While things may currently be looking good for the brothers, it can't be easy carrying the "son of" tag with you on stage. "It doesn't bother me at all," says Ehud, at 29 the younger of the two by seven years, who recently became religious. "I feel it is a great privilege to be the son of Meir Ariel."

Shahar has a somewhat less PC take. "If anyone just looks at us as the sons of Meir Ariel, that's their problem," he declares. "We do our own thing." It's not as if the Ariels are exactly in denial of their famous parent. Both admit to learning a lot from the troubadour who died suddenly in 1999 at the age of 57. Besides his blues- and folk-inflected tunes, Ariel Sr. was known for his ability to mold the Hebrew language into practically any form he wished. Shahar and Ehud recall that with affection.

"Yes, the language thing comes into my work a lot," says Shahar. "I get inspiration from Meir's songs, and play around with things. The written word is very important for us, as it was for Meir, but we believe our new CD has its own merits. Sometimes I feel Meir's presence very strongly when I'm working on something."

There are plenty of other influences too. "Ehud will probably tell you he takes a lot from British rock, but I'm more into American rock, folk-rock and blues -- guys like Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix and the Grateful Dead." In fact, Ehud mentioned the first three as major sources of inspiration, plus local artists such as Shalom Hanokh and seventies super group Kaveret.

David Broza has come of age, in more ways than one. Besides his recent milestone birthday, the new member of the over-50 club has just released his third Spanish-language album, and is about to embark on a tour to support the new work. He'll perform with the Broza Five at Tel Aviv's Zappa Club January 25 to 27 and at the Einav Center January 28.

Those familiar with Broza's smash mid-Eighties record HaIsha She'Etee (The Woman by My Side) may be forgiven for thinking there's nothing new about Broza's offering us a taste of Iberia. But they'd be wrong. HaIsha She'Etee may have permanently established the songwriter/guitarist as an Israeli megastar, but eight of the nine tracks on that release were Hebrew versions of Spanish songs, and the record gave the impression of a being a marketing experiment as much as a musical endeavor. The new CD, Parking Completo, is another story entirely.

That's not to say that Parking Completo does not do justice to the genre - it does so with aplomb - but the new album is a gutsy, no-holds-barred work teeming with frontier-pushing spirit and unbridled passion. Despite a favorable initial response to the album, Broza admits to a certain amount of apprehension about the new offering. "It's not the norm in Israel to put out records in a foreign language," he says, "especially in a country where cultural identity is so important."

Given that Parking Completo is not the first Spanish-language release in Broza's 28-year recording career, why the concern over the Israeli public's response this time around? "This is my third Spanish album, but Isla Mujeres and Todo O Nada were mainly marketed abroad," Broza explains. "I have drawn a clear line across what I do for the Anglo-Saxon audience, for Spanish audiences and for Israelis. I have recorded in all three languages and it's a part of my own personal cultural identity. I feel comfortable in all those languages and that's who I am. Take me or leave me."

Member of the clergy team at the Los Angeles-area's Temple Aliyah, Cantor Mike Stein has maintained an active and accomplished musical career outside of Judaism. As a teenager, he appeared in the original cast of Broadway's "Jesus Christ Superstar," and he went on to write and record the wildly successful series of "Dinorock" children's recordings, which even garnered him a Grammy. His family band, The Rolling Steins, tours the US extensively, and he also plays the violin on Craig Taubman recordings.

Stein's new album, Shabbat in Swing Time!, is surprisingly exactly what the title claims - a collection of Sabbath-themed original melodies, almost all of which are presented in a jazzy, homey rhythm. Both the opening "Shalom Aleichem" and the evening service-inspired "Ahavat Olam" showcase Stein's version of laid-back shuffle-beats well. Other styles explored here include lounge crooning ("Or Zauua"), hazzanut ("Mi Chamocha") and blues ("Shalom Rav"). The goofiness of the cover art reverberates on "Refaenu," while the Cantor's "Barechu" is transformed into a call and answer-structured exercise in scat whimsy.

Ordained as a master of musical composition by Bar Ilan University and a "friend" by the Carlebach Foundation, Nahlaot's Aaron Razel is an accomplished and creative force in the realm of contemporary Jewish rock.

Razel's four studio albums have showcased the folk-rocker's flair for soothing songwriting and musicianship, but they have been most effective as advertisements for his concerts. Fans swear that only on stage do Razel's charisma and upbeat energy truly become infectious, an assertion backed up by his new release, Live in Jerusalem.

Razel's "Song of Zion" appears here as a set opener, showcasing his Paul Simon-like, soft vocal touch with energy. On "Bnei Ha'neurim," Razel's vocal approach shows that he's not afraid to miss the high notes, which is in this case a strength, since we can hear on the recording how much fun he is having reaching above his range.

The ecstatic "Two Sugar One Coffee" starts out as a power-chord-heavy wedding jam, with chants of "mazal tov," but the song soon switches gears and becomes lighter. "The Fire and the Wood" is an interesting philosophical query, quoting scripture from a verse commonly cited by scholars to indicate that Isaac knew that his father intended to sacrifice him and walked alongside him up the hill nonetheless.

A recent debut in record stores is a solo effort by Emanuel Steinbaum, better known as Puch, and the Helicon record company has been heavily promoting its new young singer.

Born and bred in Jerusalem, Puch wrote lyrics and composed the music to all but one of the tracks on this album. His first single, "Nemalim," was quickly picked up by radio stations. His music is pop with a splash of rock, electronica and world beats. The album is fun to listen to - Puch sings softly, then louder, croons and harmonizes, and sounds totally at ease with singing solo.

On the track "Meaz She'halacht," musical backup is provided by none other than Idan Raichel (who collaborated with Puch before Raichel became a star). Like its melody, the words of this break-up song are touching.

Puch is not afraid to play with different styles: "Od Horim," which follows "Meaz She'halacht," is more lively and even has a polka intro.

The one song not written by Puch on the album ("Kol Hazman") was penned by his musician brother, Ronen. The 26-year-old Puch has been involved in the Jerusalem music scene since the age of 12.

The album has a high quality sound, and whereas other bands quickly record and release their material on disc, Puch and Helicon took over two years to put this debut together.

There's no doubt we'll be hearing a lot more from this up and coming Jerusalemite.

Israel's self-described pop queen, Sarit Hadad is back with her thirteenth album. Boasting an all-star composer line-up including Zvika Pick, Henree, Yosi Gispin, Kobi Oz and Zeev Nehama, among others, Miss Music is meant to be an album of hits.

From the singles "Bayn Kol Habalagan" and "Bosem Zarfati" to "Hakahal Sheli" - a thank-you song to her fans - Hadad's songs are packaged and produced to a premium.

But Hadad - who hopes fans will start calling her "Miss Music" - goes overboard in places. Hadad includes her signature Middle Eastern beats as the background to her songs, and layers them with electronic and dance club tunes. Either in an effort to appease as many people as possible or to demonstrate her cosmopolitan appeal, Hadad throws in a couple of words in English and Spanish on the songs "Miss Music" and "Im Hapanim Le'maarav." While devoted fans will still enjoy the album, Hadad's offerings here aren't all that exceptional. Any distinctiveness she had on her previous albums is lost. Hadad and her production crew have clearly invested tremendous energy trying to make each of the album's 13 songs a hit, but too much tampering and fine-tuning ruined their chances.

While critics across the board have dismissed Miss Music as an artistic flop, there's no doubt Hadad's star will continue to shine. As usual with a Hadad album, it's as much about the presentation as it is about the content. The Miss Music album cover features Hadad in 16 poses - making it impossible to forget she's a star, whether one likes it or not.

Jewlicious » Esther rips off Ofra.

One of the most hyped Israeli rock concerts of the year now comes to you on CD. Once competitors, rock giants Shalom Hanoch and Shlomo Artzi, have united to bring local music fans an awesome double CD album of the best of both their songs.

From "Kama Tov Shebat Habayta" to "Yareach" to "Gever Holech Le'eebud", fans of this genre of music will love this album.

Hanoch and Artzi have each stamped the Israeli rock scene with their folk-rock musical styles. Most of their fans are devoted to both of them. And so, for them to hook up was unexpected but not outrageous.

While it's touching to hear Hanoch sing Artzi and Artzi sing Hanoch, for the most part it sounds like they preferred to duet ather than offer solos of one another's signature songs. Duets are always good, but solos are sharper. Hearing the crowd before each track brings the listener into the excitement of the crowd at Caesaria Amphitheater.

Overall, Artzi fans and Hanoch followers alike will find this album favorable.

In the winter of 1970, superstar pop singer Arik Einstein gave a concert in the gym of my high school. Arik was tall and skinny, with a squinty-eyed feline face that made everyone who saw him swoon, boys and girls alike (the squint was the result of his severe near-sightedness, which later deteriorated to blindness). He was your dream big brother, your fantasy friend, your imaginary uncle. His voice was imbued with that sexy groan, just this side of hoarse. He was as hip and as beautiful as Paul McCartney, but with the harsher edges of John Lennon.

He was bigger than life. Indeed, his success at the cash register, spanning five continuous decades, did not have a whole lot to do with talent. No one would argue the fact that Yehoram Gaon, who co-sang with him in several bands, including an IDF entertainment band, had a deep and delicious voice and a range that far outclassed Arik's. And, unlike Arik, Gaon could sing in key effortlessly. But Arik's je nais se quoi was astonishing, his limited talent notwithstanding.

The standard intro for the Yarkon Bridge Trio, an early '60s vehicle featuring Gaon, Einstaein and late troubadour Benny Amdursky, had Benny saying, "I'm Amdursky," then Gaon quipping, "I'm Gaon," which in Hebrew also means, "I'm a genius." And Arik would punchline, "If you're a genius, then I'm Einstein."

The joke was simple enough and always got the laugh, but it also offered an insight into the difference between those two very gifted singers, Gaon and Einstein. Yehoram Gaon was the finest scion of a lyrical tradition spanning centuries of Jewish and then Israeli life in Jerusalem. Arik Einstein, although he often dabbled with traditional Israeli music, was all Tel Aviv, all about ushering in the spirit and rhythms of foreign rock n' roll and jazz. From his first and last names, both of which could pass for non-Israeli sounding, to his choice of material, to his anarchistic sense of humor (supported by his life-long friend, comedian-filmmaker Uri Zohar, who later became a distinctly unfunny Orthodox rabbi), Arik offered us a vital connection to Euromerican culture.

1. Coming to you (Ba Aleichem) - Miri Mesika

2. Give him a chance (Titnu lo chance) - Ma Kashur

3. Small love (Ahava Ketana) - Shiri Maimon

4. Heat of July, August (Chom yuli ogust) - Synergy

5. Middle of the night in the village (Emtza halaila bekfar) - Harel Moyal

6. From all the love (Mekol Ha-ahavot) - Idan Raichel Project

7. Not the same thing (Ze lo otoh davar) - Ivri Lider

8. Accept!!! (Kabel!!!) - Shy 360 featuring Hatzel and Guy Mazig

9. Sleeping without dreaming (Lishon bli lahlom) - Metropolin

10. I will dream forever (Live) (Echlom L'Nezach B'Hofa'ah) - Mofa Ha Arnavot Shel Doctor Kasper

11. I only want you (Rak Otcah Rotzah) - Maya Buskilah

12. There is none like your love (Ein k'mo ha'ahava shelach) - Daniel Solomon

13. I see you (Ani ro'eh otach) - Shalom Chanoach and Shlomo Artzi

14. Sweetie 2 (Motek 2) - Roni

15. Sing for me too (Tashiru gam li) - The Airforce Band

16. All i want - Hadara Levin Areddy

17. Drop of understanding (Tipa shell havana) - Dani Sanderson

18. Futuristic romance (Romantika atidanit) - Machina

19. Pass to another day (Pas Leyom acher) - Yosi Azoulay

20. News from the moon (Chadashot me'hayareach) - Fortis/Sakharof

1. Give him a chance (Tatnu lo chance) - Ma Kashur
2. There (L'sham) - Miri Mesika
3. Not the same thing (Lo Otoh Dvar) - Ivri Lider
4. I see you (Ani ro'eh otach) - Shalom Chanoach and Shlomo Artzi
5. Unexpected (Lo Tzipiti) - Soliko
6. Sweeie 2 (Motek 2) - Roni
7. The answer (Hatshuva) - Mashina
8. Beautiful words from her (Milim yafot m'eleh)- The Idan Raichel Project
9. Tell him (Tagidi Lo) - Ohad Hitman
10. Sleeping without dreaming (Lishon Bli Le'halom) - Metropolis
11. The quiet that remains (Hasheket sh'nishar) - Shiri Maimon
12. A boy builds castles (Yeled Boneh Armonot) - Gilad Segev
13. Broken string (Meitar Karua) - Daniel Soloman
14. News from the moon (Chadashot me'hayareach) - Fortis/Sakharof
15. Missing (Mitgageya) - Eyal Golan
16. Searching Inc. (Mechapsim B'am) - Hadag Nachash
17. She doesn't say a thing (Lo omeret klum) - Metropolin
18. Fine alone (Tov Levad) - Efrat Gosh
19. The sun (Ha shemesh) - Meor Cohen
20. The sad clown ( haleitzan ha'atzuv) - Gidi Gov

Now, browsing on Israel-Music.com, I discover a tribute,
Various Sing Naomi Shemer By Various. Only click through if you're willing to hear a hip-hop version of al kol eleh, or various other interpretations of Naomi's classics.

Check out Sakhut Tari ("Freshly Squeezed"), the latest mixtape from Israel's leading hip hop DJs, Ori Schochat & DJ Alarm, which features Subliminal, Mookie, Sagol 59, Kela 6, The Tribe, Qwami, Roi, and other top Israeli MCs rhyming over the beats of Lil John, Ja Rule, 50 Cent and many of your favorite American MCs.
link to download

]]> http://www.radiohazak.com/archives/2005/05/israeli_hip_hop.html http://www.radiohazak.com/archives/2005/05/israeli_hip_hop.html Rap Thu, 12 May 2005 18:50:38 -0500