A Jewish Odyssey

Amazon.com
The diversity of modern Jewish music is a result of centuries of hard traveling and cultural interaction. The secular and religious sounds of the Diaspora now embrace everything from European memories to the Latin experience to folk and modern pop styles from the Middle East. For example, the jazzy pathos of klezmer music reflects shtetl (village) life in Russia and Poland during the early 20th century, while the Arabic-tinged Sephardic repertoire dates from medieval times and then back to Sinai. This thoughtfully assembled sampler covers the major roots and branches plus some bonus oddities. Among the stand-outs are Israeli folk singer Chava Alberstein singing with The Klezmatics, a love song from the late Yemenite chanteuse Ofra Haza, and pianist Uri Caine's avant-garde treatment of a 13th-century Moroccan text. The American ex-hippie Uzca, who sings in an imaginary language, is in a class of his own. --Christina Roden

Tracks:

Di Goldene Pave - The Klezmatics
Rad Halaila - The Burning Bush
Fel Shara - KlezRoym
Shabbat Medley - Zohar
Rachamim - Ofra Haza
Kona Hora - Uzca
Meron Nign - THE KLEZMER CONSERVATORY BAND
Ija Mia Mi Kerida - Janet Esim
Las Estreyas - Consuelo Luz
Dancing On Water - Finjan
Shalom Aleichem - Fortuna

Amazon.com

The diversity of modern Jewish music is a result of centuries of hard traveling and cultural interaction. The secular and religious sounds of the Diaspora now embrace everything from European memories to the Latin experience to folk and modern pop styles from the Middle East. For example, the jazzy pathos of klezmer music reflects shtetl (village) life in Russia and Poland during the early 20th century, while the Arabic-tinged Sephardic repertoire dates from medieval times and then back to Sinai. This thoughtfully assembled sampler covers the major roots and branches plus some bonus oddities. Among the stand-outs are Israeli folk singer Chava Alberstein singing with The Klezmatics, a love song from the late Yemenite chanteuse Ofra Haza, and pianist Uri Caine's avant-garde treatment of a 13th-century Moroccan text. The American ex-hippie Uzca, who sings in an imaginary language, is in a class of his own. --Christina Roden

Customer Reviews:

Tradition!.......2006-06-15

This album is hardly all-the- klezmer-all-the-time.There's a great deal of variety.Zohar does a jazzy "Shabbat Medley";the late Ofra Haza has the beautiful,passionate "Rachamim." Uzca's "Kona Hora" is in a made-up language,but who's translating?Does it matter?Consuelo Luz from Santa Fe sings a wonderful love song;Fortuna from Brazil,in her song,demonstrates that yes,Jews still have Messianic hope.She sings of the "king of kings/blessed be he." This song disproves the common Christian misconception that most Jews see the Messiah as a metaphor rather than a person.

This is a strong album.

Sidenote:The synagogue in my area is quite large,and most of its members used to be Christian.

Bland.......2006-02-11

I wish I had liked this CD more, but I'm afraid that overall I found it boring. I think part of the problem is the decision to show how all the various artists from all over the world shared a common tradition. I think the CD would probably have interested me more if it had showcased the differences between them rather than the similarities, because after a while it all started to sound alike. Perhaps orthodoxy extends to music too. The artists seemed to be following orthodox tempos, orthodox rhythms, orthodox intervals and progressions. I found all the selections tasteful and subdued. I've now listened to it four or five times, but I don't think I'm ever going to warm up to it.

Spiritually uplifting!.......2004-04-12

I make sure to listen to this CD at least once a week -- it helps to keep my spirits up in this crazy world. Every single friend for whom I have played "A Jewish Odyssey" has immediately purchased it! You don't have to be Jewish to love this eclectic and stirring collection of music from around the globe.

Get Your Feet Moving!!!.......2003-03-17

You don't have to understand Yiddish to appreciate this collection of Jewish music from around the world. As some of the literature suggests, while Jewish music is extremely varied and clear boundaries can be difficult to define, there are three main categories. "Ashkenazi" includes European styles such as klezmer; "Sephardic" is primarily the music of Jews from the Mediterranean including Spain, Portugal, North Africa, Greece, and Turkey; "Mizrahi" is the music of Jewish communities which were based for thousands of years in Arabic countries, and of course, there is also Israeli popular music, which incorporates all of these styles as well as Western pop and folk music.

This CD has many of these styles, and you will hear selections from Israel/USA, United Kingdom, Italy, Turkey, Chile/Cuba, Canada, and Brazil, to just mention a few.

I love this album, and it gets my feet thumping, and I want to dance, dance, and dance. There are also the quieter melodies, albeit somewhat melancholic, but ranging from intensity to intensity.

A wonderful collection. Now if I can only learn the language.

A wonderful collection.......2001-08-08

I am not Jewish, but you don't have to be to enjoy these songs. This album happens to be one of my favourites of the Putumayo releases. A couple of the songs were instantly familiar to me even though I thought I knew none of the songs when I bought this album. Each and every song on here is wonderful...some are traditional folk songs while others are newer compositions. The 23 page booklet includes a 3 page history of Jewish music, and each artist has a page about them, including a photograph. I highly recommend this album to just about everyone. My husband is Arabic and he too loves these songs. Music truly is borderless.

Rock Music:

Rock Music

rock music

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