Re: Popular Chassidic Music

[Rachel Heckert <heckertkrs...>]

> That Klezmer would begin to fall out of favor after WWII makes sense in
light
> of the growing Americanization of Jewish life. This Americanization,
like all
> other trends, hit the Frum community about ten to fifteen years later
than the
> non observant community. So instead of Rhumbas and Cha Chas, the main
musical
> change was the injection of American Rock and Roll and later Disco into
the
> performance of Jewish music.

As best I can figure out, klezmer went out of style in the Orthodox
community partly because it was associated with non-Orthodox musicians
and partly because authentic Chassidic music was one of the factors in
the reconstitution of Frum/chassidic life in Williamsburg after WWII.  I
know quite a few people who grew up there during that period, and learned
their Modzitzer nigunim at a Modzitzer tisch.  I think that what
originally happened was that some of the younger American-born
instrumentalists picked up American styles partly from musical ignorance
and partly from a desire to be popular (for example, the Messengers).  

However, the rock invasion, according to an article in the Jewish
Observer, January 1997, (Agudah right wing Orthodox) by David Shapiro (a
Brelsover Chasid and, I think, a baal tshuvah), titled, "Who Took the
Jewish Out of Jewish Music?"  According to him it occurred as the result
of a deliberate decision by certain artists to use it as a vehicle to get
popular and make more money.  There are now loud and frequent calls
within the Frum/Chassidic community to get rid of "tamei" rock and roll
songs and styles, and the solo dancing at chasenehs is also coming in for
criticism, since it is growing closer to some of the wilder and/or
suggestive styles current in secular culture.  There is now a popular
movement aborning to get back to authentic Jewish music, and in some
cases this does seem to be klezmer.  Shopping in the local kosher
grocery, which plays popular tapes on the muzak, I heard a very good
klezmer style clarinetist, and was told that this is a newly popular
musician.  I have been advocating klezmer for years, but younger people
didn't know what it is and the older seemed indifferent.  

One of the major factors keeping klezmer recordings out of the frum
environment is the use of women vocalists, since men are not allowed to
listen to an unrelated woman singing.  This is against the normative
Jewish halacha in the frum world, and a tape with women vocalists would
be virtually unsaleable unless specifically targeted for women.  (Some
are - and sell quite well.)  The lyrics of the songs would also have to
be reviewed to make sure that they don't offend frum religious
sensibilities.  For instance, Country Yossi's remake of "A boy named Sue"
is considered offensive not so much because of the music but because it
portrays a physical fight between a man and his father, and it is a major
crime to strike a parent - or even to be disrespectful to him or her. 
With these things in mind, it might be quite possible to record klezmer
cassettes that would do well in the frum community, especially if the
band takes care to present a compatible or at least  parve image in its
marketing.

Anybody want to make a try at it?  I'll serve as cultural consultant for
free  - or at the price of a little instruction on playing klezmer flute.
 :-)  I'll also see about canvassing the local scene and see if anything
is already out there.

Rochel Sara

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