Re: Popular Chassidic Music

[TROMBAEDU <TROMBAEDU...>]

In a message dated 12/23/98 7:31:58 AM Eastern Standard Time,
heckertkrs (at) juno(dot)com writes:

<< 
 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
 
  >>

Rochel Sara, 

There are a number of points in your post that need addressing. 
First of all, Jewish wedding music has always been played primarily by non
religious or non Jewish musicians. Until the early 70's, there were very few
bands run by Orthodox musicians. I reiterate what I said in my original post.
Orthodox Jews were no different than their non- Orthodox brethren in their
rejection of European culture. It just happened a little more slowly. That is
why even when playing Chasidic Music, the Klezmer style prevailed, until the
late seventies, when musicians like Paul Pincus, Howie Leese, Danny
Rubinstein, et al, who were the backbone of the Chasidic wedding music scene,
began to be influenced by younger compatriots and eventually outnumbered, by
the likes of Marty Laskin, Joel Chernet, and others who were primarily
saxophone players. (Although Joel is quite an accomplished Klezmer Clarinetist
as well) That is one of themain adjustments made to the Wedding Band sound. 
As far as David Schapiro's article is concerned, his point is only half
correct. It is true that popular artists such as Dedi, Mordechai Ben David,
and Avraham Fried continue to make rock and Disco oriented music out of a
desire to make money selling more recordings. That is a reasonable choice on
their parts. That does not explain why those records would be popular. The
sociological, generational, and practical changes that have taken place in the
Jewish community, some of which I discussed above, are at the root of that
popularity. And as you and I have both noted, there is room for hope that the
trend seems to be moving in the other direction now as well. 
As far as your last point, I would tell you that I am an Orthodox musician,
active in the Chasidic and Klezmer fields, and am currently involved with a
project which has performed for both Orthodox and Non- Orthodox audiences.
The group with which I am involved, The Kleztrophobix, has already performed
at The Homowack
Hotel, a Shomer Shabbat Resort, and will be appearing in concert with Ben Zion
Miller on January 17th, 1999, at Ramapo High School in Monsey. We have
performed for Jews from all backgrounds succesfully, but have received a very
positive response from the Orthodox community, which has been very gratifying.
I would love to talk further with anyone interested in performing Klezmer
music, for anybody, with anybody.

Jordan