Duelling harps (Was Re: kol isha]

[George Robinson <GRComm...>]

Do you mean harp, like angels, or harp like Sonny Boy Williamson? I
can't offhand recall a klezmer group that uses either. Am I missing
something here?

I must say, though, that it is interesting to note how few classical
harpists are men. Without getting too far off topic, does anyone have an
idea why that is? Or is that just my mistaken perception?

George

Reyzl Kalifowicz-Waletzky wrote:
> 
> I agree with what you say about modesty, but how is it that klezmer
> 
> >has not really made it in the Orthodox and Chasidic community.
> >It is only now beginning to attract attention. So an artist like Margot
> >is suffering under the double whammy of performing music not generally
> >used to any great extent, yet.
> 
> What do you think they play at Jewish weddings if not klezmer, which is
> Jewish wedding music.  Yes the repertoire is a bit different from what most
> stage performing klezmer bands play.  These like to play the repertoire
> from the old recordings
> or what the founding bands established as standard.  But if someone like
> Margot were to add to her repertoire some wedding standards, such as Od
> Yeshama when the bride and groom enter, Jewish nigunim, a few modern Hebrew
> songs, the line dancing repertoire, etc., she could play at those hasidic
> weddings.
> 
> > If she was interested in performing as
> >a side musician, all she needs to do is contact one of the big
> >commercial offices like Neginah or Neshoma, and while I am not sure
> >she would get much play there, for other reasons, she would be able to
> >get a truer test of the motivation not to use her.
> 
> Yes, it's those other reasons that you are not expressing.  Like make sure
> their stable of men make a nice living, while a woman shouldn't have to.  I
> don't think they would tell her the real reason either.  They are polite
> guys.
> 
> >Women are playing violin, harp, and keyboards on Orthodox bands,
> 
> Harp is a special instrument and it seems that it is highly populated with
> women musicians.  If you want a harp, your choices are more limited.  But
> Jewish women fiddlers and keyboard players in Orthodox bands?  Which bands
> have women musicians?  How often have you seen them?
> 
> I don't know I seem to answering all my mail as it comes today.
> 
> Reyzl
> 
> ----------
> From:  TROMBAEDU (at) aol(dot)com [SMTP:TROMBAEDU (at) aol(dot)com]
> Sent:  Wednesday, February 28, 2001 3:41 PM
> To:  World music from a Jewish slant
> Subject:  Re: kol isha
> 
> In a message dated 2/27/01 3:12:24 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> rlcm17 (at) hotmail(dot)com writes:
> 
> > The reason I would think Margot's posting is "a digression from kol
> > isha"-and bringing up relevant economic issues is *not* a halakhic
> > digression, by the way-is that kol isha applies (for better or for worse,
> > etc., etc.) to women's *voices* and hence to women *singers,* not-so far
> > as
> > I know-women instrumentalists like Margot.
> >
> >
> 
> At the risk of starting a new war here, I would point out that the reason
> for
> not having women in the band is that the idea of Women performers in public
> is considered objectifying, and therefore, not in keeping with traditional
> concepts of modesty.
> This appears to be less prevalent in Chasidic and Orthodox thinking today,
> as
> Orthodox people are more accustomed to seeing Women in roles that were not
> part of the social structure in Europe before the war.
> But Margot and others also have to realize that in general, Klezmer has not
> really made it in the Orthodox and Chasidic community. It is only now
> beginning to attract attention. So an artist like Margot is suffering under
> the double whammy of performing music not generally used to any great
> extent,
> yet. If she was interested in performing as a side musician, all she needs
> to
> do is contact one of the big commercial offices like Neginah or Neshoma,
> and
> while I am not sure she would get much play there, for other reasons, she
> would be able to get a truer test of the motivation not to use her. Women
> are
> playing violin, harp, and keyboards on Orthodox bands, although I have not
> yet seen woman horn players. I don't know why those instruments are seen as
> less problematic, but there it is. Personally, I would love to have Margot
> in
> the band, but she has to bring her sax and flute as well. Nowadays,
> Clarinet
> is still struggling to make a comeback.
> 
> Jordan
> 

-- 
George Robinson
Author, Essential Judaism
Please visit my website, "Essential Judaism and Beyond"
at www.GeorgeRobinson.freeservers.com

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