After listening to the So-Called’s newest album “Ghettoblaster” I am left with many questions and perplexing thoughts. I would like to begin this short analysis by discussing their webpage. When opening http://www.socalledmusic.com/, the first images that appear are that of a woman’s legs held up by an older gentleman’s accordion. What a contrast – between a near-naked woman’s lower half and a klezmer musician. I believe that only under this indie-rap record label can (what I am understanding to be Jewish artists) draw from the sounds of Dr. Dre and Aaron Lebedeff (a Yiddish theatre star in the late 19th, early 20th century), as the group affirms on their myspace page. While the musicians use these two genres to articulate the foundations behind their sound, I am left wondering the inspiration behind this group, and what type of audience they are targeting – specifically in terms of Jewish or non-Jewish listeners.
When listening to the CD, I found one song introduction most interesting. The singer Irving Fields spoke about how he performs in 21 languages. He says that he sings Jewish songs not because they’re better than others, but because they are his, and unless he sings these songs, he fears the Jewish culture will die out. One song on the CD displays a traditional, Jewish niggun (a song without words) that I moreso expect to hear at the Shabbat table than on an Indie CD. Additionally it is easy to pick up on the kelzmer instruments in each of the 13 tracks. Aside from these two details, I am unsure of where Field’s comment fits into this album. Stephanie and I were listening to the CD, and aside from a few mentions of a “Jewish cowboy” that seemed as though they came out of nowhere, we couldn’t find the Jewish culture in the lyrics.
The musical genre alone, however, is an interesting approach as it attempts to sustain Jewish culture. In the beginning of the semester, Professor Cohen mentioned that the term kelzmer was not used to define this genre of music until the late 20th century. This fact alone does not negate the immense history behind the styles and use of instruments which are today considered “klezmer” but in brings into question its connection to Jewish culture. I almost fear to say that Mr. Fields and his group have not found an authentic way to carry on Jewish culture by implementing klezmer sound into their rap and indie sounds. With that said, I still wonder if klezmer groups like the So-Called truly sustaining Jewish culture and if so, how has klezmer music come to connote Judaism?
3 comments:
I also had trouble identifying the "Jewishness" of So-Called in the small clip we heard in class. However, if there is one thing I have learned in this class it is that everyone expresses their Judaism in different ways. Perhaps for So-Called, the symbolism he uses or some the lyrics are associated with his own Jewish experiences. I know I can not always identify with the music I listen to, and yet I still enjoy it and know it has meaning to the singer/writer. Perhaps just as we cannot define "Jew", it is also impossible to define "Jewish Music".
Quick couple clarifications: SoCalled is a single person (born Josh Dolgin). While Irving Fields does a cameo on his album (as do many klezmer musicians and famous Jewish singers), he's not one of the primary musicians. If you'd like to hear Fields, though, his "Bagels and Bongos" album has been reissued through the Reboot Stereophonic label. As to the "near-naked woman's lower half" that appears on SoCalled's website: how do you know that's a woman?
Last, to respond to Mara. From a musical perspective, there were two repeated melodies in the segment I played in class that are closely associated with Jewish life. But I know that because it's what I study (and I grew up with them). If you don't have that background, it would certainly be more difficult making the connection with Jewish expression.
I agree mara, that it is hard to define Jewish music. So much so, that sometimes the only thing that makes something Jewish is the feeling you get when you are listening to it, or maybe a segment that reminds you of something you have heard before. SO obviously some music can be classified as jewish because of the artist or producer, etc, but i think that you can also classify it as jewish if it just seems culturally "jewish". maybe this only makes sense to me, i dont know.
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