Re: What Makes Music Jewish

[Ari Davidow <ari...>]

>>I am Jewish. I make music. That music is Jewish. Period. End of discussion.
>>
>>I am Jewish. Music others create touches my Jewish soul. That music is
>>Jewish. Period. End of discussion

This is fine on a personal level, but it doesn't answer the
question of what other people would identify as Jewish music:
What rhythms, melodies, whatever.

It's complicated by the fact that there are many jewish musics,
and by the fact that there is on such thing as "pure" music.
Klezmer, cantorial, Judesmo and Yiddish folk, all borrow from
the melodies of the world around them (and continue to evolve
today, I would contend), but somehow, we usually (but not
always) know when we are hearing one of the other.

Of course, once you get to the popular, what I would call
"white bread" performers such as Debbie Friedman or others,
there isn't much to differentiate the music other than 
context and words.

ari


Ari Davidow
ari (at) ivritype(dot)com
http://www.ivritype.com/