[HANASHIR:1947] MLJ: Spielberg's Betrayal

[Adrian A. Durlester <durleste...>]

Well, Messrs Spielberg, Geffen and Katzenberg have really blown it in my
eyes.

Part of the tie-on promotion for "The Prince of Egypt" were two extra CD's
in addition to the soundtrack. One, songs by contemporary country artists,
another, by contemporary Xtian artists-written as responses to or based on
themes of the movie.

Well, guess what: not one, single solitary contemporary Jewish
songwriter/performer was asked to participate or contribute.

That's outrageous! And deserves our complaints to Dreamworks SKG.

However, a beautiful irony. A reviewer for the Nashville Tennessean (both
CD's were produced and recorded in Nashville by Dreamworks recording
subsidiary) basically panned both CDs, stating that even the stellar
character of the performers could not overcome the banality of the songs
themselves.

Well, DUH! Perhaps a Jewish artist might have been able to write stirring
and meaningful music from their heart in response to a seminal story in the
Jewish faith!

I'm not promoting any particular artist or style either-I'd be happy to see
Debbie Friedman and Abie Rotenberg and Stephen Richards and Yehuda! and
Regesh all included. Even Adam Sandler might have done a better job!

Naturally, neither the Dreamworks SKG website nor the "Prince of Egypt"
website offer any way to contact or send messages to Dreamworks to express
feelings about this insult to the Jewish music community. But you can write
to their address:

Dreamworks SKG
100 Universal Plaza, Bungalow 477
Universal City, CA 91608

Adrian

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Adrian A. Durlester  -  durleste (at) home(dot)com
http://members.home.net/durleste/
Student, Vanderbilt University Divinity School
http://divinity.lib.vanderbilt.edu/vds/vds-home.htm
Music Director, Congregation Micah, Nashville, TN
http://www.micahnash.org/
Home phone (615) 646-9788
Nextel cel-phone (615) 207-2661
You can page me from http://www.nextel.com
List-Owner for hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org; Co-Owner for L-Torah (at) 
shamash(dot)org
http://uahc.org/hanashir
Editor, Bim Bam (for Torah Aura Productions)
http://www.torahaura.com/
Evening Program Chair, CAJE 23 - San Antonio TX, Aug 9-13, 1998
http://www.caje.org
Alternate Email: aad (at) iname(dot)com  adriand (at) aol(dot)com