Monthly Archives: March 2020

Cantor İsak Maçoro – Avinu Malkenu

27 March 2020 – Shabbat is almost here

Enjoy with İsak Maçoro, Sephardic cantor, born in 1918, in Hasköy, a quarter in Beyoğlu, in the European side of Istambul, where many Portuguese and Spanish Jewish settled from the end of XV century. Let’s listen his rendition of Avinu Malkenu.

I know this is not the time to pray with Avinu Malkenu. We are not in the Yamim Noraim, but I feel the message is perfectly suitable for our current situation. If you read this at some moment of the future, today we are finishing the second week of confinement in Spain because of the crisis of Covid-19. Most of the world is suffering this threat, that is costing many lifes and changed our everydayness overnight.

I got to know Cantor İsak Maçoro at the Youtube some years ago, searching for Sephardic piyyutim. The picture of him and a short bio can be found in the website eSefarad. And in the channel of Youtube of Janet & Jak Esim, of which I talked in the previous Music Before Shabbat, there are many more videos of him. You can even see him singing live.

For this occasion I have chosen this recording from 1960, from the Youtune channel of Ozkan Sagliksunar.

Clic the picture to enjoy the recording of Isak Maçoro:

I hope you’ll like it and, if so, feel free to share it and invite your friends to join us.
It is as symple as sending this link to sign up.

Shabbat Shalom.

Araceli Tzigane | Mapamundi Música

And we share with you one hour of music for joy in this playlist.
To know more about our artists, click here.

May you always find the light in your path.

Jako el Muzikante – Gulaza – Janusz Prusinowski Kompania Jewish Memory

Bienvenida Aguado – La mujer de Terah

20 March 2020 – Shabbat is almost here

Enjoy with the emblematic Sephardic singer Bienvenida “Berta” Aguado, born in Çanakkale, Turkey, in 1929, settled in Israel from 1979 and passed away in 2016.

Let’s face this terrible time we are suffering in most of the world with the most sublime beauty. She is one of my favourite singers of any time. She is inimitable and unforgettable and her singing is absolutely unique.

Thanks to the works by Susana Weich-Shahak there are many recordings of Bienvenida, an unbelievable singer, who made enchanting intrincate filigrees with her voice, that you could almost don’t believe, in an old Ottoman style.

For this occasion I have chosen La Mujer de Terah, Terah’s Wife, about the prenancy of Abraham’s mother and about his birth and some events in his life. This video is part of the collection of Jak Essim, who is a singer settled in Istambul and works with his wife Janet. You can also find more info about this song in this link about an album with works by Susana Weich-Shahak.

Clic the picture to enjoy the recording of La Mujer de Terah:

Shabbat Shalom.

Araceli Tzigane | Mapamundi Música

And we share with you one hour of music for joy in this playlist.
To know more about our artists, click here.

May you always find the light in your path. 

Jako el Muzikante – Gulaza – Janusz Prusinowski Kompania Jewish Memory

Chazzan Moshe Bazian – Rachamono D’onay

13 March 2020 – Shabbat is almost here

Enjoy with the outstanding Chazzan Moshe Bazian, born in Chișinău, current capital city of Moldova (region of Bessarabia), in 1925, and settled in USA in 1949.

The first time I listened a chazzan was he, more than 20 years ago. I don’t remember how did that happen. Maybe a compilation of world music? Maybe in one of those P2P programs in which other users could send you music? The true is that I don’t remember but, in the opossite, I never forgot this piece and this voice, the amazing micro melismata, the dynamics, and all of this, serving a message that I was able only to imagine. Even today I don’t know what does Rachamono D’onay mean (any kind soul could explain it to me?).

I felt like looking back to that time… The whole world is in the biggest crisis I’ve seen in my life. In my country it is quite likely that, from tomorrow, we won’t be even allowed to go out to the street. Nevertheless, the standards of life and security of nowadays are much better than in Moshe Bazian’s time. We all are going to suffer but we will recover, you know. In the meantime… 

…clic the picture to enjoy the recording Rachamono D’onay and let yourself go in the spell of his voice:

I hope you’ll like it and, if so, feel free to share it and invite your friends to join us.
It is as symple as sending this email with… …. this button to sign up

Shabbat Shalom.

Araceli Tzigane | Mapamundi Música

And we share with you one hour of music for joy in this playlist.
To know more about our artists, click here.

 

Kolberg po żydowsku

6 March 2020 – Shabbat is almost here

Enjoy with Polish Jewish music from the work Kolberg po żydowsku, by Foundation Muzyka Odnaleziona, after research by Andrzej Bieńkowski. 

Some Music Before Shabbats ago (specifically in this one) I mentioned the album Kolberg po żydowsku, that collects the recordings made by Andrzej Bieńkowski from old musicians who learnt the pieces from Jewish neighbourgs, played in Jewish weddings or listened Jewish bands in their youth. The oldest recording is from 1986.

I have chosen the wild piece that opens the album: Taniec żydowski. This piece was recording in 1992 in the village of Jasionowo, that belongs to Powiat Suwalski (Northeast of Poland, near the border with Lithuania. The musicians are Franciszek Racis (born in 1922), first violin, Sylwester Jaśkiewicz, second violin, and Zbigniew Racis in the bębenek drum.

Click the picture to listen the piece:

This album has been a present from Janusz Prusinowski, to who I am very grateful, who participates in the album too, in the second part, where a younger generation of musicians play pieces known as Jewish, learnt from their masters.

Shabbat Shalom.

Araceli Tzigane | Mapamundi Música

And we share with you one hour of music for joy in this playlist.
To know more about our artists, click here.

Jako el Muzikante – letter from Hadrianopolis

28 February 2020 – Shabbat is almost here

Enjoy with Sephardic music from Hadrianopolis, by Jako el Muzikante

Xurxo, the real name of the artist that incarnates the character of Jako el Muzikante, explained to me that this song was written by a poet from Hadrianopolis (Enderne in Ladino, Edirne in Turkish) about who it was rumored that was dead.

The responsible of that rumour was Hayim, another man, mentioned in the song. The poet answered with this humour and grace to announce that he was alive. I have translated the lyrics into English. Enjoy!

CLIC THE PICTURE TO WATCH THE VIDEO
Esta letra vos eskrivo:
I write this letter to you,
to tell you that I am alive
and to prove that I am healthy
I write to you with my hand.

 

Thanks to God,
my health got strong,
ah, it became so good
that I make hold in the floor where I step.Hayim, my dear,
I always try to give you joy.
I would never leave
without your permission.

I hope you’ll like it and, if so, feel free to share it and invite your friends to join us. It is as symple as sending this email with… …. this button to sign up: send it to your friends

Shabbat Shalom.

Araceli Tzigane | Mapamundi Música

And we share with you one hour of music for joy in this playlist.
To know more about our artists, click here.

Moshe Band – Klein un Grosser

21 February 2020 – Shabbat is almost here

Enjoy with Jewish music from Slovakia by Moshe Band (Mojše Band in Slovak).

Listen their piece Klein un Grosser, from the album Zipserim, and read these statements about the piece by the leader of the band, Michal Paľko.

CLIC THE PICTURE TO LISTEN THE SONG
“Klein un Grosser is not only the tittle of story about relationships between two members (one rich, one pure) of former Jewish comunity in small city in northern part of Autro-hungarian monarchy, for me its at first funny song about wisdom and satira.

Its very typical music for celebrating Purim because in fact Klein un Grosser story is former famous Purimspiel in ZIPS region. Also the stylisc and plystilistics feeling and sound of track its all that time oscilationg between Hungarian opereta, with deeply klezmer influancies and modern disco=pop=rock song. Enjoy!”

I hope you’ll like it and, if so, feel free to share it and invite your friends to join us. It is as symple as sending us an email saying: sign me up for the Music Before Shabbat. 

Shabbat Shalom.

Araceli Tzigane | Mapamundi Música

May you always find the light in your path.
And we share with you one hour of music for joy in this playlist.
To know more about our artists, click here.

Jako el Muzikante – rebetiko

14 February 2020 – Shabbat is almost here

Enjoy with Sephardic music.

Roza Eskenazi is one of the benchmarks of the rebetiko and the referential female singer. Her mother’s languaje was djudeo-espanyol. All the productions we have from her are sang in Greek but Xurxo Fernandes, alias Jako el Muzikante, translated this sad tune about despair and lost love, into the languaje of the Oriental Sephardic. Enjoy the original rebetiko piece and his rendition. Find the lyrics below.

CLICK THE PICTURES TO SEE THE VIDEOS:

Γιατί Φουμάρω Κοκαίνη
Maldicha kokaina

I hope you’ll like it and, if so, feel free to share it. Shabbat Shalom.

Araceli Tzigane | Mapamundi Música

May you always find the light in your path.
And we share with you one hour of music for joy in this playlist. To know more about our artists, click here.

Zabibi, by Gulaza

7 February 2020 – Shabbat is almost here

Enjoy with Yemenite Jewish music that has been kept and transmited from mother to daughter for generations. These are Gulaza in a recording made 3 years ago at Gil Rouvio’s radio show (thank you such a delighting document).

Credits: Recorded by: Idan Katz – Camera by: Nimrod Kipi Halberthal – Video, Mix and Mastering: Ben Aylon – Recorded live at 106fm Kol HaCampus Radio with Gil Rouvio, Israel

Shabbat Shalom.

Araceli Tzigane | Mapamundi Música
And we share with you one hour of music for joy in this playlist.
To know more about our artists, click here.

Frajda by Janusz Prusinowski Kompania

31 January 2020 – Shabbat is almost here

Enjoy with Polish Jewish music that has been kept in the memory of the old musicians until nowadays. 

 

The piece Polka Żydóweczka Frajda was learnt by Janusz Prusinowski and his Kompania from the recording made by Andrzej Bieńkowski (Foundation Muzyka Odnaleziona), played by the group Kapela Dudkow, from Lublin region. It is included in the album Kolberg po żydowsku. Learn more about this artist and his relationship with Jewish music, in our web page.

Shabbat Shalom.

May you always find the light in your path.
And we share with you one hour of music for joy in this playlist.
To know more about our artists, click here.

 

Gulaza – Salam Yalbint

24 January 2020 – Shabbat is almost here


Enjoy with Yemenite music, Salam Yalbint, by Gulaza, that says:

Hello, dark maiden by the well, quench my thirst.

Walla, I swear to God If only I didn’t have seven
brothers, i would let you drink the tears from my eyes.

It is not water from the well that I desire…

In that case, please go upstairs and ask my mother for her permission.

Click to watch:
May you always find the light in your path.
And we share with you one hour of music for joy in this playlist.
To know more about our artists, click here.