Re: Shira u'tfila in the "Forward"

[Sandra Layman <sandralayman...>]

Dear Joel,

Try this:
http://www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.01.24/news13.html

JANUARY 24, 2003
LETTER FROM BELGRADE
A Community Rises Up, And the Young Move Away
By REBECCA REICH

<
On a busy Saturday morning, the cool, stone synagogue with its bare interior
walls had a calm, unhurried air, as if - despite a half-century of
upheaval - tradition hadn't skipped a beat. Just a five-minute walk away,
waiters were wrestling with café umbrellas and Yugos were zipping past
Republic Square, leaving clouds of dust behind. But the attention of the two
dozen mostly middle-aged people who faithfully attend the Sabbath services
was focused directly ahead. Between the brass candlesticks, 26-year-old
Stefan Sabljic, the thin, fine-bearded cantor with large round glasses, was
spinning old Sephardic melodies from the Balkans like a muezzin calling his
congregation to prayer.
Playing the cantor is just one of Sabljic's roles. Much of what he knows he
learned from tapes, he said, as he checked his cell phone for messages
immediately after the service. Singing in the synagogue keeps him in
practice for his band, Shira u'Tfila (Song and Prayer), which sets Sephardic
melodies to Middle Eastern instrumentation. Sabljic would like to make it
big in Serbia but, with barely 3,300 Jews registered in nine tiny Jewish
communities, the country doesn't offer much of a market for his music.
Lately, he has been thinking about bringing his band to America.
>
[snip]


-- Sandra

----- Original Message -----
From: "Joel Bresler" <joel(dot)br (at) verizon(dot)net>
To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 10:09 AM
Subject: Shira u'tfila in the "Forward"


> Chevra:
>
> I'm told there was an article recently in the Forward on a Balkan group
> called Shira U'tfilah (spelling?) If anyone can provide info on the group
> or the article, I'd be grateful.
>
> Best,
>
> Joel
>
>
>
> Joel Bresler
> 250 E. Emerson Rd.
> Lexington, MA 02420 USA
>
> 781-862-4104 (Telephone & FAX)
> joel(dot)br (at) verizon(dot)net
>

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