people why such a man's hymns should still be sung.
Amazon has it here:
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Peeps!!!
"The Break-Dancing Photographer"
This peep comes running over at a yeshivish wedding and asks us to break down "Keitzad Merakdin" into Hip Hop, because he wants to get into the middle and "really bust some moves!"
Um, you're hired as the second photographer, not featured club dancer. I'm pretty sure the clients will want pictures of their other guests dancing "Keitzad Merakdin".
"'Mahapecha Shel Simcha' Guy"
This peep wants the bandleader to DJ a song during the dance set. Again. And again. And again. The same song. And, when the band takes a break after the set, again. And while we're packing up, yet again. It's a fun song, but really now...
This peep comes running over at a yeshivish wedding and asks us to break down "Keitzad Merakdin" into Hip Hop, because he wants to get into the middle and "really bust some moves!"
Um, you're hired as the second photographer, not featured club dancer. I'm pretty sure the clients will want pictures of their other guests dancing "Keitzad Merakdin".
"'Mahapecha Shel Simcha' Guy"
This peep wants the bandleader to DJ a song during the dance set. Again. And again. And again. The same song. And, when the band takes a break after the set, again. And while we're packing up, yet again. It's a fun song, but really now...
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Tuesday, February 09, 2016
This Mourner’s Kaddish Is Set to Adele’s ‘Hello’ And It’s (Not) Perfect
E. sends in a link to Kveller: This Mourner’s Kaddish Is Set to Adele’s ‘Hello’ And It’s Perfect
It's not my speed, but I could see this being meaningful to many.
It's not my speed, but I could see this being meaningful to many.
Sunday, February 07, 2016
Monday, February 01, 2016
Monday, January 25, 2016
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Monday, January 11, 2016
Tuesday, January 05, 2016
The Jewish Weird Al
"You obviously keep a Brisker shiur for Pas Shachris,
That's why you have such a big reishis and an achris..."
The best part of the whole thing is how they managed to turn a weight-loss program into an ad for Yapchik, a Lakewood eatery that is definitely part of the "achila gasa" culture...
That's why you have such a big reishis and an achris..."
The best part of the whole thing is how they managed to turn a weight-loss program into an ad for Yapchik, a Lakewood eatery that is definitely part of the "achila gasa" culture...
Monday, January 04, 2016
Sunday, January 03, 2016
Dov Shurin Agrees With Me...
... on how his song was popularized to the frum community. It's past time to stop indulging this!
Saturday, January 02, 2016
Take On Yemen
A-Wa they can! "Three Israeli Jewish women of Yemeni descent are musical hits in the Arab world."
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Monday, December 28, 2015
R' Avi Shafran writes "Blame Jewish terrorism on nationalism, not Judaism".
Failed Messiah posted a video of Dov Shurin singing his song, Zochreini Na. It defies logic that the community would adopt this song, created by this person, under the circumstances he wrote it, and with his known extremism. In other words, it isn't a quaint historical reference today. Perhaps if Jews sing it in a few hundred years, that will be true. But those who brought this song to the community knew full well what was meant by it.
And yes, there are many people who don't think about the words of the songs they sing, and there are plenty of Jews who like the song because they've heard it, and have not thought about its import, if they even understand the words at all. (Sadly, there are too many, even Jewishly literate people, who are either unaware of or don't at all consider the lyrics to the Jewish music they listen, sing and dance to, as has been documented on this blog. Over the years, I've highlighted songs that make no sense due to omitted words etc. One quick example, the Shloimy Dachs version of Hamalach Hagoel omits the words "vikarei vahem shemi", which makes the B section meaningless.)
I first heard the song on a compilation CD issued in memory of a victim of Palestinian terror. In "Singing of Revenge", I wrote about how a right-wing terror group had been formed at the funeral for the person in whose memory the CD had been released. You can follow the link for some more on the song. If I remember correctly, they had planned an attack at an Arab girls' school, close by the Al-Makassad hospital in the At-Tur neighbourhood. The J-Post article I'd linked to then is now broken, but I found a description of that attack on the Bat Ayin Wikipedia page. "The officers stopped the two and examined the car, finding that the trailer had two containers of gasoline rigged to two TNT bricks, and propane gas tanks. The explosive charge consisted of a "vergin" (military battery), and the device, in a baby carriage, was timed to explode at 7:35 am., when dozens of girls would have been entering the schoolgrounds. Later investigations revealed this was not a one-off strike but rather part of a West Bank network of settlers conducting a campaign against Palestinians. Israeli intelligence soon heard of a large cache of weapons, and suspected it might imply an attack on the Temple Mount was being prepared. Eventually 6 men, residents of Bat Ayin and Hebron, were convicted..." I'm pretty sure The JPost article talked about how this was planned at/after the funeral.
Bottom line, this song was composed by an extremist, immediately adopted/popularized by extremists, and regardless of how some Orthodox Jews here in the USA may know it, has always had those associations. While I don't ascribe the same motivations to those here who may have been unaware of these connections, I'll say it again, it's time to stop playing the song at simchas. If nothing else, the video of that wedding should compel us to stop singing/playing that song.
Ah, but the pundits have evidence to the contrary, proof of sinister pan-Orthodox sentiment: a song played at some Orthodox weddings, with lyrics borrowed from the account of the Biblical Samson’s prayer to be avenged of the Philistines. As the now-notorious video showed, there are indeed Jews who sing the song with ugly intent. But mainstream religious Zionist Jews and Haredim who dance to it at weddings no more intend the song as a cry for vengeance than a Frenchman heartily singing La Marseillaise pines to “soak our fields” with impure Prussian blood, or an American tearing up over his national anthem exults over how brave martyrs’ “blood has washed out [the] pollution” of the hated British.There is a clear difference between singing a song with historical references to violence, as opposed to one whose roots today are violent. Yes, the text is Biblical, going back further in time than the French or American national anthems. But, the song was composed by a radical and was immediately adopted by contemporary extremists.
Failed Messiah posted a video of Dov Shurin singing his song, Zochreini Na. It defies logic that the community would adopt this song, created by this person, under the circumstances he wrote it, and with his known extremism. In other words, it isn't a quaint historical reference today. Perhaps if Jews sing it in a few hundred years, that will be true. But those who brought this song to the community knew full well what was meant by it.
And yes, there are many people who don't think about the words of the songs they sing, and there are plenty of Jews who like the song because they've heard it, and have not thought about its import, if they even understand the words at all. (Sadly, there are too many, even Jewishly literate people, who are either unaware of or don't at all consider the lyrics to the Jewish music they listen, sing and dance to, as has been documented on this blog. Over the years, I've highlighted songs that make no sense due to omitted words etc. One quick example, the Shloimy Dachs version of Hamalach Hagoel omits the words "vikarei vahem shemi", which makes the B section meaningless.)
I first heard the song on a compilation CD issued in memory of a victim of Palestinian terror. In "Singing of Revenge", I wrote about how a right-wing terror group had been formed at the funeral for the person in whose memory the CD had been released. You can follow the link for some more on the song. If I remember correctly, they had planned an attack at an Arab girls' school, close by the Al-Makassad hospital in the At-Tur neighbourhood. The J-Post article I'd linked to then is now broken, but I found a description of that attack on the Bat Ayin Wikipedia page. "The officers stopped the two and examined the car, finding that the trailer had two containers of gasoline rigged to two TNT bricks, and propane gas tanks. The explosive charge consisted of a "vergin" (military battery), and the device, in a baby carriage, was timed to explode at 7:35 am., when dozens of girls would have been entering the schoolgrounds. Later investigations revealed this was not a one-off strike but rather part of a West Bank network of settlers conducting a campaign against Palestinians. Israeli intelligence soon heard of a large cache of weapons, and suspected it might imply an attack on the Temple Mount was being prepared. Eventually 6 men, residents of Bat Ayin and Hebron, were convicted..." I'm pretty sure The JPost article talked about how this was planned at/after the funeral.
Bottom line, this song was composed by an extremist, immediately adopted/popularized by extremists, and regardless of how some Orthodox Jews here in the USA may know it, has always had those associations. While I don't ascribe the same motivations to those here who may have been unaware of these connections, I'll say it again, it's time to stop playing the song at simchas. If nothing else, the video of that wedding should compel us to stop singing/playing that song.
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Does This Mean I'll Be Banned Soon?
R' Natan Slifkin agrees with me: Not Every Mitzvah Deserves A Song
Thursday, December 24, 2015
More On Zochreini Na
Over at Daily Reyd - Torah Musings, Rabbi Gil Student disagrees with me.
He writes:
As Ha'aretz wrote, quoting Rav Sherlo in 2002: "However, Rabbi Sherlo insisted that vengeance should not be the subject of songs and dances: "We don't dance over the spilling of blood... We don't ignore the heavy price that vengeance brings in its wake, and the endless cycle of violence. We don't dance about vengeance because we are careful not to be spoiled by it, not to become enamored of it and of the evil it generates in the world."
He writes:
A Jewish musician suggests banning the song “Zochreini Na” because it has become an anthem of revenge killings in Israel. I disagree. In the US, it has no connotations of that nature whatsoever. It’s just a song. You can see on YouTube (I, II) plain yeshivish weddings where the song is played and no one is waving guns in the air or anything like that. I have never heard of the song meaning anything like that in the US.Needless to say, I disagree with him. In my original piece, I traced the source of the melody, and how it became popular here in the US. Although he is correct, that -- so far -- people don't generally react to the song in that way here, that could easily change. More to the point, the glorification of aspects of far-right extremism, as occurred in popularizing the song in the first place, and in the fact that Dov Shurin is given any sort of forum in Jewish Media, is troubling. It's not like the song was an innocuous song, that was then adopted by the radicals. That is its source. Indulging this sort of radicalism is a very bad idea.
As Ha'aretz wrote, quoting Rav Sherlo in 2002: "However, Rabbi Sherlo insisted that vengeance should not be the subject of songs and dances: "We don't dance over the spilling of blood... We don't ignore the heavy price that vengeance brings in its wake, and the endless cycle of violence. We don't dance about vengeance because we are careful not to be spoiled by it, not to become enamored of it and of the evil it generates in the world."
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
It's Past Time To Stop Singing About Revenge!
Sadly, it's time to revisit a subject I first wrote about in 2003 in this post, "Radical Jewish Music (Not by John Zorn)"
The following Times of Israel article, "Clip Shows Far-Right Wedding-Goers Celebrating Duma Killings", went viral today. I encourage all of you, difficult as it will be, to watch the clip embedded there.
Here's a glimpse:
This scene should trouble all moral people, no matter their political viewpoint with regard to settlements, land for peace, etc. And, I think it behooves the Jewish music community to stop playing that song. Previously, my policy has been that I won't call it on a job, but if it was a request, I'd do it. At this point, I feel like a stronger stance needs to be taken. We need to stop playing this song, and to actively speak out against this kind of thing. This is my protest! Where's yours?
The following Times of Israel article, "Clip Shows Far-Right Wedding-Goers Celebrating Duma Killings", went viral today. I encourage all of you, difficult as it will be, to watch the clip embedded there.
Here's a glimpse:
Footage released on Wednesday showed dozens of young Israeli right-wing extremists, said to be linked to the suspected perpetrators of the Dawabsha family murder, celebrating the killing at a wedding last week.
The images in the clip immediately sparked wide condemnation. The video, aired by Channel 10, shows revelers at the Jerusalem celebration waving knives, rifles, pistols and a Molotov cocktail during the wedding. Amid the festivities, a photo of baby Ali Dawabsha, who was burned to death in the July 31 firebombing in the West Bank village of Duma, is shown being repeatedly stabbed, according to the report.
The crowd in the video chants the lyrics of a song which include a verse from Judges 16:28, quoting Samson, blinded in Gaza, saying “let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes” — but changing the word Philistines to Palestine.
The couple whose wedding was being celebrated was said to be friends of Jewish extremists detained in connection with the firebombing attack.The song they are referring to is Dov Shurin's "Zochreini Na", and it is very clear from the clip as to how it is taken by that community. And, no, that clip doesn't reflect on everyone from that community, but there is clearly a critical mass that is comfortable singing about killing babies, even when it's not an abstract concept. As you'll see, they're doing it while waving a pic of a one year old that was burned to death, and then stabbing the picture too.
This scene should trouble all moral people, no matter their political viewpoint with regard to settlements, land for peace, etc. And, I think it behooves the Jewish music community to stop playing that song. Previously, my policy has been that I won't call it on a job, but if it was a request, I'd do it. At this point, I feel like a stronger stance needs to be taken. We need to stop playing this song, and to actively speak out against this kind of thing. This is my protest! Where's yours?
From the mailbag...
Shua Hoexter writes:
I've followed & enjoyed your blog for a while. Would love to hear what you think of a new creative project based in Pittsburgh, blending Jewish music, contemporary sounds and improvisation.
Check out "Chillent" at:https://www.facebook.com/chillentband
https://soundcloud.com/chillent
http://www.chillentband.com
Thanks for listening!"
Peeps Again!
"Bad News Bear"
This peep loves to be the bearer of bad news. She's the one who has to come over during a kumzits at the end of a wedding to inform the singer mid-song that Yosi Piamenta passed away. True story. Now, keep smiling and start another song!
"Knows His Key"
This peep knows what key he sings in. But, he doesn't know the name of the key. So, it's not F# minor, but rather, "one lower than G minor." An oddly endearing quirk.
"Doesn't Know the Words"
This peep with a good voice will always get up and sing at events he's at. For some reason, the guests always want him to. This even though he butcher's the words EVERY time, no matter the song. Whether it's Vezakeini or even Shir Hama'alos, he can be counted on to screw it up. And yet, they applaud and the next time, ask him to do it again.
"My Family Has Yichus"
This peep takes twenty minutes at the beginning of his Sheva Brachos speech to let the guests know EXACTLY who his family is. A full accounting of all rabbis, successful businessmen, etc. must be given. Seriously, twenty minutes. I timed him.
"7 & 3/4 Guy"
This peep leads the singing in between Sheva Brachos blessings. He will drop an eighth note at the end of every phrase. Consistently.
"Sheer Pantsuit Lady"
This feisty eighty year old will show up in an effectively sheer pantsuit. I say effectively because it wouldn't have been see-through if she'd worn something light underneath it. The black bra and undies though...
"The Seforim Holder"
This guy comes to the fundraising dinner for his Gap year yeshiva carrying a sefer ostentatiously. He never uses it that night (or possibly much ever).
"So, I Married A Hooker"
This guy brings his wife, dressed in loud flashy revealing clothing and stiletto heels to the same yeshiva dinner "Seforim Holder" is at. All of the other wives are dressed in modest attire, as expected.
"The Sheet Music Reader"
This peep will take advantage of the band's break to get up on stage and flip through the band's charts. Then, he'll come over and ask specific questions aimed at demonstrating his comprehension of the charts. Um, yes that polyrhythmic instruction at the top of the chart does mean exactly what it says, and we do play that tune in F#. And, thanks for going through our stuff!
This peep loves to be the bearer of bad news. She's the one who has to come over during a kumzits at the end of a wedding to inform the singer mid-song that Yosi Piamenta passed away. True story. Now, keep smiling and start another song!
"Knows His Key"
This peep knows what key he sings in. But, he doesn't know the name of the key. So, it's not F# minor, but rather, "one lower than G minor." An oddly endearing quirk.
"Doesn't Know the Words"
This peep with a good voice will always get up and sing at events he's at. For some reason, the guests always want him to. This even though he butcher's the words EVERY time, no matter the song. Whether it's Vezakeini or even Shir Hama'alos, he can be counted on to screw it up. And yet, they applaud and the next time, ask him to do it again.
"My Family Has Yichus"
This peep takes twenty minutes at the beginning of his Sheva Brachos speech to let the guests know EXACTLY who his family is. A full accounting of all rabbis, successful businessmen, etc. must be given. Seriously, twenty minutes. I timed him.
"7 & 3/4 Guy"
This peep leads the singing in between Sheva Brachos blessings. He will drop an eighth note at the end of every phrase. Consistently.
"Sheer Pantsuit Lady"
This feisty eighty year old will show up in an effectively sheer pantsuit. I say effectively because it wouldn't have been see-through if she'd worn something light underneath it. The black bra and undies though...
"The Seforim Holder"
This guy comes to the fundraising dinner for his Gap year yeshiva carrying a sefer ostentatiously. He never uses it that night (or possibly much ever).
"So, I Married A Hooker"
This guy brings his wife, dressed in loud flashy revealing clothing and stiletto heels to the same yeshiva dinner "Seforim Holder" is at. All of the other wives are dressed in modest attire, as expected.
"The Sheet Music Reader"
This peep will take advantage of the band's break to get up on stage and flip through the band's charts. Then, he'll come over and ask specific questions aimed at demonstrating his comprehension of the charts. Um, yes that polyrhythmic instruction at the top of the chart does mean exactly what it says, and we do play that tune in F#. And, thanks for going through our stuff!
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Wednesday, December 09, 2015
Tuesday, December 08, 2015
Monday, December 07, 2015
Saturday, December 05, 2015
Friday, December 04, 2015
Thursday, December 03, 2015
Kol Isha On Cross-Currents. Really!
Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein posts Schiller, Fartaytsht un Farbesert, Binyumen Schaechter's Choral arrangement of Beethoven's Ode to Joy with Yiddish words by I.L. Peretz.
Nice that Rabbi A. posted it, because of the message it sends about listening to women singing in a chorus and halachik possibility.
Nice that Rabbi A. posted it, because of the message it sends about listening to women singing in a chorus and halachik possibility.
Wednesday, December 02, 2015
Tuesday, December 01, 2015
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