Yosl Kurland, another person writing new Yiddish songs

[Ari Davidow <ari...>]

Going over notes from my Yiddish class, I suddenly realized
that in mentioning people writing and performing new Yiddish
songs that matter I neglected to mentioned Yosl Kurland, who
not only participates on this list, but whose "Redt Yidish"
(from "Yidn fun amol") was a big hit with the Yiddish class
when I introduced it a few weeks ago. Yosl's band, "Wholesale
Klezmer" have released several albums, including "Prayer for
a Broken World," which included both old and newly penned
Yiddish material. More important, the album brought together
Jewish music and storytelling and memory of the Holocaust
and succeeded in also making the connection with slaughters
(relief efforts directed towards Rwanda and Bosnia-Herzegovina
inspired the album in question) and intolerance in our time,
and our need, and ability, to act in our time.

In short, in looking for examples of music as more than 
entertainment, but as a call and symbol of our culture, and
as a call and enabler of cultural action (oh, and fun, I 
forgot the fun part), I goofed. 

But, at least my Yiddish class knows the words to "Redt Yidish." 

Apologies for the omission, Yosl (and band!), 

ari

Ari Davidow
The klezmer shack: http://www.well.com/user/ari/klez/
owner: jewish-music mailing list
e-mail: ari (at) ivritype(dot)com