Re: Jewish music performance series

[Kame'a Media <media...>]

I am in solidarity with Lynn and Judith.  I sing with women.
They are integral to my music, not just "dressing".

Before selections from the "Transmigrations"  CD were to be played
on a certain Jewish music radio program, I was asked to designate
which songs did NOT have my (three female ) back-up singers on them.

Why? Because, the DJ (a perfectly nice guy) told me, the program in question
has an orthodox listenership. I know about <kol isha>, but I found it weird
that this custom was being  applied to radio transmissions, too!

Where is the threat of lapsing into sexual immorality through hearing
a song on the radio -- especially with the physical and visual element entirely
absent?

I've been listening to women sing my whole life and I can't recall that anyone
--
be it Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Janis Joplin or the Barry Sisters -- ever
compelled me to commit an indecent act because of hearing them sing.
Quite the opposite, actually.

Consequently, -- the three cuts played on the radio program that day were
all  "sadder" songs, that I  sing solo voce.

This affair served  me as a reminder of the legacy of generations of
repressed/repressive dysfunctional and sexist <shtetl> and ghetto neurotics who
influence (and control) us still.
You don't hear anything about women listening to men's voices and  being driven
to commit immoral acts; why is that?  S-e-x-i-s-m.

In the Jewish cultural world, one is either perceived as being "too Jewish" for
mainstream and academic audiences who want their <yidishkayt>-in-a-box, neatly
commodified
with just the right dosage of sentiment, nostalgia and carbon-copy 'tradition"
or, if you sing with women, you can be  perceived  as <khilul HaShem> and not
be seen as Jewish enough, -- "unclean", even.

And you wonder why the fiesty, free-thinking kids are going around with purple
hair, rings piercing their <pupiks, and
raging
           against
                       the
                             machine.

<gut shabes>

Wolf Krakowski

Kame'a Media
http://www./kamea.com

"Only the violence and durantion of your hardened dream
can resist the hideous, mechanical civilization that is your enemy".
-- Salvador Dali





Halsherm3 (at) aol(dot)com wrote:

> In a message dated 9/23/99 2:53:21 PM Eastern Daylight Time, elkahn (at) 
> JTSA(dot)EDU
> writes:
>
> << The one major drawback--and I believe it's a big one--is that I cannot at
>  this time invite solo women singers. Women instrumentalists are okay, but
>  in the Orthodox tradition, women vocalists are not. I'm not sure about
>  mixed choirs. These are not my personal beliefs, so I apologize to all the
>  female singers for this lack of opportunity. There's simply nothing I can
>  do about it. >>
>
> I found this statement to be so completely offensive. Substitute the word
> jewish for the word female and read it again. How do you feel?
>
> The reaction I had to this was purely from my gut. I realize that it wasn't
> meant to
> be offensive but it was all the same (IMHO).
>
> How do others feel?  Lynn
>



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