Re: Israeli music (2 items)

[Ari Davidow <ari...>]

At 02:26 PM 6/7/2001 -0400, you wrote: 
>
> In a message dated 6/7/01 2:09:19 PM Eastern Daylight Time, ari (at) 
> ivritype(dot)com 
> writes: 
>
>
>>
>> Diaspora Yeshiva Band had no particular influence on Israeli music or 
>> culture (at least, none that I am aware of), nor were Israelis particularly 
>> aware of it--it was very much a band of and for Americans who came to 
>> Israel to study in Israeli Yeshivas. It would be like comparing Debbie 
>> Friedman and Bob Dylan. 
>
>
>
> There was some crossover, though, because for a couple of years, Diaspora did
>
> have songs in the Israeli Chassidic Song Festival, and I think maybe even a 
> winner or two. Israelis paying attention to more religious oriented music 
> would have known them for that. Also, they very frequently backed up Shlomo 
> Carlebach. They probably were not as well known in the more secular Israeli 
> music world. 



Oh, absolutely. They were certainly well-known in religious circles, just as
Debbie Friedman is well-known outside of the Reform movement. But that's not
the same as being a band that the average Israeli would be aware of.

DYB was certainly one of those "edges" that several people here have mentioned,
but I was never a big fan. I think they did represent a big influx of American
folk and rock traditions into Jewish religious music, but I was never that
impressed with the result. Pleased, sometimes, but of the albums we have lying
around, I think I've listened to one of them, once in the last 10 years, and
that was just to remind myself of what they sounded like when a couple former
bandmembers e-mailed me. At the time, there were recordings by Dveykus that
seemed much more interesting to me.

Of course, by the same token, I can't imagine pulling out Poogy albums--seeing
them in concert back in '73 was enough to move on :-).

To be more positive, albums/bands that have blown me away: the original Shlomo
Gronich/Mati Caspi collaboration, "Between the Sounds," (1972?) blew me away,
with music ranging from Bach to Mati Caspi's first compositions to what are now
Gronich standards, poems by Yehuda Amichai. It was an amazing statement of what
it was to be an Israeli at that time and place.

Tammuz, I've already mentioned. Although Chanoch was already famous for his
work with Arik Einstein, this was really the defining band, and the defining
time for him, I think, although there is lots of later work that I've enjoyed.

Ethnix--hearing a "techno-ish" version of "Hey Daroma" on their first album
really hooked me, although I am not hearing enough that is different or new on
recent albums to keep track, anymore.

Poliker--from the intensity and noise of "Ashes and Dust" to more recent work,
with lots of wonderful Greek and Middle Eastern stuff in between, he's one of
the few artists whose new albums I would buy without even hearing first.

Arik Einstein--I think that "Go Slow" was one of the defining albums of the
'70s, but these days, I don't know that I'd bother. I've already mentioned the
incredible Peter, Paul, and Mary-ish band, "High Windows" he did earlier in his
career.

Miki Gavrielov--a former Arik Einstein collaborator, Gavrielov has done nifty
stuff with Turkish/Israeli fusions.

Natural Gathering--I love their early work and loved them live. My favorite is
probably the early live album, "Waiting for Samson," but his recent
collaboration with David D'Or is wonderful. We saw them just a year or two ago.

Ofra Haza--I may have to break down and get her box set one day, if Simon still
has any, but it was her first album, the one with what sounded like garbage can
lid percussion, that blew my mind. If my memory is correct, she came from the
Hatikva Neighborhood Theatre Troupe, from Tel Aviv. I wish I still have =that=
album. They were one of the popular community theatre troupes that was inspired
(imo) by the early success of the Katamon Tet group in Jerusalem. 

We just got a care package with what we are told is "mainstream Israeli music
sure to appeal to middle-aged Americans". One album is the aforementioned David
D'Or, in a solo album that, so far, sounds pretty generic. Then there's Rami
Kleinstein, about whom I know nothing, and a Best of Rita collection. I think
I've heard her work before, but didn't listen carefully. We'll see.

But the edges of Israeli music today? Hmmm. Would love to know!

ari


Ari Davidow
ari (at) ivritype(dot)com
list owner, jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org
the klezmer shack: http://www.klezmershack.com/

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