Re: Tsena, Tsena

[Ari Davidow <ari...>]

>By the way, Sue L. mentioned that the Smothers Brothers recorded Tsena 
>Tsena under the title "Swiss Christmas".  While I haven't heard that 
>recording, I do know that the Smothers Brothers sometimes introduced 
>Jewish songs as being something else in order to get a laugh when the 
>music started and the audience recognized the music (such as saying that 
>they were going to play the Mexican Hat Dance, then playing Hava Nagilah 
>with a few "Oles" thrown in.)  I suspect that recording Tsena Tsena as 
>"Swiss Christmas" was another version of the same joke.


This is true, although "Swiss Christmas" gets rather involved before the 
music is sung. It's one of my favorite Smothers Brothers routines. Sadly, 
it is not on their "Greatest Hits" album. I don't know if it is available 
on CD.

ari


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