Sometimes I stumble across new expressions of Jewish culture and am astounded by the never ending fertility of our encounter with this world. That is a grandiose way to introduce you to a vibrant new phenomenon in Jewish/Israeli music. His name is Idan Raichel.
Ahad Ha'am (bio here) would probably be surprised by my saying this, but I believe that Idan Reichal is an expression par excellence of the renewal of Jewish culture. He fuses our traditions from around the globe, particularly emphasizing Mizrachi musical tropes. His music is, at times, simply sublime and already has become a way by which Adam and I introduce our children to the mystery of being Jews and loving Jews.
If you want to hear samples of his music go here (the main site is here).
I downloaded some songs. I definitely like it. Some of the sounds reminds me of early Broza. I think its great that your wrote about music. because it speaks on totally different levels. But I'd like to hear more about why you described this music in the context of Ahad Ha'am.
My musical recommendation is Mattan Klein and Seeds of Sun (www.seedsofsun.com). Great jazz flute and a cover of my favourite hebrew song...
Posted by: Jay | January 09, 2007 at 10:35 PM