Mail Archive sponsored by
Chazzanut Online
jewish-music
RE: Israeli Klezmer (was misirlou)
- From: Reyzl Kalifowicz-Waletzky <reyzl...>
- Subject: RE: Israeli Klezmer (was misirlou)
- Date: Fri 07 Jan 2000 19.45 (GMT)
You said that so well Simon!!!!!!
So how come you let me argue all by myself when you have the evidence of your
clients remarks right there?
>In their effort to "go where no band has gone before" they have taken
>all but a drop of the "yiddishkeit" out of the music.
So true.
>as if
>to validate his/her music as having a Jewish consciousness. Well, in my
>opinion, too many of these performances have a "Jewish Unconsciousness."
That's a gem, Simon.
I wrote another long piece on this topic last week but didn't send it off.
I held on to it because I felt I was talking to the wall.
>What these "pioneers" don't realize is that the Klezmer phenomenon is
> waning. I have said more than once, that the demand is getting smaller
> for this music because the consumer is being neglected or totally
> ignored when these recordings are being promoted as "Jewish." You can
> keep deluding the Jewish essence of the music only so far before it's
> lost it's "Jewishness" regardless of the fact that on the back of the
> recording it says "file under >Klezmer/Yiddish/Israel/World Beat".
Delusion is exactly right.
But now seriously, do you really think that klezmer is waning because
people are getting turned off by the latest flood of the fusioners?
This would be a serious matter.
Reyzl
----------
From: Klezcorner (at) aol(dot)com [SMTP:Klezcorner (at) aol(dot)com]
Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2000 9:53 PM
To: World music from a Jewish slant
Subject: Re: Israeli Klezmer (was misirlou)
In a message dated 1/6/0 2:19:59 PM, mjaffey2 (at) mum(dot)edu writes:
<<
Israeli klezmer, on the other hand....>>
Could you say a word about what Israeli klezmer is like? All that I know
about it is that I bought a cd called something like The Klezmer Violin,
featuring an Israeli violinist, that was a best seller at Tara and I was
disappointed - it had no Yiddish flavor whatsoever.
Mat >>
Only because you asked.
Generally speaking ALMOST all of the Israeli 'Klezmer" music I have been
offered is what I call "simcha" music. Many of the recordings feature a
clarinet or violin playing along with synthesized music. That is not to say
that there aren't any fine musicians that do perform "authentic" Klezmer
music. The demand for "European" Klezmer music in Israel is practically nil.
I've stayed out of the "What is Klezmer " debate, because we've gone round
and round on this just as we have on "What is Jewish Music."
Unfortunately, is no control as to which recordings can use the word
"Klezmer" or even "Jewish."
What I have observed, is that, almost every new musician who just HAPPENS to
be Jewish wants to use the "dreaded hyphen' ( "-Klezmer" or "-Jewish" ) as if
to validate his/her music as having a Jewish consciousness. Well, in my
opinion, too many of these performances have a "Jewish Unconsciousness."
In their effort to be "go where no band has gone before" they have taken all
but a drop of the "yiddishkeit" out of the music. What these "pioneers"
don't realize is that the Klezmer phenomenon is waning. I have said more than
once, that the demand is getting smaller for this music because the consumer
is being neglected or totally ignored when these recordings are being
promoted as "Jewish." You can keep deluding the Jewish essence of the music
only so far before it's lost it's "Jewishness" regardless of the fact that on
the back of the recording it says "file under Klezmer/Yiddish/Israel/World
Beat" .That alone should give you an idea where this music is going.
I still pride myself in having the largest selection of Klezmer music,
however sales of Ladino music at Hatikvah this year actually surpassed sales
of Klezmer which I predicted two years ago. There is a real strong demand for
"authentic" ethnic music of every sort, not just in the Jewish market.
Unfortunately, the Jewish market is so small by comparison to the general
music market, that we are in real danger of a backlash. I have many clients
who felt they have been "burnt" when buying Jewish recordings-not because the
recording was bad, but "BECAUSE IT'S NOT JEWISH!!!
Simon (said)
---------------------- jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org ---------------------+