Matisyahu's Infected Mushrooms

Jim sent me this brand new remix of Matis' hit song One Day by Infected Mushroom. I love this song and prefer Matisyahu's original version, but it's nice to see that this song is becoming more and more popular. But my favorite song of Matis' new album is this one. And yours?

Benny Friedman's Interview

Live With Benny Friedman from COLlive.com on Vimeo.

Helfgot sings Sole Mio

Someone sent me this video, featuring Helfgot, Adler and Shachat singing Sole Mio. I prefer Helfgot singing Puccini, but this one is also good.

Dudu Fisher Sings Shalom for the Pope

This is a great and controversial video featuring Dudi, David Dror and a well-tuned girls choir.

The song starts with a real "elvish" feel thanks to the Jewish/Arab choir but it gets boring when the choir steps away in favor to Dror's mellow singing. It would be better with the choir the whole time.

The song sounds simple and complex at the same time with many long and suspended notes and lots of room for improvisation, and the choir filled in the gaps. Dudu, as always, did a superb job and brought a "broadway" feel to this concert. This is the first time I hear Dror and although he has great technique his singing gets boring rather quickly. But he had some impressive falsettos.

Enjoy!

Vehi Sheamda - Shwekey and Razel

I intended to post this video for a while already and now that we approach Pessach I think it's the right time.

This is one of the best songs of the past months, by a mile. Although Shwekey sings this in a duo, this song has Razel's blueprint all over it. It's a complex and touchy song, with a great arrangement and harmonies, and to me Shwekey is a little out of his "Yeshivish Song Zone" but I guess Razel knew this was the best way to make this song a hit. And he was succesful. I loved how he asks Shwekey to be silent when he sings the Niggum smoothly - that's something Shwekey just can't do and Razel knew it. That's a real musician, a real pro and I hope Razel continues to venture in the more mainstream JM.

Again, this proves to me that the non-Yeshivish artists are the ones producing some of the best music out there today. And the Yeshivish singers probably aknowldge it - Shwekey sang this one and Avraham Fried has a great hit song with an "outsider". I hope it keeps going like that!

Santur Video

The musician, Uri Revach, is actually an artist who happens to like unusual musical instruments. But he plays like a pro.

I'm not really sure what's the name of this instrument but he told me that it's a Biblical instrument. I think the right name is santur.

Although we've seen bag pipes, darbukas and other unusual instruments in recent Jewish Music albums, I just wish someone will use this instrument or an harp soon. It's so cool!

Rachem - Blues Version

Dreidel - Rap Version

This is a video from Erran Baron Cohen, the brother of Borat, who just released a new album of Hanukka songs.
There are previews of the songs in his website. I specially liked Maoz Tzur, which sounds like America's National Anthem in Cohen's version (Kol Isha). I never heard of him, so I found this NYMagazine interview very interesting.
(Hat tip to BlogInDm)

Boruch Levine and Ami Eller

Queens College concert last week.
Ami Eller is a young talent from Mo Kiss's Kol Noar Boys Choir. He was also the soloist in Shea Rubenstein's debut album, which I hope to review in the near future. (tks JoeFlix)

EXCLUSIVE #4: Carlebach Yartzeit Concert 2008 - Part 1

In addition to my three other exclusive videos(1, 2, 3), I put together this recording of the best moments of the Carlebach Concert which took place three days ago, Motze Shabbos, in Binyanei Hauma.

All in all, this concert was good. Not amazing, but it was good.
As many as 10 musicians played through the night and one thing became very clear - there were two groups.
The first is comprised by the Carlebach wannabes, who dress, speak, sing and wink like Carlebach. These guys were boring and even a bit pathetic since the last thing a musician should do is copy another one. By definition, if you copy someone you will be judged and eventually fall short of the original. And since the original person here is Reb Shlomo, it's even harder. Reb Shlomo had a very distinctive and dynamic personality, so the standard is really up there. The first few singers were from this group and I even felt like leaving the place.

The second group is comprised by singers who are inspired by Carlebach but still have their own vibe. Notable members are Shlomo Katz (amazing!), Chaim David and Aron Razel. Those guys rocked and gave me my money's worth.

The best moments of the concert were:
- The Havdala opening, sung by the Tzfat Carlebach Guy which I mentioned in an earlier post.
- Yehi Shalom, sung by the whole crowd in unison
- Shlomo Katz. This guy is really talented and although this is the first time I hear him live, he is will be huge. Already popular here in Israel, Katz (not to be confused with Eitan Katz, Yehuda Katz - so many Katzs..) is a great composer and performer. A pity he wasn't invited for the 8th Note :)
- And of course, the already famous Crazy Chassid Dancer.

Shema Yisrael - Church Version

I know I'm posting too many videos, but I couldn't let this one out.

In Portugal, children singing Shema Yisrael in a Baptist Church. If you're afraid this is a conspiracy against Jews since you can't understand the words of the Priest, it is not. He's actually saying a beautiful speech, praising the Jewish People and how the two religions must be tolerant with each other - that's why he taught them Shema Yisrael. Remarkable.

And even though I've lashed against boys choirs recently, this is actually the correct way of using child choirs - no out-of-range notes, just their pure voices without any screechiness. Perhaps we can learn a bit from them.

Selichos videos - Parts 2 and 3

"Kadish" and "Lechu Neranena":



"Haneshomo Loch":

EXCLUSIVE #3: Selichos with Naftali Hershtik and Eli Yaffe's Choir

This past Motze Shabbos The Jerusalem Great Synagogue held a special Selichos service that took over 2 hours, and the Shul was absolutely packed. Although I really hope this is not true, the rumor goes that Hershtik will be retiring after the High Holidays so this was no ordinary event. Hershtik is undisputedly one of the greatest Chazzanim the world has seen in the past three decades and although he hasn't become as popular as Helfgot, there's a lot to like about his voice. Experience, good nusach and pleasant voice timber are his biggest assets, not to mention his amazing falsettos.

In addition, Eli Yaffe did an amazing job directing the choir. He is second to none when it comes to vocal arrangements. Forget about the choirs you hear in Jewish Music albums - this is the real deal. The choir is pleasant, in tune and always surprising.

I will be posting more videos soon; in this one you can hear the opening song "Ashrei". There isn't anything out of this world in this clip, so those of you who think Chazzanus is boring will not be able to enjoy too much of it. But keep in mind that this is a Selichos service and as such it must be solemn and traditional, leaving little room for geshmack moves.

Announcements

* I will be posting less frequently until after Elul, as we get closer to the Yamim Noraim and all else.

* I originally planned to write a review on Yeedle's latest album and I even went to the music store in Geula to get it, but after a quick look in the album I lost my interest. Yeedle's album sounded too typical to me, but I can't judge just from a few minutes here and there. I will probably eventually change my mind and buy it anyways, since I did like his last album, so stay tuned. My good friend JoeFlix has posted a review on it, alongside with a piece on Yossi Mayer.

* Pruzanski, one of my favorite soloists, released a video version of his hit You're Watching Me. Credit goes to Gruntig, the best Jewish video blog.

For the Lipa Lovers

Where the Hell is Matt Video

This video is amazing (the first version has been around the web for a while but this final version was released just this week). I share with Matt the love for knowing new places but what really puzzled me here is his ability to unite people with just one premise - dance (in his own weird way). The idea is so similar, actually, identical to the Breslav movement you see so often in Israel (the dancing vans etc..), and man that really unites people. It has been said that Breslov was never as popular as they're now - you see their influence everywhere. From Adi Ran (wait for my next post about him) to the Jewish Tolkien, the excitement the Breslovers bring to Jewish life as a whole is remarkable. So what are you waiting for? DANCE!

[Here you can see footage that didn't make it to the final cut]

Exclusive #2: Meron in Lag Baomer

After the Israel Independence day celebrations, Meron was next in line in my Israel Experience year. I was in Meron last thursday for the Lag Baomer festivities and although I had heard a lot about it, I frankly didn't know exactly what to expect.

It turns out to be that Meron is one of those things in life no one can pass - it should be in the top of everyone's destination list.

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis, Americans, Europeans and even some gentile tourists head there with only backpacks and a lot of patience, only to fulfill Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai's request that his Yartzeit day should be a day of celebrations and not sadness. Meron is exactly that - it's a happiness fair. The Na Nachman guys are one of the most prevalent groups there and they have kiosks everywhere in the mountain, powered with blasting techno songs. The Chabadnikim are also there, with their iconic Mitzva Tank and there's food for everyone - Rashbi's Pizza, Rashbi's Shnitzel and some free meals served by Chessed organizations from here.

But the Toldos Aharon bonfire is what surprised me the most. Thousands of "Zebra" Chassidim, alongside with random visitors dancing around the fire singing Bar Yochai, made this day truly memorable to me - amazing energy, human warmth and inspiration.

As I said, I didn't know what to expect from Meron and I'm sure many of you haven't been there, so I tried to capture a little bit of that happened in that night, in a sequential order, so you can know what to expect before you get there. Enjoy!

EXCLUSIVE: Yishai Lapidot's Concert on Ben Yehuda celebrating Israel's 60th Independence Day

Last night I was on Ben Yehuda to check out the Independence Day celebrations as I was told a big concert would take place there.

Well, Ben Yehuda was absolutely packed and there was barely any room to move, but I managed to get a good view of the stage. Not more than half of the public was religious, so I was thinking who would be singing to such diverse crowd - Avraham Fried, MBD, Shwekey or Lipa would surely be booed. I was thinking Eyal Golan or Gad Elbaz. Wrong, wrong. My man Yishai Lapidot stormed in the stage and the crowd was instantly carried by his energy and charisma – you can see what I’m talking about in the video above. Everyone went wild and the result was the best concert I’ve ever been to.

Separate entrance? Separate seating? Nochum Segal as the MC? No, no and no. What the Gedolim have to say about this concert, which by the way took place on Yom Hatzmaut? I have no clue. All I know is that this concert was Jewish Music at its best, with songs that inspired people from the most diverse backgrounds to come together and sing songs like Ma’aminim, Moshiach and Am Israel Chai. Who else is able to do that? No one. Yishai Lapidot is the only artist in JM today who’s able to cross the partisan lines and sing for everyone. He is the John Mccain of Jewish Music (not an official endorsement).

A few Yishai Lapidot facts:
1) Reb Shlomo once said that Lapidot is a very talented composer and arranger.
2) He is a star – “There is no 'ctrl' button on Lapidot's computer. He is always in control.”
3) He doesn’t care about what you think – Yishai does what he thinks is right. Period.

Exagerations aside, Lapidot is a great composer, a star and he really doesn't care about what people think. And specifically #3 is what I admire most in him. I just hate the idea of all singers having to be same, being afraid to Chas Veshalom stick out from what’s "accepted".

Lapidot is an exception to the rule and that’s why he has the guts to sing on Israel’s 60th birthday, even if he is the only Chassidic JM singer to do that. Well done.

Click here to read a guest post on Lapidot’s latest album.

Israel's 60th Anniversary

For the first time I'm in Israel for Yom Hatzmaut and it has been a very unique experience.

Yesterday the country commemorated Yom Hazikaron, in memory of the fallen soldiers of the IDF. It's a really sad day since everyone here had friends in the army who are no longer with them. The TV and cable stations suspended all channels for the day and only documentaries of soldiers are allowed to be aired throughout the day.

Right after this sad day Israel celebrates its independence and I've linked this amazing video from the Jewish Agency because it really shows what this day is all about.

I will also post an exclusive video of Lapidot's concert of BenYehuda today.

Chabad Public School Principal

I don't usually post things that are not related to JM but I got this on my email and it's really amazing.