Re: Chekroun

[Eliezer Kaplan <zelwel...>]

>this is a Hebrew text set to the famous tune of the late 19th century
Turkish song "Üsküdara"

That Uskudar tune sure does get around.
                                                    ek

----- Original Message -----
From: "Judith R Cohen" <judithc (at) YorkU(dot)CA>
To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Friday, February 08, 2002 3:34 PM
Subject: Chekroun


> hi, re the Alain Chkroun recording mentioned in today´s )yesterda´s_=
> JMD, here´s a review I wrote for the now defunct magazine ¨Neglish
> "Songlines" last year:
>
> > Alain Chekroun, a cantor descended from rabbis of the now-disappeared
> > Jewish community of Algeria, offers an agreeable performance of African
Jewish religious songs,
> > accompanied by Taoufik Bestandji and his ensemble.This Jewish-Moslem
collaboration
> > is an encouraging resumption of a long tradition.
> >
> > Chekroun's voice is appealingly clear, warm without being cloying:
> > no vocal pyrotechnics but characteristic, subtle ornamentation. The
circumcision song (#7)
> > is beautifully sung a capella; for the others, the instruments provide a
discreetly appropriate
> > accompaniment, never overpowering the singer. Altogether, the atmosphere
is that of sincerely rendered devotional songs.
> > Unfortunately, the notes are almost non-existent. We are told the tunes'
main functions, and that they are "traditional", except for one by Chekroun
and another by Bestandji, but not where in North Africa they are from. No
musicians are named except for Bestandji, neither are the instruemtns listed
(traditional Middle Eastern oud, kanun, violin, flute and percussion).
> > Though Magda's promotional blurb says the songs are in Hebrew, Arabic
and Ladino, this must be marketing fantasy; Hebrew is the only language
used.
> > The texts appear in Hebrew (Hebrew alphabet only) and their translations
and the letters of appreciation in French.  Magda's PR notes tout the music
as being "hundreds of years old",
> > which it is not, and as  "never  recorded before", an exaggeration;
there are several well-known traditional melodies. My own group, the
Moroccan Sephardic ensemble Gerineldo, recorded part of  "Eftah pi
be'rina"(#6), ("En Medio de Aquel Camino", Montreal 1994): this is a Hebrew
text set to the famous tune of the late 19th century Turkish song
"Üsküdara". The album text is printed over a decorative background design,
making it almost impossible to read.
> > While it is unfortunate that the information is totally inedaquate,
vaguely rhapsodical and often inaccurate, the recording itself provides a
consistently pleasant listening experience.
>
>
>

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