Re: New Jewish Music

[Susan Lerner <meydele...>]

At 08:08 AM 12/31/99 -0600, Eliezar Kaplan wrote:
  And aren't all labels (such as 'klezmer') in
>general some artificial attempt at categorizing something for the
>marketplace?
>                             EK


Well, that is not a minor concern,  especially if you are trying to make a 
(partial?) living from the sale of your recordings or to build and educate 
an audience.  Have you ever asked the average Tower Records salesperson 
where to find a "klezmer" or "New Jewish Music" recording?  Is it in World 
Music?  Under Europe?  Under Middle East?  In its own category?  Is that 
category called "Jewish" and and you find Brave Old World and Klezmer 
Conservatory Band mixed in with operatic recordings of Kol Nidrei and kids' 
holiday recordings, or is it called "klezmer" and it encompasses 
anthologies of "Yiddish Favorites" from Israel as well as Brave Old World, 
Klezmania and similar anthologies, and so forth? No such problem with Irish 
or Cajun music, 2 genres with a distinct marketing profile that include a 
lot of different styles and influences from other cultures.

I certainly don't have an easy answer - this is a very nuanced area, 
witness our endless, fascinating discussions on What Is Jewish Music - but 
I do lose patience with an unrealistic disdain for marketplace issues...

Shira Lerner 

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