RE: Israeli Klezmer

[Dick Rosenberg <drosenberg...>]

Moshe also recorded a CD under the name Sulam. I heard it somewhere
(Sunday Simcha, Shalom America?) and got Simon's last copy. It consists
of violin, clarinet, flute, piano and percussion. Although the piano
player is credited with playing piano and keys on the notes I didn't
notice anything "electronic" or "electric" about the recording, so I am
not sure if it is one of the ones that Moshe is talking about.

All of this aside, "Sulam" is an absolutely gorgeous recording. He uses
the flute startingly effectively, in combination with both the violin
and his incredibly gutsy clarinet (sounds like a C clarinet to me but I
could be wrong). It is at the same time both soulful and stirring and
filled with wonderful "Yiddishkeit".

There is an intimation in the liner notes that Moshe's music is frowned
upon or discouraged by the Israeli government (or departments thereof).
This is a shame given what I consider the state of Israeli music today
(which has been discussed at length in this forum).

Moshe Berlin is a fine Klezmer musician and deserves a lot more
recognition than he is evidently getting. I can heartily recommend
"Sulam". It won't rock your socks off, but it will definitely stir your
soul.

Dick
>-----Original Message-----
>From:  Berlin Moshe [SMTP:berlim (at) mail(dot)biu(dot)ac(dot)il]
>Sent:  Monday, January 10, 2000 5:18 AM
>To:    World music from a Jewish slant
>Subject:       Re: Israeli Klezmer
>
>Shalom,
>
>    As my name was mentioned here, I want to say that all what Josh wrote is
>true. I have my own explanation to the very difference in definition of
>"klezmer" here and aboard, and when the day come I'll send it to the list
>(My English is not a mother tongue , so I am "Kvad Pe ukhvad Lashon"). I
>want to point only these:
>
>    In my opinion (and according to my feeling) I am a klezmer "Net". All
>what I play is klezmer and nothing else. I am exposed to many musical stuff
>and I play it in a klezmer mind.
>
>    I have recorded two Cds on Charlebach music (48 nigunim) subtitled
>"klezmers playing Charlebach" and B"H it sells good. Tara didn't put it in
>the klezmer section of their catalog, but under "instrumental music". Why?
>because it is not from the classical-east-european repertoire. Also it was
>not put in the "Carlebach" section of the catalog, because it is not vocal.
>The absurd  is that while it is real klezmer music touching the music or R'
>Shlomo, there is no opportunity to the widely klezmer audiophile to hear it.
>
>    Once I send to Simon (Hatikva)  another 2 CDs of klezmer music (My
>style), but he was not interested in distributing them because I was using
>electrical instruments and not acoustic one. So another klezmer music was
>prevented from the American audiophile.
>
>    I think that whether you like if or not, try to listen to the voices
>from Israel and decide by yourselves what you like or not and what fits to
>your definition of klezmer and maybe it will help to change slightly that
>definition.
>
>Moshe (Moussa) berlin
>
>Joshua Horowitz wrote:
>
>> For a long time, I've wanted to say how unfathomable it is that Moussa
>> Berlin (speaking of Israeli klezmer) hasn't been considered one of the
>> seminal figures of the klezmer revival. Back in the 60's Moussa was
>> playing off of Brandwein and Tarras 78's before the term or methods of
>> the revival had even been conceived. He's almost single-handedly
>> replenished the Israeli scene with a true eastern European repertoire,
>> been the main source for the Tarras cult that developed among the
>> Hasidim in the past 10 years there and has never given up playing
>> functionally. He's a veritable lexicon of Hasidic tunes, not to mention
>> a really nice guy. Every once in awhile he writes into this list, but
>> whenever that's happened, it seems no one's really paid much attention.
>> True there is a lot of Israeli shlock out there, and there aren't any
>> complete bands that catch my fancy, but in a few corners there lurk some
>> pretty unbelievable oytsres... Josh Horowitz
>>
>> > << Israeli klezmer, on the other hand....
>> >  >>
>> >
>> > except for a handful or artists...Israeli Klezmer is not "klezmer"
>>
>
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