JEWISH MUSIC PLUS

Adrienne Cooper, one of the great singers, teachers, and activists for Yiddish language and music passed this weekend. Obituaries are running in media outlets around the Jewish world including Haaretz, The Jewish Week, the JTA, and the Forward. There is little I can add to all of the great and deep thoughts about her that have been put forth, except this one thing. In a moment of apparent synchronicity, the following tweet circulated yesterday (from @neville_park in Toronto)

Hey, Hey, Down with the Police”, “Working Women”, “Ballad of the Triangle Fire”—Yiddish music is pretty badass: http://j.mp/rzPZLo

The badass recording @neville_park is referring to is “In Love And In Struggle: The Musical Legacy Of The Jewish Labor Bund” (YIVO) which includes performances by Zalmen Mlotek, Adrienne Cooper, Dan Rous with The New Yiddish Chorale & The Workmen’s Circle Chorus. You see, Cooper’s involvement in Yiddish music was not limited to the nice songs. The happy songs. The nostalgic songs. To singing yet another chorus of Oyfn Pripetchik or Rozhinkes mit Mandln. Cooper also sang Arbeter-froyen (Working Woman) and the musical Queer Wedding Sweet, and wrote articles for Lilth and The Forward titled “He Beat Me Black and Blue: Yiddish Songs of Family Violence” Cooper, more than any of her peers, helped transmit the wide spectrum of Yiddish song …. including the gritty, raw, anger, anguish, humor and joy that was Yiddish life and song. And in doing this, Cooper has helped inspire a new generation of musicians, including my fav Yiddish anarchist troubadour Daniel Kahn, cut through the schmaltz.

So, yeah. Yiddish music is pretty badass and Cooper will be very missed.

Here’s Cooper (center), along with Sharon Bernstein & Jeanette Lewicki, singing a trio of Women’s Working songs.

Yiddish Trio – Women’s Worker Songs (Yiddish Song)

And, just because I love it and it’s badass, here’s Daniel Kahn, Psoy Korolenko, Oy Division performing “Rakhmones afn Tayvl / Sympathy for Whom?“

Teruah – Jewish Music

Mostly Music’s home in the heart of Boro Park got a major face lift today to match its present branding with A new sign replacing the old classic outdated red awning. The brand new green one now matches the familiar orange and green branding from its online store 

View of sign at night

Jewish Music Review – The First all Jewish Music News Site

South African born Zalman Levy, presents his first single since being a Top 10 finalist in the 2nd annual “A Jewish Star” competition.

This brand new Hebrew/English song with an African pulse entitled – “Yisovivenu” set to the words of a pasuk in Devarim (32-1), was composed by Levy and is yet another of his compositions infused with the originality that sets him apart! Music arrangements by Shaya Lieberman, mastering and mixing by Sholom Lieberman. 

After hearing the song and being blown away by it, Danny Finkelman and his Sparks Productions team embarked upon a music video. 

Growing up in the summery suburbs of Johannesburg, Zalman was exposed to a society embedded in music. From the cities’ extravagant Shul choirs, to its world renown Chazzanim, or just plain simple; Jo’burg’s minivan-taxis bouncing to African beats, Levy was imbued with a passion for music. And as a child, after being a soloist in the Torah Academy Boys Choir and a member of the Johannesburg Jewish Male Choir, Levy tapped into that passion and began to write music of his own. 

Zalman stems from a highly musical family. His Maternal Grandfather; R’ Avraham Roness and Great grandfather; were both Chazzanim in Synagogues in S. Agathe and Montreal, CA, whom no doubt handed their talent down to their children. Zalman’s brother; Mendy, A Rabbi in Bal Harbour, FL created the Melbourne Boys Choir. 

“It’s about creating authentic Jewish Music with a fresh originality.” says Levy. 

Jewish Music Review – The First all Jewish Music News Site

Shaindel Antelis Official Music Video “THE LIGHT” For Women Only. Visit www.shaindelantelis.com for more info.

Jewish Music Report

In honor of the 5th light of Chanukah, we offer you the all new single from Benny Friedman, “MI Shema’amin” for Free. All you have to do is go to the fanpage and click LIKE. If you are already a fan, you will be able to download the new song for free. Hurry though, because this will Chanukah offer will only be available for the 5th night and day of Chanukah.

https://www.facebook.com/BennyFriedman?sk=app_178091127385

Jewish Music Review – The First all Jewish Music News Site

In this lighthearted look at the very serious problem of the illegal copying and downloading that has plagued the music business, Jewish music personalities join forces taking you through a day in the life of a fictitious Jewish singer, portrayed by Yoely Leibowitz. Like everyone else, he is trying to earn an honest living, support his family and use his abilities to help others, but throughout the day he encounters former singers who have been forced to take other jobs as illegal copying and downloading has eaten away at their primary source of income.

Download the song free here

Music by Hershy Ginsberg
Produced by FM Productions and Sparks Next

Directed by Danny Finkelman
Director of Photography Mauricio Arenas

Lyrics by Motty Ilowitz & Moshe Kravitsky
Musical production by Hershy Ginsberg and Motti Cohen (Midnight Productions)

Edited by:
Sean Sinderbrand

Montage:
Mauricio Arenas

Story by
Danny Finkelman

Starring:

YOELY LEBOVITS and Beri Weber, Gershy Moshkowitz, Yumi Lowy, Yossi Benshimon, Sruly Ginsberg, Shloime Gertner, Yoely Greenfeld, Shloime Taussig, Dovid Gabbai, Sruli Meyer, Mendy Wertzberger, Nachas, Michoel Schnitzler, Shimi Goldstein

Here are the lyrics

ענדליך פון קאמפויזער מען האט שוין דעם ניגון
  ,יעצט דארף מעןפון ערענזדשער (די) מוזיק באקריגן
וואכן מ’ארבעט מיט די פייפער’ס און פידלעך
און דאס איז נאר אויף “איינס”! פון די 10לידלעך.

נאכדעם וואס די מוזיק (ערענזשדמענט) איז שויןגעלונגען
 ,קומט ערשט יעצט דערזינגער דעם לידל אפזינגען
ער זינגט און זינגט, ער איז שוין אויסגעברענט
. שעות דויערט ביז ס’הערט זיך 100פראצענט

מ’איז אבער נישט פערטיג, יעצט דארף מען קווייער
 ,שעות/וואכן אין סטודיאס’איז שווער און טייער
נאכדעם א מלאכה פון שניידן און פיקסן
 .דער מומחה טוט עס עדיט’ןאון דער גייט עס מיקסן

ווער רעדט נאך פון דעם דעקל, א גוטע דעזיינער
, ס’מיז זיין רייך פאר דעםדעקל ליינער
נאך די פאר יאר פון שווערע ארבעט און געלט
די נייע סידי אין געשעפט אריינגעשטעלט

די ווילסט עס נישט קויפן קיינער בעט נישט
אויב ווילסט עס יא, אויף גניבה טרעט נישט ,
פאר די מאכסט א קאפי טראכט א מינוט
  . ‘ס’נישט קייןתירוץ אז ‘יעדער טוט

ווי קען מען פון א קאפי הנאה האבן
ווען שווערע געלט און ארבעט ווערט מיט דעםבאגראבן
די שפארסט דיך טאקע אפאר נישטיקע סענט
.אבער די עבירה ברענט

“Well I used to be an entertainer
Everyone knew me
People ran into the stores
To pick up a Copy
of my latest cd
That is of course
Until the birth
Of mp3s”

Shut the lights
And curtains down
My work is diminished
Y’Copy paste a thousand times
Parnassah is finished
Not sure you get
What I’m tryin to say
So how’s about I turn
Around and put it this way

A lot of money goes into
The record labels
And I just wanna put
A little food on my table
And give the world what to sing about
But money talks and money walks
And I’m running out

The drum man
The base man
And Johnny Guitar
Don’t move a muscle
Feel the hustle
Get in the car
But the pedal won’t do a thing
F’The tank is empty
Pay them money so you can sing

Hey I know you wanna singalong with everyone else
But if you’re sharing music I’m losing all of mygelt
Hold up there sonny cause  heaven sees
Every little deed

I’m trusting you
Believe in you
Look out for another Jew
And you’re the man of the hour
The boss the king
Enabling
Me
To sing

Jewish Music Review – The First all Jewish Music News Site

Here is the official music video featuring the hit song “Halailah”, from the album “Baruch Hashem”, due to be released on Dec 11, 2011 Iy”h. Video Production By Yechiel (Mike) Lichtman of Lighthouse Productions. Written & Directed by AJ Greenwald. Yochi Briskman presents, Adar, with his debut album, Baruch Hashem. The CD features a tantalizing array of music in all genres: from Yiddish to Hebrew, from Chasidic to horas and including a breathtaking cantorial selection, Adar’s sweet voice shines in every genre. A relative newbie to the the world of Chasidic musc, Adar teamed up with many of the biggest talents in the business, in addition to some lesser known names, to create this strikingly unique album. 

Jewish Music Review – The First all Jewish Music News Site

“Rubashkin’s Game Plan” Portrays Both Injustice in Case and Resulting Unity Among Jews Worldwide

Brooklyn, NY – A new music video shows exclusive footage from Rubashkin’s Game Plan, the long awaited documentary film focusing both on the Rubashkin case and dual reaction of anger and solidarity from the Jewish community following the harsh sentence handed down in the case.

The song, titled Yedid Nefesh, features an original song composed by Danny Finkelman performed by Bentzi Marcus of 8th Day and Dovid Dachs. Yedid Nefesh features footage of the events that led up to the miscarriage of justice that is known as the Rubashkin case: Rubashkin’s first arrest on charges of violating immigration and child labor laws, the largest immigration raid ever conducted in the United States at the Postville, Iowa Agriprocessors plant and Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin’s second arrest on charges of financial fraud, resulting in an unusually harsh sentence of twenty seven years in prison.

The words “yedid nefesh” literally mean “a friend of the soul”, a description that literally defines Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, as he treated thousands of people he never even met as true friends, both in the way he conducted his business and his personal life. Yedid Nefesh focuses on the outrage, indignation and tremendous unity that has swept through the entire Jewish community in response to the case, which was perhaps, unknowingly, Sholom Rubashkin’s ultimate Game Plan.

You can download the full track for 99 cents at MostlyMusic.com

Jewish Music Report

Ohel is proud to present photos from the sold out, “The Music We Love” Annual Benefit Concert. All of the attached photos were taken by Ken Brown. The concert featured Lipa Schmeltzer, Yishai Lapidot, Benny Friedman, Shloime Gertner, 8th Day, Eli Schwebel, Rivie Schwebel, Shalsheles Junior, Eitan Katz, Shloime Dachs, & Michoel Pruzansky! Produced by Sheer Productions (Avram Zamist) & NYFF Events, with musical direction by Avremi G.  Read the full recap by Kol Isha over here.

Jewish Music Report