Re: Sandler as Jewish Musician (was Julio Inglesias Jewish?)

[GAronoff <GAronoff...>]

I think Reyzl is right about Adam Sandler's song.  It (largely) fits the 
original definition of Jewish music from this thread in that it is music 
written by a Jew for a Jewish purpose or context.  In this example, it is to 
build the morale of young Jewish listeners at a difficult time (for some).  
While some may question if glorifying drugs and alcohol (a subtheme of the 
song) is that good for Jews, Sandler's song is saying that Jews can proclaim 
that they are Jewish and be "cool" at the same time.  

I see Radical Jewish Music in a similar light.  Some is clearly based on 
Jewish musical or textual themes (Krakauer) while others strike me as not 
being based on anything musically Jewish (Bachrach).  But Zorn, who could 
exist purely within the non-Jewish musical world, has chosen to make new 
"cool" music under a Jewish tag for a largely Jewish audience who I assume 
are looking for a way of identifying and through concerts and CDs 
"practicing" something Jewish.  

My hope is that Jewish (and non-Jewish) listeners will graduate from 
Sandler's song to richer Jewish or Jewishly identified music like the Zorn 
material and also experiment with cantorial, klez and all of the rest that 
Jewish music has to offer.  This I believe is more likely because of 
Sandler's song than it would have been if they only listened to "Jewish" 
outsider music like the Ramones or even Dylan.

Gideon

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