Manya Bernbaum paper

Popular Israeli Music

“Israeli music is one of the most amazing things we have in Israel – and people in Israel love music. Our music style is very unique because it is full of combinations –for example, one of my favourite artists came from Greece to Israel and his music is a combination of Greek and Israeli styles. There have been so many different influences on Israeli Rock and Pop that make it unique and there are many mainstreams of music in Israel. “ Ohad Eliyahu, an Israeli of Iraqi descent who recently moved to Edmonton.

What features define popular music as “Israeli”?

GENERALLY: WHAT IS ISRAELI MUSIC?:

-The music of Israel = a combination of Jewish and non-Jewish music traditions that have come together over the course of the past century to create a distinctive musical culture

-Jewish immigrants from Europe, Asia, the Middle East and elsewhere brought to Israel their musical traditions, melding them with the musical history that already existed of the people from that land.

-Languages : Hebrew or Arabic ( the official languages of Israel)

INFLUENCES that shaped what Israeli music is today (not limited to only these, but the main ones) :

-Russian influence before 1935 – many Zionist Russian immigrants: Russian folk tunes with translated or new lyrics in Hebrew. These Russian-style tunes are generally in a minor key, and often accompanied by accordion, or by guitar imitating the sound of the balalaika

-Eastern European Klezmer influence: early 20th century. Hasidic (orthodox Jewish) / Klezmer melodies found their way into Israeli music. Lyrics translated from Yiddish into Hebrew. Large surge of immigrants from Eastern Europe after World War II.

-Western Classical music influence – also occurred mainly after German, French and British Jews immigrated to Israel after 1948

- Mainstream Rock and Pop music influence from UK and USA. 1960s ex: Kaveret - “ the Jewish Beatles” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYSYBkE3zgQ&feature=related

- Mizrahi music: -Israeli Immigrant communities from Arab countries such as Morocco, Yemen, Iraq, Egypt brought musical traditions from their countries -Mizrahi music became increasingly popular starting in the 1960s. Initially (after 1948) it was considered as lower class music and opposing the new Israeli style of the Eastern European immigrants. It met some hostility with the mainstream European culture of Israel in the 50s, but is now a major force in Israeli music and culture. -influenced Israeli pop and rock greatly ex: Zohar Argov : a Yemenite singer

-Muzika Mizrahit combines eastern and western elements: the ensemble includes Middle Eastern instruments, such as the oud, the kanun, the Arabic violin, the darbouka and the Greek bouzouki, alongside electric and acoustic guitars, pianos and other western instruments and uses Arab ornamentation and maqamat.

- Influence of Israeli Arabs, who did not leave Israel in 1948

-Other influences: Greek, Latin American, Ethiopian

Popular Israeli Music:

Here's a Facebook survey of Popular Israeli music from September 2010

Ofra Haza : #1 on these charts for 8 weeks Yerushalayim Shel Zahav ( English: Jerusalem of Gold ) was written in 1967 by Naomi Shemer. It describes the Jewish people's 2000 year longing to return to Jerusalem, and after the 6 day war in 1967, Jerusalem was finally reunited under Israeli control. Ofra Haza sang this version at a concert in 1948 marking Israel's 50th birthday.

Idan Raichel's project # 2 for four weeks This other popular song by Idan Raichel is very good too The Idan Raichel project is a successful pop/ethnic group formed in the 2000s, it merges Ethiopian and Western music. Raichel collaborated with Ethiopian Jewish immigrants to produce a unique sound, combining Electronic music sounds, classic piano, electric guitar, traditional drums and Ethiopian-style singing, with its complex quartertone scales and rhythms. The songs are sung in a combination of Hebrew and Amharic (Semitic language from northern Ethiopia). This band really created their own style.

here are the Facebook survey results from November

-A new number one song: Ninet Tayeb, born October 21, 1983, in Kiryat Gat, Israel. She is an Israeli-pop rock singer and actress who came to fame as the first winner of Kochav Nolad (the Israeli version of American Idol).

Is Israeli popular music the same as Jewish popular music? What features make music “Jewish”?

Jewish popular music includes music written or performed by Jews who live in the diaspora and in Israel, whereas Israeli popular music is music written or performed by an Israeli, who could be a Jew, a Muslim, a Christian, or of other religious affiliation (or non-religious).

A few examples of popular Jewish Music:

Matisyahu Matisyahu is an American Hasidic Jewish Reggae Musician. This song is about never forgetting one's roots, and about the roots of the Jewish people- how even before they had their own country, Israel and Jerusalem were in their hearts. The second verse says that even after the Holocaust, with the horrible things that happened, you must stay true to who you are. The message is a universal one, not only a Jewish message. Lots of his other songs convey political messages about peace between all peoples (and especially between Jews and Arabs)

This Jewish song is about the Jewish holiday of Chanukah!

A comparison of well-known Israeli popular musicians representing different styles: “eastern” vs. “western” influenced artists

1. OFRA HAZA

- born in 1957, she was the youngest of 9 children, her parents were from Yemen and they lived in a poor neighbourhood in Tel-Aviv. She had a childhood filled with music and singing and a passion for traditional Yemenite songs, picked up from her mother.

- She was discovered at 12 years old for her exceptional singing talent in musical theatre

- At 19 years old, she was Israel's first "pop princess", aka "The Madonna of the East" - she had a mezzo-soprano voice of near-flawless tonal quality

- 1980 - first album - many radio hits. Her big single was Shir Ha-frecha : At first, radio stations across the country refused to play the song due to its explicit lyrics but it quickly climbed the charts and reached #1, where it stayed for five consecutive weeks.

-1983 - she came in second at the Eurovision Song contest with her song Chai (Alive)

-1985-1987 she released three albums of renditions of well known Israeli Folk songs

-December 1984 - the turning point of her career - she released a collection of Yemenite songs. here is an example of one

Im Nin'Alu - this song got her international recognition It was released in 1988. (was also remixed and sampled as dance music)

Zionist folk songs in 1920 were westernized versions of Yemenite songs: Zionists thought Yemenite Jews were the link to their biblical roots – because there was a Jewish community in Yemen living in seclusion for almost 1300 years.

-fused elements of Eastern and Western instrumentization

- she died in 2000 at age 42 of AIDS related organ failure.

2. CHAVA ALBERTSTEIN

- born in Poland and moved to Israel with her family in 1950 when she was 3 years old

- at 17, she played at a nightclub in Jaffa, it was broadcast on the radio, and she got signed to a record contract

- She joined the army in 1965 and rose to stardom by entertaining the troops.

-has recorded in Hebrew, Yiddish, and English. She writes, composes, and performs her own songs.

- most important female folk singer in Israel's history

-activist for human rights, Arab-Israel unity. ( In Had Gadya, she criticized Israel's policy towards the Palestinians and her song was banned for Israel State radio in 1989.)